EPSE 390 Case Study Assignment 1

EPSE 390 Case Study Assignment: Easier Said Than Done

Name: Elektra Taylor
Student/Teacher Learning Characteristics
Beth Langly is a 24-year old first year intern with a constructivist philosophy who was

shadowing Mike Brown (Clearinghouse, n.d.). She wanted to teach science in a diverse community

and to have her classroom include all types of learners by using multiple modality teaching

techniques (Clearinghouse, n.d.). Beth doesn’t think that students are learning properly if they are

given facts and ask to memorize them for tests (Clearinghouse, n.d.). She wants to use more visual

demonstrations and hands on activities to give students a better chance to learn science on a deeper

level (Clearinghouse, n.d.). She believes students can learn in the environment she was trying to

establish as long as she could apply the theories she learned from university to a group of motivated

and cooperative students (Clearinghouse, n.d.).

Mike Brown is head of the science department and has been a teacher for 20 years and is

not open to trying new ways of instruction (Clearinghouse, n.d.). He followed old-school

authoritative, teacher-centered instruction and while he acknowledged the concepts of multiple

intelligences and constructivist teaching theory, his practical teaching style was to give his students

facts for them to memorize for their tests (Clearinghouse, n.d.).

I believe Beth is being motivated by the theories and ideas behind effective teaching

strategies but doesn’t understand the reality of practice. It is clear that she is motivated to support

diversity within the classroom. Beth recognizes the learning strengths and needs of different types

of students and wants to support all students in the classroom environment (Module 4, 2017). I

think Mike is being motivated by his 20 years of experiences as a science teacher so he is not

taking into consideration new pedagogies. I think Mike needs to be more open minded and

welcoming to the idea of collaboration with other teachers because it would allow him to learn
 EPSE 390 Case Study Assignment 2

from other’s experiences and work in a team where all members feel that their contributions are

valued (Module 11, 2017).

One problem in this case is that Beth feels as though Mike’s teaching methods do not allow

students to truly understand science because his lessons are teacher-centered (Clearinghouse, n.d.).

Another problem is that Beth feels as though Mike and his students don’t welcome or value her

input or instruction because they are so accustomed to Mike's authoritative lecture methods

(Clearinghouse, n.d.). Unlike Mike, Beth didn't attempt to appear authoritative, so the students

don’t trust that she knows what she is talking about (Clearinghouse, n.d.). Beth also struggles to

institute changes in the classroom while still maintaining credibility with Mike and the students

(Clearinghouse, n.d.). She is then worried that her fate as a teacher lies in Mike's hands, so she

should abide by what he is saying in order to get a good recommendation (Clearinghouse, n.d.).

Beth also started to find that the teachings she learned in college were unrealistic when she was

put into a real school setting and she began to question whether she expected too much from herself

(Clearinghouse, n.d.). Beth also wasn't sure about how to measure someone's understanding of the

concepts without using written tests and assignments (Clearinghouse, n.d.).She questioned

whether they were to be graded by their performance on tests or their ability to understand and

demonstrate concepts but noticed it would be difficult to account for grades with unwritten

measures (Clearinghouse, n.d.).

Prioritized Student/Teacher Learning Needs

I believe the first thing that must be addressed is Beth’s struggle with her credibility to both

the students and her partner teacher. This is critical to address first because without credibility,

Beth is not seen as an authority which prevents her from having the capability to implement her

methods of teaching within the classroom.

 EPSE 390 Case Study Assignment 3

First, she must gain credibility with Mike. To do this I think she needs to learn how to

collaborate better with other professionals. She is new to teaching in a school setting, so it is

important that she connects properly with other staff members so that she has people to fall back

on if she needs help. For example, she believes that Mike’s way of teaching doesn’t allow for

optimal learning because they are only given facts and ask to memorize them for tests

(Clearinghouse, n.d.). Just because she doesn’t agree with this method doesn’t mean it is wrong or

not useful within the classroom. She has valuable ideas for teaching to a diverse group of students,

but the students she currently has are unfamiliar with her practices, so they don’t seem to be

succeeding either. This demonstrates that her methods are not necessarily appropriate for all

learners.

An approach Beth could take would be to integrate some of Mike’s teaching methods into

her practices. Incorporating different perspectives and keeping an open mind about different ways

of teaching would allow for Beth to gain the credibility she needs with her partner teacher. From

here, she and Mike could work together to gain the trust of the students. It would also be wise if

she were able to talk with Mike about their different approaches, showing respect for his teaching

methods even though she is not in full agreement with his approach.

One learning need of the students is that they are so accustomed to authoritative lectures

and temporarily memorizing facts for test, that they are close minded and unresponsive to new

ways of learning. This could be because they were not actually learning things, instead only

memorizing and reciting facts; or, it could be because Mike was not being supportive of Beth’s

new teaching methods so the students didn’t respond well in accordance to that. The strategy I

suggested prior to this about Beth collaborating with Mike would be the best way to overcome

this.
 EPSE 390 Case Study Assignment 4

Student/Teacher Recommendations
There are a variety of different ways in which Beth can monitor students progress with her

constructivist teaching philosophy. Conducting formative assessments would be beneficial to Beth

because they inform instruction within and between lessons, for both student and teacher, to

confirm what a student has mastered and identify the learning that comes next (Formative

Assessment, n.d.). Class discussions where every student is required to participate would be one

way to do this. It would allow her to ask questions and see how, why, and what students are

thinking about certain topics. Another way would be to sort the students into groups and have them

summarize or paraphrase important concepts and lessons – this can be done orally, visually or in

written form. (Briggs, 2014). Projects that target independent learning, collaborative learning,

guided practice, and focused instruction are another way in which Beth would be able to

formatively assess students progress in the class.

I think Beth needs to stay true to her beliefs even though Mike is not supportive of them.

One thing Beth could do is seek out like-minded people who understand and support her point of

views. When she does this, it is important that she does not talk negatively about Mikes teaching

style, but instead seek reassurance and guidance that she is on the right track. It is critical that she

avoids unnecessary negativity about Mike because that can be seen as unprofessional. However,

it is also important she doesn’t lose her identity as a teacher because she feels pressured by Mike's

authority into conforming to the way he teaches.

I believe Mike should allow Beth to implement her constructivist philosophy. I do not think

Beth has taken every opportunity to promote her philosophy with Mike. Beth could try to arrange

a meeting with Mike to openly discuss how and why she wants to implement new teaching

techniques into the classroom. This would also give Mike an opportunity to explain his reasoning

behind teaching the way he does which could help them better understand each other.
 EPSE 390 Case Study Assignment 5

One method that Mike could use in his teachings to improve his methods would be to

incorporate differentiated instruction within his lessons. It is a teacher's responsibility to ensure

that there is provision of adequate resources to maintain an appropriate learning environment for

all students, including those with special needs (CUPE, 2009). Friend and Bursuck say that

“students’ diverse needs can be met by providing materials and tasks at varied levels of difficulty,

with varying degrees of support” (Friend & Bursuck, 2006, p. 148). This becomes important in the

inclusion of different learning methods when the goal of teaching is to better accommodate

physical and mental disabilities but also to challenge students who are further ahead than where

others might be. For these situations, differentiated instruction would be ideal because it would

allow Mike to teach the curriculum in various ways that target slower learners, while

simultaneously keeping others feeling challenged and engaged in the material. If students don’t

feel challenged or they feel too overwhelmed, they won’t be learning optimally. Mike’s only way

of teaching is authoritative where he “spoon-feeds his students facts” for them to memorize and

give back to him in the form of written tests (Clearinghouse, n.d.).

To overcome the lack of motivation on the part of her students, Beth could try to implement

an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) which involves the student, their parents/family, and the

school team make an individual plan that addresses students learning strengths and weaknesses

(Module 10, 2017). While this is generally done with special education and disability students, it

could also be a great motivator for students who are uninterested and careless about their education.

Self-advocacy in conjunction with self-determination are valuable skills needed to actively

participate in the IEP process (Uphold, 2007). If students understand their strengths and

weaknesses of their learning, they can find strategies and techniques that will allow them to grow.
 EPSE 390 Case Study Assignment 6

Allowing them the opportunity to be part of planning their success, could give them the motivation

they need to excel in their learning.

Another way Beth could increase students' motivation is by getting to know them on a

more personal level and building relationships with them. This is also established with the creation

of an IEP. Another reason the students might lack motivation is because with the two teachers'

different styles of teaching, the expectations of them might be unclear. I think it is important that

Mike and Beth work together to establish consistent and high, yet realistic, expectations of the

students. From here it is important to inform the students about what is expected of them, and

possibly have a reward if the students exceed expectations or a form of negative consequences if

they are not met.

References
Briggs, S (2014). 21 Ways to check for student understanding. Inform ED. Retrieved from
https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/21-ways-to-check-for-student-
understanding/
British Columbia Teachers’ Federation and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
British Columbia. (2009). Roles and responsibilities of teachers and teacher
assistants/education assistants. Vancouver, B.C.: Author. Retrieved from
https://bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/Issues/InclusiveEd/RolesAndResponsibilitiesTeacher
sTAs.pdf
Clearinghouse of Special Education Teaching Cases (n.d.) Easier said than done. Retrieved from
http://cases.coedu.usf.edu/TCases/easier_said_than_done.htm
Friend, M., & Bursuck, W. (2006). Including students with special needs: A practical guide for
classroom teachers (4 ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. (Chapter 5, Planning instruction
by analyzing classroom and student needs, pp. 144- 185). Retrieved from
http://www.ablongman.com/html/productinfo/friend4e/contents/0321317742_ch05.pdf
Formative Assessment and Monitoring Students Progress (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://schools.archmil.org/CentersofExcellence/DOCsPDFs/Learning-Support-
Teams/2015-16/October-8-2015/Formative-Assessments/FormativeAssessmentand
MonitoringStudentProgress.pdf
 EPSE 390 Case Study Assignment 7

McIntyre, L. (2017). Module 4: Teaching For, And Support, Diversity. Retrieved from
https://bblearn.usask.ca/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_115446
_1&content_id=_1969284_1
McIntyre, L. (2017). Module 10: Program Planning, Goal Setting, and Using IEP/IIP. Retrieved
from https://bblearn.usask.ca/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=
_115446_1&content_id=_1969290_1
McIntyre, L. (2017). Module 11: Facilitating Student Success. Retrieved from
https://bblearn.usask.ca/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_115446
_1&content_id=_1969291_1
Uphold, N.M., Walker, A.R., & West, D.W. (2007). Resources for involving students in their
IEP process. TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 3(4), Article Retrieved from
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ967452.pdf