Part A: Answer the following questions in one to three paragraphs each:
• How did your own home and school experiences affect how you learned? How might your own experiences and attitudes influence how you will teach? What might be some of your biases that you bring into the classroom, and what can you do to overcome them?
• Review the secondary narrative example in Chapter 1 of Good and Brophy. What are Ms. Chavez’s relative strengths and weaknesses?
• How can teachers improve their interaction patterns with low achievers without reducing their effectiveness with other students? Consider such issues as individualization, teacher affect, thinking and decision-making, and classroom interaction, self-concept, assessment, etc. (You do not need to include all of these areas in your response! Focus on two or three.)
• How can a teacher’s overemphasis on praise of right answers interfere with student learning?
• Give an example of some task-relevant prior knowledge that might be required before certain instructional objectives in your chosen subject matter can be taught successfully (i.e., specific reading ability, foundation of mathematical concepts, etc.).
Part B: Classroom Observation
The focus of Unit 1 has been individual differences, teaching behaviors, and teacher bias and expectation. As you observe classrooms for this unit, please keep this focus in mind.