Participant Selection
Selection of the two teachers that I wanted to work with in completing the clinical cycles was based on two primary factors. I felt that the teachers I chose would most likely want to participate in a clinical cycle, and therefore would be willing to work with me during the summer. I also wanted to work with teachers that had a varied backgrounds, experience, and concerns.
First I selected a veteran teacher, Mrs. P., who has taught high school Science for many years. Mrs. P. and I were co-teachers during the past school year so she felt comfortable in collaborating with me regarding student concerns and often asked for my advice on student behavior and modified instruction. She is also a career changer, as I am, and we have a good working relationship. When I asked her if I could observe one of her classes this summer, she was receptive and agreed to participate in the process.
For my second participant, I selected a third year teacher, Mrs. M., who was new to our school this past year. She is very structured, detail oriented, and well organized. She had expressed her concern to me on several occasions about the work ethic and performance of some students in her Applied Algebra I classes. After the last nine of school, I noticed that she had lost some of her enthusiasm due to the number of failing grades her students had earned and the number of behavior problems that had developed during the last grading period. I believe that the clinical cycle would provide her with options to improve her students’ academic performance and classroom behavior for next year. Unlike Mrs. P., Mrs. M. was not as open to the idea, but she was willing to participate in the process.