EDLD+5345+Activity+Reflection

//This course was added as an extra reflection of my course embedded assignments.//


 * Course-Embedded Activities **
 * 1) //Review Chapter 247 of the Texas Administrative Code, "Educators' Code of Ethics," conduct observations and/or interviews in your school, and use the results of those observations/interviews to complete the "Code of Ethics Mindwalk." //
 * 2) //Conduct an interview with an administrator at your school regarding strategies for recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers and administrators. //
 * 3) //Assess the policies and procedures in place in your district related to teacher mentoring programs by assessing the district's webpage or contacting the district Human Resources Office and reflect on the policies in place for mentoring/induction. //
 * 4) //Complete the Cultural Proficiency Receptivity Scale, use the Cultural Proficiency Professional Development Rubric to assess the level of professional development at your campus or workplace, and identify and describe where and how your campus has responded to each of the elements of Cultural Proficiency. -- 13 hours total. //


 * Reflection **
 * 1) There are many conflicts on the campus that would be considered ethical conflicts based on the //Educator’s Code of Ethics”// for the State of Texas. After reviewing the different ethical areas in the Texas Administrative Code, I realized that just about anyone can file a complaint against an educator under this code. Looking back over my years of teaching, I have been aware of educators whose ethics I have internally questioned but did not speak out about my concerns. Under the //Educator’s Code of Ethics//, I would have been able to file a complaint, especially in those cases where students were being denied educational benefits. Through the interviews with administrators on our campus, they find they must make a decision on whether to file a grievance on a teacher or fellow administrator they believe have violated the //Educator’s Code of Ethics.// In most cases they work with the teacher to help them understand why it is a violation and what the teacher should have done different. With the knowledge I have gained in analyzing the code of ethics and completing the “Code of Ethics Mindwalk,” I am more likely to bring major violations to the attention of campus/district administrators.
 * 2) Prior to the interview, I was aware of the problem of recruiting highly qualified teachers. The district I work for consistently hires 300-400 new teachers each year based on the mobility of the staff in our area. After the interview with my principal, I realized that this is only one problem. Finding teachers who will fit in the campus culture is another. Principals look for teachers who are have the potential to make a positive difference in the lives of our students and on our campus. Sometimes the teachers in the interview will seem to have the beliefs and views that the principal is looking for; however, once they hired on the campus, they reveal their true beliefs and views that are not consistent with the campus. This can cause more conflict on the campus. It is difficult to ask questions that might allow the principal to see the real person of the interview. I realized is that there are not many teachers, highly qualified or not, available across the nation, let alone in our state. As a principal, sometimes having a teacher period may be the best I could hope to hire. If I have an opportunity to hire newly graduated teachers, I will need to be able to spot those who have the potential to be highly qualified teachers and have a structure in place to help support during the first few years. The support may be in the form of an induction program, a qualified mentor or even professional development to help them survive and thrive during the first years of their careers.
 * 3) I found our district has a strong mentoring program for teachers new to the profession and veteran teachers new to the district. Overall this program seems to support the teachers new to teaching survive their first year of teaching with support on campus as well as a group of peers who are experiencing many of the same events. Though there are several positives, there are some weaknesses in the program. One is the lack of qualified mentors to help support the new teachers. The district needs to develop qualified mentors who meet three criteria before mentoring new teachers: knowledge base, interpersonal skills and technical skills (McGuire & Simpson, 2006). Another is combining teachers new to teaching and veterans new to the district together in training. The novices need more support and professional development to build their teaching skills. Veteran teachers need to understand the district and campus policies and procedures. This would be one area the district may want to reconsider and provide other professional development opportunities for veteran teachers so they may grow professionally.
 * 4) Over the past 19 years I have worked for a district whose major population is drawn from the military post, Fort Hood. It has over 50, 000 troops from all area and walks of life. Due to the different postings troops have ben given, many times we have students that come from different cultures outside of the United States. There are over 35 different languages spoken by students in our ELL program, which results a large variety of cultural differences that are added to the cultural differences found in the United States. Due to the emphasis being placed on improving education for all students, we need to look at the different cultures that our students are coming from and determine what would help them be more successful in school (Nuri-Robins, Lindsey, Terrell, & Lindsey, 2007). Using the Cultural Proficiency Continuum, I would rate our campus as culturally competent, based on the amount of professional development provided that addresses a multitude of cultural difference. As a teacher in this environment, I have had to learn about the cultures in the area and how to engage the students so they could be successful in the classroom. This experience is what I credit for my level of Cultural Competence/Proficiency. As a leader, I need to continue to strengthen my proficiency through helping teachers understand and, through professional development, grow in their own Cultural Proficiency.

McGuire, M. A. and Simpson, C. (2006). Hand in hand: An examination of mentor relationships. //American Association of School Personnel Administrators: AASPA Best Practices in School Personnel//, May/June/July 2006, 16-17.

Nuri-Robins, K., Lindsey, D., Terrell, R., & Lindsey, R. (2007). Cultural proficiency: Tools for secondary school administrators. //National Association of Secondary School Principals: NASSP Principal Leadership, 8//(1), 16-22.

Texas Administrative Code, Rule §247.2 (2010). Retrieved March 24, 2012 from [].