Team 1 Letter

(In Order)

Curriculum- Caitlyn

Instruction- Jakob

Classroom Management- Elissa

Communication with Guardians- Bobby

Dear Ms. Wormwood,

We hope this letter finds you well. We have spent significant time reviewing your teaching and found that you do not engage your students in a thought-provoking way. Specifically, one of your students, Calvin, struggles and needs help to grasp information in your class. We have put together an action plan for you to help captivate your students. We have put this plan into four sections for you: curriculum, instruction, classroom management, and finally, communication with guardians. 

Curriculum:

In order to properly engage your students, you must find topics that they find interesting and turn them into a lesson. Regarding your student Calvin, we believe a lesson plan using this methodology will help him find school interesting and motivating. Calvin is a seemingly unmotivated individual in a classroom setting. However, outside of school, he is exceptionally intrinsically motivated. We suggest a lesson based on superheroes since children find this topic fun and fascinating, and most importantly, it will inspire them. We also propose using more hands-on activities to encourage your students to grasp information excitingly. As well as create lesson plans that give students information that they can use in the real world. Finally, a curriculum that engages students is a curriculum that is worth teaching.  

In addition to changing the curriculum, the instruction of the lessons must be changed as well. Creating projects that the students can do together can significantly increase engagement because they can learn from their peers about the subject or learn together. Projects are also a great way to show the students how the subjects can apply to the real world. Another great option is to provide activities so that the students can better understand the subject by doing it themselves. Hands-on activities/projects are great ways to show the students why the subject might be critical and provide them with some interest, especially if they are based on something they have a prior interest in. Your students are getting very bored with your lessons because they are almost all lectures which are prone to allowing students to become very disinterested while projects and activities foster more interest and care of the students for the subjects. 

Instruction:

Another thing that would significantly increase the caliber of your instruction is modeling, coaching, and scaffolding. Modeling means to model one's interest in order to promote intrigue in the students. You can model by taking the students through your problem-solving process in a particular subject or explaining why you enjoy learning about or engaging in the subject. Coaching refers to leading the students to answers rather than providing them with the answers or providing them with no help at all. Doing this can encourage students to find their answers and connect with the subject in their own way. Scaffolding is making sure what the students are learning is within their reach but more challenging for them. Scaffolding is a delicate balance based on what the students have learned to keep them in the Proximal Development Zone (the place where interest is highest, between too easy and too hard, completely unknown and already comprehended that allows the students to grow continuously). This technique is better suited for the curriculum, but during lessons, ensure you know what the students have learned and what they still need to learn. Be sure to complete something the students are ready for, and do not stay on something the students already fully understand. 

Classroom Management:

Calvin falls into the performance-avoidant category of goal theory. This is important to consider when addressing classroom management because students who fall into different motivational patterns need different sets of motivators. The best way to combat performance approach and avoidant behaviors is by creating a mastery/learning-oriented classroom environment. This can be done by avoiding social comparison, attributing success to progress rather than perfection, and rewarding participation at all skill levels. We have noticed that Calvin is seemingly motivated by his parent's approval.

In contrast, Calvin views Ms. Wormwood as the enemy rather than someone he trusts. This leads to Calvin disregarding her criticisms or any efforts to gain control over him. One way that Ms. Wormwood could improve Calvin's perception of school is by working to connect with Calvin and the other students on a more personal level. Calvin also perceives several of his peers as competition rather than teammates, which may contribute to Calvin's performance-avoidant behavior. If Ms. Wormwood promotes positive, collaborative relationships between students, Calvin will likely want to contribute to collective learning and mirror his peers' good behaviors. We have also noticed that his fear of criticism and failure often triggers his handicapping behaviors. By removing unnecessary social comparison and encouraging positive classroom learning dialogue, Ms. Wormwood can avoid triggering performance-avoidant behaviors in her students.

Communication with Calvin's Parents:

Outside of the classroom, Calvin has an opportunity to improve not only his academic life but his interpersonal relationships as well. By using the three phases of self-regulation, Calvin can learn how to discipline and organize his life. The most efficient way Calvin can become self-regulated is by having authority figures in his life lead by example. If his parents were to sit him down and coactively devise an outlined plan of action for his homework, he would be able to manage his tasks more enjoyably, especially if he could provide input on what he thinks is reasonable. Ms. Wormwood can guide his parents through how to take the first step into this process by having them help Calvin pace out his projects in an organized manner. If he can succeed in the forethought phase of this theory, the rest of it will be on Calvin to continue. In addition, other motivational theories like interest, self-determination, or goal theory can greatly impact Calvin as an individual. By relating the subject matter to a topic more aligned with his interests, he could have a better experience in doing his work. With goal theory, these interests could provide even further value to Calvin by having rewards, whether it be intrinsic or extrinsic, introduced to him. Lastly, through self-determination, he can start to trust the process of his abilities and schedule laid out in efforts toward his benefit. 

Conclusion:

As expressed, your teaching methodology could be vastly improved by taking the time to understand and cater to your student's individual needs. This may be an arduous process to get started on. However, your student's education will be fulfilling for you and them in the long run. We thank you for your time and energy in this journey. 

Sincerely,

Group #1