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COURSE TITLE:

10 STUDENTS YOU’LL MEET IN YOUR CLASSROOM: Tips For Secondary Teachers

NO. OF CREDITS:

3 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 2.00 credits]

WA CLOCK HRS:  
OREGON PDUs:  
PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48:  		 30
30
30

INSTRUCTOR:

Mary Ann Johnson
maryajohnson-advisor@comcast.net

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The book for this course introduces you to the range of typical students, such as the Good Kids, the Rebels, the Perfectionists, the Invisibles and more.  With these introductions, you will recognize many of your own students and find suggestions on how to work successfully with each.  The author is a Journalism and Language Arts teacher, so her suggestions are examples of strategies she uses in her courses, but the strategies can be applied in most subjects.  

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

  1. Learned about ten (10) basic types of students.
  2. Examined “anchor” stories that both inform and inspire professional problem solving. 
  3. Learned proactive strategies to help all students succeed, including troubled ones.
  4. Learned strategies that build whole group cohesiveness. 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

The use of artificial intelligence is not permitted. Assignment responses found to be generated by AI will not be accepted.
 

HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.

 

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

  1. Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
  2. Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
  3. Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%

 

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

  • The Ten Students You’ll Meet in Your Classroom: ClassroomManagement Tips for Middleand High School Students by Vickie Gill,  Corwin  Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-4129-4192-5.
  • A film of your choice about teaching secondary students. Price varies depending upon vendor: $1 Red Box; $5 Netflix; free from local libraries.

None. All reading is online.

MATERIALS FEE

The required text is available from Amazon for approxmately $16. Your film choice is available from NetFlix or any local rental service.

ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION

Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. 
Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

Assignment #1: Introductions.

Read the "Introduction" and "About the Photographer."  For groups, this assignment is REQUIRED by all Group Participants.
Introduce yourself and explain why you have chosen this course.                                                                                  
Answer two (2) of these three questions: What cautions does the author address in writing about the ten archetypes she will describe?                      
Why does the author start her fall classes with the study of mythology? How are the archetypes in mythology different from the archetypes in a classroom?
           

Assignment #2: The Good Kids.

Read Ch. 1 "The Good Kids" and write an answer to two (2) of the following four questions.                                                            
Why did the author start with a caution involving the Good Kids, and what were some of the strategies she used to launch her class on the first days? What do you think of her rules and the "Rules Test"?                                                                                                        
Explain the ways in which a teacher can cause Good Kids to go bad.                                                            
Summarize how Gills uses common sense to create positive relationships with students.

Assignment #3: The Rebels.

Read Ch. 2 "The Rebels."
Write an answer to one (1) of these two questions: What reasons caused the author herself to become a Rebel, and what were the consequences? OR From your point of view, rank the author's suggestions, from strongest to weakest, of how to work successfully with rebellious students and explain your reasoning.

Assignment #4: The Misfits.

Read Ch. 3 "The Misfits."
Write an answer for one (1) of these two questions: What are some of the ways misfits find to overcome their loneliness and/or show their alienation from others? OR  Comment on your views about any of the suggestions in the "Classroom Management Tip" or the "Assumptions Activity."

Assignment #5: The Royalty.

Read Ch. 4 "The Royalty."
Write an answer to one (1) of these two questions: What were the most important insights and/or advice about the "royalty."  OR                                 
Explain the author's view of "true power."  Is it one that you share?  Why?

Assignment #6: The Manipulators.

Read Ch. 5 "The Manipulators."
Write an answer to two (2) of these three questions: The author describes the advice she gave to Mrs. Reese, a first year teacher, to deal with Michael. What do you think of that advice? Explain your opinion. OR  In the section, "Protecting Yourself by Staying Professional," the author tells a story of a mistake she  made in dealing with a Manipulator. What did she do wrong and what did she learn from that?  OR  Which two of the "Classroom Management Tips" for working with Manipulators" do you see as the strongest.  Explain why.

Assignment #7: The Victims.

Read Ch. 6 "The Victims."
Write an answer to one 1) of the two questions: Because teachers want to help victims, what cautions do we need?  OR                                                         
Explain the connection the author makes between having students explore their future career ideas and working with bullies.

Assignment #8: The Extraordinary.

Read Ch. 7  "The Extraordinary." Write an answer to one (1) of these two questions: What are the most valuable insights given for working with Extraordinary students?  OR  Of the ideas shared in "Classroom Management Tips,” which seem most likely to help us succeed with extraordinary students?  Why?

Assignment #9: The Angry.

Read Ch. 8 "The Angry."
Write an answer to one (1) of these two options: After reading about the reasons highly volatile students become volatile, think about one instance when you dealt with a very angry student.  What did you try to do, how did it work, and how did it  compare with the ideas in this chapter? OR From the section "Realizing It's Not Personal," summarize the key points made by Gill.

Assignment #10: The Invisibles.

Read Ch. 9 "The Invisibles." Write an answer for two (2) of the four options below.                                                               
What were two surprises revealed at the end of the section about "Encouraging Personal Growth"?                                                                                                                                                   
Describe the plan the author made with Randy so he would feel safe doing an oral presentation. How did it work out?                                                                                                                                                                  
Explain other kinds of reasons for apparent "invisibility" besides shyness. What could be done for those students?                                                                                                                                                                                            
Share your own experience with one of these students and how it turned out.
 

Assignment #11: COURSE FORUM.

Read Ch. 10 "The Perfectionist."
Write an answer to two(2) of these four questions: What are three ways to fail a student?  Why is that important for this section? OR  Several kinds of Perfectionists are described in the chapter. What were some of the reasons students displayed perfectionist behaviors?  OR  Explain the two behavior problems that can be caused by perfectionist students.  (One is mentioned early in the chapter and another toward the end.) OR  Share what you think are the strongest three suggestions given to help a perfectionist student.
COURSE FORUM:
What are your thoughts about Gill’s comment about how easy it is to fail a student. Please enter your thoughts on this comment into the forum for the course. If others have already entered their ideas, please respond to the one(s) that catch your interest.

Assignment #12: Two Ideas.

Review the Class Management Tips at the end of each chapter.   
Comment on two (2) ideas you found most useful and explain why.

Assignment #13: Select a Movie.

Select a movie that portrays students described in this book. 
Good examples of films to use include Dead Poets Society, Mr. Holland's Opus, October Sky, Freedom Writers, Music of the Heart, Precious or any film of your choice in which a teacher focuses on relating to a student like one or more in this book.                                                                                                                                
Compare in 1-2 pages how the film showed solutions that were similar or different from the ones found in the text.      

Assignment #14: New Insights.

Read 'Before You Finish. . .' and discuss three (3) insights you gathered from that section.

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

B. LEARNING APPLICATION

In this section, you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. ​Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

 

Assignment #15: Lesson Development.

Assignment #15:   (Required for 400 and 500 Level)
Think about how to mesh ideas from this course with ways for you to get to know students, enhancing better relationships between students, and among the class as a whole. Follow the directions below. Focus on what you could adapt from the text to promote better understanding of one another.
Assignment #15-A:
  • Adapt a lesson reflecting what you’ve learned in this course.
  • Implement your lesson with students.
  • Write a 250-500 word commentary on what worked well and what could be improved.
  • Include any student feedback on your lesson.
  • Share what you’ve learned with other teachers taking our courses by adding your Lesson to The Heritage Institute Lesson Library here. Click here to download a copy of a lesson plan template.
  • Submit your modified lesson to your instructor via the online response box or file upload.
OR
Assignment #15-B:
  • Adapt a lesson reflecting what you’ve learned in this course. (Do not implement it.)
  • Share your learning with other teachers by contributing your Lesson to The Heritage Institute Lesson Library here.
  • Write a 500+ word article about a noteworthy teaching success you’ve had with one or more students.
  • Please refer to the guidelines on our blog What Works: Teaching at its Best prior to writing your article.
  • When you submit your article to your instructor, please also email a copy to Renee Leon THI blog curator and media specialist.
  • Indicate whether or not you are OK with having your article considered for publishing on our website. 
  • Submit your lesson to your instructor via the response box or file upload.

Assignment #16: Analyze a Situation.

Describe and then analyze a situation in which you worked with a student like one in the book.
Indicate what worked, what didn't work and what things were similar to the author's suggestions. 
Describe what you did that was different from the author's suggestions and what you might do in a future situation.

Assignment #17: (500 Level ONLY)

Create an information sheet for students to complete that includes what would be valuable for you to know about each of them as a course begins.

C. INTEGRATION PAPER

Assignment #18: (Required for 400 and 500 level)

SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)

Write a 400-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:

  1. What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
  2. What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
  3. What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
  4. How, when and where will you use what you have learned?
  5. How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?

INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:

Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Mary Ann Johnson, M.Ed Adm. has worked with students of all levels, from alternative high school to gifted classes. She has also been a junior high vice principal and is now working with teachers for continuing education in classes, distance learning and building leadership groups. She is a teacher emeritus who has led seminars for educators which focus on developing a quality learner environment for students and for teachers. Her courses are research-based and resonate with user-friendly and energizing content.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

10 STUDENTS YOU’LL MEET IN YOUR CLASSROOM: Tips For Secondary Teachers

Benson, Jeffrey.  Hanging In:  Strategies for Teaching the Students Who Challenge Us the Most, ASCD, 2014, paperback, 181 pages. 
ISBN 978-4166-1955-6.  The book illustrates the value of tenacity and building connections with the most needy students through detailed portraits based on actual students and how they eventually succeeded. Strategies for analyzing and developing individualized plans are given with examples of plans in action.  Recommendations for teachers, support staff and administrators are shared.  Inspiration and field-tested ideas for the most demanding cases are plentiful in this book.
Curwin, Richard L, Mendler, Allen N., and Mendler, Brian D.  Discipline with Dignity:  New Challenges, New Solutions, 3rd Edition, ASCD, 2008, paperback, 252 pages, ISBN 978-1-4166-0746-5.  This is the most down-to-earth and up-to-date idea book to coach you through exactly how to handle the most annoying, difficult, and persistent discipline problems you might be encountering.  Each chapter begins with a short, honest admission of what are the emerging classroom issues due to student technologies, possibilities for cheating, bullying, and the like.  There is also a chapter on “Managing Stress Effectively.”  It is my new most recommended book for teachers facing very challenging students.
DiMartino, Joseph, Clarke, John H.  Personalizing the High School Experience, ASCD, 2008, paperback, 100 pages. ISBN 978-1-4166-0647-5.                                                                                                  
Find six focuses to help personalize the high school experience, including Personalized Teaching: Personalized Assessment on individual learning contracts; Connecting students to Communities and designating Teacher Advisors who can help with individual learning plans, and help connect the student productively with parents, mentors, peers and other staff.
Gill, Vicky.  The Ten Students You’ll Meet in Your Classroom: Classroom Management Tips for Middle and High School Students, Corwin Press, 2007, 139 pages. 
ISBN 978-1-4129-4192-5 (pbk)  To reach even the most challenging students, this book offers ten student archetypes to help teachers understand and work with learners who exhibit certain kinds of behaviors.
Paterson, Kathy.  55 Teaching Dilemmas, Ten Powerful Solutions to Almost Any Classroom Challenge Pembroke (through Stenhouse in the US), 2005, paperback, 96 pages. ISBN 1-55138-191-5.  Although the title is misleading, the book basically lays out the two kinds of power we have as a teacher, our personal power and our professional power.  Under those two focuses, the book reminds us of our tremendous strengths, listing 10 ways we can develop each aspect of our own teaching style. Included in this book are several key focuses of our course, including “Stress-Promoting Life Traps,”  “Sustainable Energy,” and focuses on communication, classroom management, motivation, presentation, and leadership.  While a simple dilemma starts each section and introduces each of the focuses for that page, the real power is in reminding us that it is really who we are as well as what we do that matters in the classroom.
Steele, Carol Frederick. The Inspired Teacher, How to Know One, Grow One, or Be One, ASCD, 2009, paperback, 246 pages.
ISBN 978-1-4166-0742-7.  The scope of this book greatly parallels the focuses of our course and goes even deeper into topics such as “Improvising,” Interpreting Events in Progress,” “Being Sensitive to Context,” “TestingHypotheses,” and “Demonstrating Respect.”  While it is a dense read, it is laid out in a very readable format, and lives up to its title.
Sullo, Bob.  The Motivated Student, Unlocking the Enthusiasm for Learning, ASCD, 2009, paperback,176 pages. ISBN 978-1-4166-0810-3.
In this book is a treasure of information about the deepest motivators for students, the value of a positive environment and how to go about building it, and the importance of classroom management that wins students over.  It addresses virtually every aspect of our class focuses.
10 STUDENTS YOU’LL MEET IN YOUR CLASSROOM REV 10/4/24