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ACTION RESEARCH CASE STUDY: FINAL
LU Student: Brittany Furgeson
I. Action Research Question
How do different directions, presentations, expectations, and projects influence student
engagement and behavior?
Ethical Conduct
oThe research is approved by the school administration.
oThe research is conducted based on researched best practices.
oNo children will be placed in harmful situations during this action research.
II. Evidence-Centered Research and Goal
Evidence-centered Research Report – Literature Review
Action Case Study: Literature Review
Before a classroom can truly come to life, a teacher must establish a management
strategy that works for him or her. This management strategy should include expectations the
teacher expects the students to follow, engagement strategies to help all students of various
academic levels buy into the teaching and the content, a plan for students who are choosing
behaviors that are not following expectations, a plan for students who are not meeting the
academic classroom goals, a plan for students that are ready for enrichment, and a plan for what
to do when it all goes awry (Kratochwill et al., 2010). While all of this may seem very simple to
someone outside the world of education, teaching while also implementing classroom and
behavior management strategies can become very complex when students enter the classroom
(Wolff et. al, 2021). Teachers must consistently model all expectations with their own behavior in
the classroom. For example, if a teacher only reinforces negative behavior, a student that usually
engages in positive behavior may begin to engage in negative behavior in order to gain
recognition and reinforcement (Kratochwill et. al., 2010). This is when reflecting on one’s
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teaching practice becomes one of the most important pieces of their management strategy. One
must ask themselves, what can I do differently to influence student engagement and behavior
when things are not going as planned?
Engagement Begins and Ends with Relationships
One of the things that a teacher can do to increase student engagement and lessen
problem behavior in the classroom is to create meaningful relationships with each individual
student while creating a classroom community with all of the students (Martin, 2021). Once
teachers show an interest in students and their cultural backgrounds while building and
maintaining a relationship with them, the students will begin to feel more comfortable and
confident in the classroom. This level of teacher-student support is an important piece of the
puzzle when trying to increase student engagement because once students feel supported and
included, their desire to engage in the content often increases lessening problem behaviors
(Martin, 2021; Liu et. al, 2017, pg. 11-12). Teachers must maintain this support throughout the
school year to ensure that students still feel connected. If a teacher does not consistently check in
on his or her students and maintain that relationship, the level of engagement may begin to drop
again (Duong et. al, 2019).
While teacher-student support is important, it is not the only way to increase levels of
engagement in the classroom through relationships. Peer acceptance and peer relationships can
also help students want to engage in the content, but it can also push students to not engage in the
content based on friendships and attitudes that students see in the classroom (Hoglund, 2007).
Positive peer acceptance and peer relationships can be especially helpful when some student-
teacher relationships are not forming as quickly as the teacher would like them to or if the
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student(s) need more time to adjust to the new classroom and space before they feel that they can
engage. Specifically, this is seen through peers' responses to a student’s engagement or lack of
engagement. If a student is getting negative peer attention for not engaging in the content, he or
she is not likely to continue pushing away from engaging in the content (Hoglund, 2007).
However, if a student is getting negative peer attention for engaging in the content, he or she may
begin to back away from participating in the class in order to appease his or her peers (Hoglund,
2007).
Modification of Teacher Behavior
While relationships can be the beginning and end of engagement, there is plenty of room
in between for teachers to utilize those relationships to help benefit students behaviorally and
academically. Teachers can increase whole-class student engagement, decrease negative
behaviors, and increase academic performance by modifying their own behavior (Inbar-Furst et.
al, 2021). This can be done through the modification of goals or teaching practices to help
students find their place in the classroom. However, this does not mean that the teacher needs to
lower his or her expectation for the students. It just means that the content may be presented
differently. For example, a teacher may choose to pull in a supplemental resource, such as a
game, activity, or video, while teaching a specific standard instead of reading from the
curriculum or using drill and practice in order to make the content more interesting for the
students (Inbar-Furst et. al, 2021). While supplemental resources are almost always encouraged,
finding the right resources can often be a daunting task. For this reason, a teacher may choose to
read from the curriculum and use drill and practice but modify the way in which it is presented.
For example, a teacher may use a lecture-style approach before having the students break apart
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the lesson or complete the drill and practice in groups or partnerships. It does not always matter
how the lessons are broken down as long as the students are working and making progress
towards the goal(s). In the end, all teachers have to be able to make decisions in the moment
while teaching in order to shift with the dynamics of the class and its needs (Richards &
Renandya, 2002).
Changing the whole-class teaching dynamic may not be what every classroom needs to
be successful, and changing the delivery or activities of certain content might not be the best
choice for all teachers. However, there is another way that teachers can increase student
engagement without changing their teaching goals or practices. Teachers can increase student
engagement by highlighting students’ academic, social, and behavioral strengths (Inbar-Furst et.
al, 2021). While highlighting students’ strengths is always a good practice to include in a
classroom, it can be especially helpful to help individual students work towards their academic
and behavioral goals (Inbar-Furst et. al, 2021). Teachers can highlight student strengths by
sharing an encouraging message with the student(s), sending a positive parent message home, or
by using some type of external reward with the student(s). Practicing this throughout the school
year can help students feel confident, encouraged, and supported while working with their
teacher(s) (Inbar-Furst et. al, 2021). Highlighting student strengths can also give students a
chance to be a leader in an area strength even if they are not a leader in all areas. Specifically, a
student may be great at evaluating expressions with parentheses and brackets, but he or she may
struggle to find friends on the playground to play with a recess. This student can be placed as a
student leader during the evaluating expressions math unit, and he or she just became a superstar
in the eyes of his or her classmates. Overall, highlighting student strengths allows teachers to
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build on some of the teacher-student relationships while facilitating positive student-student
relationships as well (Inbar-Furst et. al, 2021).
Motivation and Opportunity
One of the best ways to motivate students to engage in the classroom is by allowing them
to have a say in the classroom community. Many students love to share their own perspectives
and thoughts, and teachers can help facilitate this at the beginning of the school year when
creating their classroom rules for students (Martin, 2021). During the first week of school, the
teacher can ask his or her students to determine what their classroom rules should be and why.
Allowing the students to have a time and a place to share their own feelings about the classroom
community that they are building will help them gain a feeling of mutual care and respect, and
the students will feel more attached to the classroom rules as they were the ones that helped
make them (Martin, 2021). This will also allow the teacher to see what the students expect from
themselves without unconsciously inserting his or her own assumptions, biases, and past
experiences into his or her new classroom community (Martin, 2021).
However, there are always going to be times when students do not or cannot engage in
the classroom, but that does not mean that they do not want to engage. Sometimes, teachers have
to look a little bit deeper and work a little bit harder to determine why their student is not
engaging in the content (Martin, 2021). Reflective practices can often help teachers wonder
about and determine the cause behind some student(s) engagement levels. When reflecting and
working to find an antecedent, a teacher must remove all initial impressions and answer
questions through a lens of curiosity instead of control to help gain a deeper understanding of the
situation (Martin 2021). For example, a student that is diagnosed with a learning disability might
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struggle to stay focused and engaged in a lesson where the teacher reads a book on the carpet for
twenty minutes, because the student is not able to get up and move around. However, the same
student might excel in a math lesson where the students have to go around the room and measure
the different lengths of things because the student is able to get up and move around while still
engaging in the content (Pan, 2009, pg. 26).
Conclusion
At the end of the day, classroom and behavior management go hand in hand with
engagement. Teachers can improve engagement through building and maintaining teacher-
student relationships, facilitating the building and maintaining of positive peer relationships,
modifying teacher behavior and goals, highlighting student strengths, creating personalized
opportunities for students to engage, and reflecting on their own practice regularly.
Strategic SMART Goal
SMART Goal
Learning Standard from
Candidate's State Department
of Education
Website Link to State
Department
Learning Standards
Leslie will engage 80% of
the class during a 15–20-
minute mini-lesson.
Leslie will use less than 6
redirects for all students
during a 15-20-minute mini-
lesson.
Teacher Learning Standards:
Standard #1 Content
knowledge aligned with
appropriate instruction.
oQuality Indicator 2:
Student engagement
in subject matter
Standard #5 Positive
Classroom Environment
oQuality Indicator 1:
Classroom
management
techniques
oQuality Indicator 2:
Teacher Standards ––
DESE.MO Teacher
Student Standards ––
DESE.MO Student
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Management of time,
space, transitions,
and activities
Student Learning Standards:
VA: Cr2B.5 - Demonstrate
quality craftsmanship
through care for and use of
materials, tools, and
equipment
VA: Cn11A.5 - Identify how
art is used to inform or
change beliefs, values, or
behaviors of an individual or
society.
III. Strategy Proposal
Required Items Responses
Volunteer’s Name Leslie Callaway
Topic Leslie is working to improve her classroom
management and engagement skills with her
fifth-grade art students.
Background Information Leslie is currently in her twentieth year of
teaching art. She has been teaching art to
kindergarten through fifth graders for the past
year. Prior to becoming an elementary art teacher
for our school district, Leslie taught multiple
grade levels throughout her years of teaching in
Florida and Missouri. For the majority of her
career Leslie has worked with children in grades
K-3 or 6-12. She has not spent much time with
grades 4-5 until this year. She did get to work
with them last year, but with virtual learning it
was a much different experience than in the
classroom.
She loves being able to create new things
everyday with multiple students, but she often
finds it difficult to get all intermediate level
students to want to participate with her during the
fifty minutes that she gets to see them per week.
She also loves her horse Pablo, and that is where
she gets some of her inspiration for art.
Rationale Leslie is currently working to improve her
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classroom management skills with her fifth-grade
art students (Four Different Classes). Within the
past year, Leslie has struggled to get fifth-graders
engaged in the content due to a lack in classroom
and behavioral management. Students have
destroyed some of her supplies during this time,
and it has been very difficult for her to hold them
accountable, in terms of getting the students to
buy-in to respect and responsibility.
Research Question How do different directions, presentations,
expectations, and projects influence student
engagement and behavior?
State Learning Standards Teacher Learning Standards:
Standard #1 Content knowledge aligned
with appropriate instruction.
oQuality Indicator 2: Student
engagement in subject matter
Standard #5 Positive Classroom
Environment
oQuality Indicator 1: Classroom
management techniques
oQuality Indicator 2: Management
of time, space, transitions, and
activities
Student Learning Standards:
VA: Cr2B.5 - Demonstrate quality
craftsmanship through care for and use of
materials, tools, and equipment
VA: Cn11A.5 - Identify how art is used to
inform or change beliefs, values, or
behaviors of an individual or society.
Standards Website Teacher Standards – DESE.MO Teach
Student Standards – DESE.MO Student
Date & Time of Scheduled Observations
Observation 1: August 31, 2021; 10:40 am – 11:10 am
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Date & Time of Scheduled Observations
Observation 2: September 24, 2021; 10:40 am – 11:10 am
Observation 3: October 6, 2021; 10:40 am – 11:10 am
IV. Strategy Implementation
Observations Journal notes from each observation
Observation #1
(08/31/2021)
Baseline Data Collection
- 7/14 Students Engaged + 1 Student During Project Instruction
-3/14 Students Finished Project – Rushed to Finish
Learning Objective
I can create two pieces of art for the tiny art show with post-its.
-She went over and mentioned that everyone will show their
work off in the art show at the end of the project.
Expectations
Two Rules
1. Something that describes yourself
2. Something that you did this summer
-” Everything needs to be your best.”
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Observations Journal notes from each observation
-“Practice, practice, practice”
-“Add in rich colors and details”
Teaching Strategies
-Add in a new job when students can handle it
-Asked for 10 minutes of students’ time before they have their own
time
-Most students kept their hands down during instructions
-Not acknowledging those that were not paying attention
-Gave expectations first for behaviors (what about project
expectations?)
-Numbered supplies at tables (everyone gets their own items)
-Asked students to take care of material like it was their own
and they want it to last forever
Improvements?
-Called out students and said, “You need to be quiet” and “Shh...”
-Called out student and said, “Oh my gosh...me and you at the end”
when he was using supplies during directions
-What can we do to help prevent call-outs?
-Is there another strategy that we could use?
-How can we share expectations or “weak and strong work” with
students to ensure that they are completing the work as expected?
Observation #2
(09/24/2021)
Data Update
-Continuation of Current Project + Seating Change
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Observations Journal notes from each observation
-6/15 Students Engaged + 2 Throughout Project Work Time
Learning Objective
I can create something unique through the drawing of my name.
-She mentioned that students would be drawing their names
with bubble-style letters and creating different pieces of art
within the letters.
Expectations
-The last thing you need to do today is take a ruler (metal) and
complete five lines.
-Modeled on her whiteboard example
-If you finish, you can begin drawing in those places about different
things that you like or things that make you unique.
-Modeled again with student (strong) work.
-” If something’s wrong, we can talk.”
Teaching Strategies
-Asked unengaged students to help pass out work for everyone
-Pulled small groups to help students get on the same step.
Improvements?
-Escalation of students arguing (“Shut up” back and forth) while
working/writing. “Please don’t say ‘shut up.”// “Okay, please be
quiet.”
-Students were very chatty during independent work, not always
being kind. How can we respond in a way that will extinguish the
fire without creating a new one?
-Example:
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Observations Journal notes from each observation
1. “Act like 5th graders. We can do this all year. I don’t
even know what to do, we can’t even mix and mingle.
You’re playing handsy while I was talking.”
Observation #3
(10/06/2021)
Data Update
-13/15 Students Engaged
Learning Objective
I can create three different pieces of art using different media.
-She mentioned that everyone will have access to
paintbrushes, paint, oil pastels, and another media of their
choice.
Expectations
-We are going to use paintbrushes and paint today. I want to remind
you that after you use one color, you need to rinse out the brush
before putting your brush in another color. It will make brown if you
do not rinse, and you will not get the color that you may expect.
-We use oil pastels like we use crayons.
-Return the materials how you got them.
Teaching Strategies
-The captains were asked to get supplies. If there was no captain, “I
don’t care who does it.”
-Students were behind, because of a prior incident the week before.
The teacher questioned with them if they should even be able to
continue and complete the project.
-Walked around to check in with students once they were started.
**Encouraged a student that was not ready/calm to take some time
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Observations Journal notes from each observation
to get ready. ** -- He began working shortly after.
Improvements?
-Students were throwing pennies. What can we do to try to make
sure they are practicing KAHFOOTY at all times?
-Have you tried to engage students without calling out other
students? -- “Don’t be completely disrespectful.”
V. Observation Cycle Criteria
Pre-observation Conference
-August 30, 2021 –
1. To which part of your curriculum does this lesson relate?
i. The teacher plans to implement a mini art show project beginning on
observation day to work with students through shading and coloring with
vocab words like rich and dull color.
2. How does this learning fit in the sequence of learning for this class?
i. Students have likely already been exposed to shading and coloring with
rich and dull color throughout their time in elementary school. Most
students already know how to shade and color, but they will extend their
knowledge by making their own creations.
3. Briefly describe the students in this class.
i. Most students are approaching grade-level expectations. Behavior and
engagement are the biggest concerns for her.
4. What are your objectives (learning outcomes) for this lesson? What do you want
the students to understand?
i. I can create two pieces of art for the tiny art show with post-its.
5. How will you engage the students in the learning? What will you do? What will
the students do? Will the students work in groups, or individually, or as a large
group? Provide any worksheets or other materials the students will be using.
i. She plans to engage students by allowing them to create their own ideas
with very few stipulations on what can and cannot be in the art show.
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6. How will you differentiate instruction for different individuals or groups of
students in the class?
i. Students will be placed in different groups with specific students to help
them with expectations (behaviorally and academically)
7. How and when will you know whether the students have learned what you
intend? What are your plans for formative assessments?
i. She said that she will know that students are ready to move on (extend) if
they are able to complete the post it's with different levels of shading and
color.
8. Is there anything that you would like me to specifically observe during the
lesson?
i. Managing Student Behavior (Domain/Standard)
ii. Teacher-Student Questioning (Domain/Standard)
-September 22, 2021 –
1. To which part of your curriculum does this lesson relate?
i. The teacher plans to implement a perspective drawing through students’
names. Students will be in the middle of the project on the date of
observation.
2. How does this learning fit in the sequence of learning for this class?
i. Students have likely already been exposed to perspective drawings in
earlier grades. However, they may not have been able to choose the items
that were being drawn from a specific perspective or within a small space.
3. Briefly describe the students in this class.
i. Most students are approaching or demonstrating grade-level expectations.
Most students are approaching grade-level expectations. Behavior and
engagement are the biggest concerns for her.
4. What are your objectives (learning outcomes) for this lesson? What do you want
the students to understand?
i. I can create something unique through the drawing of my name.
5. How will you engage the students in the learning? What will you do? What will
the students do? Will the students work in groups, or individually, or as a large
group? Provide any worksheets or other materials the students will be using.
i. Students are able to choose their media. Students are able to make their
own choice about what is in the drawing. She will make sure that students
are in areas that will help them focus.
6. How will you differentiate instruction for different individuals or groups of
students in the class?
i. Students will be placed in groups to help them stay on task. Students will
also be able to choose their own drawings to align with their current level
of ability.
7. How and when will you know whether the students have learned what you
intend? What are your plans for formative assessments?
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i. She said that she will know that students are ready to move on (extend) if
they are able to draw different unique things about them in their lines.
8. Is there anything that you would like me to specifically observe during the lesson?
i. Using Assessment in Instruction (Domain/Standard)
ii. Managing Student Behavior (Domain/Standard)
-October 4, 2021 –
1. To which part of your curriculum does this lesson relate?
i. The teacher plans to implement a dot project beginning on observation day
to work with students It is unclear what students will specifically be doing
with the dot project at this time.
2. How does this learning fit in the sequence of learning for this class?
i. Students will be adding to the knowledge that they have already gained
this year to create their dots.
3. Briefly describe the students in this class.
i. Most students are approaching grade-level expectations. Behavior and
engagement are still the biggest concerns for her.
4. What are your objectives (learning outcomes) for this lesson? What do you want
the students to understand?
i. I can create three different pieces of art using different media.
5. How will you engage the students in the learning? What will you do? What will
the students do? Will the students work in groups, or individually, or as a large
group? Provide any worksheets or other materials the students will be using.
i. Students are able to choose their own colors. Students are able to make
their own choice about what is in the drawing and if they will use colored
pencils or markers.
6. How will you differentiate instruction for different individuals or groups of
students in the class?
i. Students will be placed in groups to help them stay on task. Students are
also gaining leadership roles based on their behavior.
7. How and when will you know whether the students have learned what you
intend? What are your plans for formative assessments?
i. She will know that students have learned what she intended when they
choose either colored pencils or markers. She will also be able to
determine their level of knowledge once they have completed the project
by following the expectations and directions.
8. Is there anything that you would like me to specifically observe during the lesson?
i. Using Assessment in Instruction (Domain/Standard)
ii. Managing Student Behavior (Domain/Standard)
iii. Questioning (Domain/Standard)
Post-observation Conferences
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oFor each post-observation conference, we go through the same agenda while
looking at different points of the instruction within the lesson.
oEach domain is separated into four categories: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and
Distinguished.
Conference Summary of Progress
Post-Observation #1
(08/31/2021)
Agenda
We went over the post-observation process agenda set in place by the
district where we go over the domain standards as well as the
teacher’s progress based on district expectations.
Major Topics to Work Through
-Teacher Planning (Teacher Was Planned and Ready to Go for
the Lesson) + Domain Score (Proficient)
-Classroom Environment (Behaviors Drive Instruction,
Multiple Students Were Off Task, Positive/Negative
Responsiveness Towards Students) + Domain Score (Below
Basic)
-Levels of Instruction (All Students Received the Same
Instruction, No Alternatives, Differentiation was not Present;
Teacher Didn’t Feel it was Needed) + Domain Score (Basic)
-Professional Responsibilities (Has Missed the First Two
Faculty Meetings) + Domain Score (Basic)
-Self-Assessment/Reflection (Teacher felt that the lesson was
successful. Most students were able to complete the learning
target within the class period for at least one post-it note.
What improvements can we make for the following lessons?
-Focus on not calling out as many students
-Maybe come up with a signal that everyone knows what the
voice level expectation is
-Create different leveled groups for those that finish early with strong
work
Teacher Attitude
Mellow, Frustrated, Concerned about Ability Level of Herself
Progress Towards Goals
The teacher has not made progress towards the end of observational
goals. The lesson was discussed, created, and taught in the same style
as last year. No visual change was witnessed. The teacher states she
wants to ease into the process with students but is aware of the lack
of progress. Mrs. Furgeson suggested a radical change day to shake it
up for the students to see if any change is witnessed immediately.
Post-Observation #2
(09/27/2021)
Agenda
We went over the post-observation process agenda set in place by the
district where we go over the domain standards as well as the
teacher’s progress based on district expectations.
Major Topics to Work Through
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Conference Summary of Progress
-Teacher Planning (Teacher Was Planned and Ready to Go for
the Lesson) + Domain Score (Proficient)
-Classroom Environment (Behaviors Drive Instruction, Less
than Half of the Students Were on Task, Positive/Negative
Responsiveness Towards Students Still Apparent – Fewer
Call Outs) + Domain Score (Basic)
-Levels of Instruction (All Students Received the Same
Instruction, Small Group Instruction Added After Whole
Group) + Domain Score (Proficient)
-Professional Responsibilities (Teacher is Attending Meetings)
+ Domain Score (Proficient)
-Self-Assessment/Reflection (Teacher felt that the lesson was
more successful than the last lesson observed. Most students
were able to dig deeper into the learning target with their own
unique choices.)
What improvements did we make from the last lesson?
-Focus on not calling out as many students
-Fewer students were called out
-The teacher has been consciously working to focus on other
strategies in order to correct students.
-Create different leveled groups for those that finish early with strong
work
-Students worked with others to make sure they were on task.
-The teacher pulled small groups to help students get on the
same step
What improvements can we make for future lessons?
-Think through the expectations for students that are not in small
group.
-What should they be doing?
-How do they know what they should be doing?
Teacher Attitude
Mellow, Still a Little Frustrated About Student Behaviors, More
Confident about Art with 5th Graders
Progress Towards Goals
The teacher has made progress towards the end of observational
goals. Engagement data has not increased. It remains within the same
level of unengaged students. The teacher worked in small groups to
help increase engagement. (gained 2 students through this method,
lost a few from the original number) The teacher tried a radical
change day to shake it up for the students, and she said that she
noticed a change in behaviors. There are still some misbehaviors, but
not as many as the first observation. Some students discontinued
negative behavior altogether because they knew that she wasn’t
playing around anymore. Many students responded better to the
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Conference Summary of Progress
small group instruction than one whole section.
Post-Observation #3
(10/07/2021)
Agenda
We went over the post-observation process agenda set in place by the
district where we go over the domain standards as well as the
teacher’s progress based on district expectations.
Major Topics to Work Through
-Teacher Planning (Teacher Was Planned and Ready to Go for
the Lesson) + Domain Score (Proficient)
-Classroom Environment (Behaviors Did Not Drive
Instruction, Almost all Students on Task, Positive/Negative
Responsiveness Towards Students Less Apparent – Fewer
Call Outs) + Domain Score (Proficient)
-Levels of Instruction (All Students Received the Same
Instruction, Students Were Able to ask Questions if Unsure to
Gain Access to Small Group Sessions) + Domain Score
(Proficient)
-Professional Responsibilities (Teacher is Attending Meetings)
+ Domain Score (Proficient)
-Self-Assessment/Reflection (Teacher felt that the lesson was
successful with great growth from the last lesson. Students
were on task and happy with their work)
What improvements did we make from the first lesson?
-Focus on not calling out as many students
-Fewer students were called out
-The teacher has been consciously working to focus on other
strategies in order to correct students.
-The teacher used more positive call outs to help make sure
everyone was on task
-Create different leveled groups for those that finish early with strong
work
-Students worked with others to make sure they were on task.
-Students had opportunities to ask for help in order for small
groups to form if they were unsure about their current work.
-Think through the expectations for students that are not in small
group.
-Students knew what the expectations are and if they were not
following them, it was made known/corrected without a large
call out.
-Examples were around the room of what the finished product
could look like
What improvements can we make for future lessons?
-Focus on content and extensions with students that complete the
assignment or project quickly to ensure they stay engaged.
Teacher Attitude
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Conference Summary of Progress
Content, Ready to Move Forward to New Goals
Progress Towards Goals
The teacher has made progress towards the end of observational
goals. Engagement data has increased greatly. Almost all students
were engaged for a majority of the lesson/work time. The teacher
worked in small groups when necessary to help students stay on
track. There are still few misbehaviors, but students are beginning to
see that there is no reaction to their actions anymore. Most students
discontinued negative behavior altogether because they were not
getting the reaction they wanted. Students also seemed to enjoy the
project much more when they had a say in the project.
Data Analysis
oThe assessment was designed to help a specialist teacher work through different
strategies and ideas to help increase the level of engagement with one of her fifth-
grade art classes.
o“Administrator” collected data based on observations of levels of engagement
within students. Data were collected during each observation based on how many
students were engaged in the less and the task work assigned.
Baseline: 7-8/14 students engaged (54%)
Mid: 6-8/15 students engaged (50%)
Final: 13/15 students engaged (87%)
oEngagement levels can change based on the way instruction is given. Engagement
levels can also change throughout the course of the class period based on where
students are located and what they are working on. If students enjoy the project,
they are more likely to buy in and participate.
oThe teacher did not meet all action steps. However, based on what she did
complete, I noticed that changing the way student behaviors are managed can
change the entire climate of a classroom. Also, when the teacher changes the
assignment to include something the students are invested in, they are more likely
to engage and participate. They are also more like to engage if they know what is
expected of them and what will happen if they choose something other than what
is expected of them. Consistency is the biggest thing that I noticed. If teachers are
not consistent, students are not consistent.
Conclusion
oThe specific teacher that I worked with was absent multiple days within this
research collection. It made it difficult at times to complete the observations, and
the students did not have as much of a buy-in because they had not had as much
of a chance to build a relationship with the teacher after the summer.
oThis directly reflected and influenced student achievement. Students were wary
when it came to the teacher’s expectations because there had not been consistency
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in the art room throughout this time. Students were not willing to work at 100%
until they knew what was expected of them along with what would happen if they
did not do what was expected of them. The teacher was not consistent and neither
were they. Once the teacher became consistent, they realized that her expectations
were set and they needed to follow them.
oI would like to continue this research with myself as a newer educator. There are
times when I struggle with some of the same things that the art teacher does with
my own students. I am wondering if some of these observations would help me
improve in my own practice. I would like someone within my building to work
through the same practice with me to see if they see certain things that I could
adjust or change to increase my student engagement.
Dispositions
Disposition How did you promote the disposition in your interactions with the novice teacher
and students?
Trust
The teacher knew that this data was not shared with anyone else in the school. We were
the only ones who had access to the information and data, and I wasn’t doing this to
make her feel like any less of a teacher.
Equity
We talked about equity more in the form of teacher-student relationships and
expectations to make sure that both of us were being equitable in our teachings and
observations of others.
Fairness
We talked about fairness in every aspect mentioned. We talked about how we would
both trust that we would be fair and equitable throughout this process to ensure student
success even if that meant one of us may be or have been in the wrong at any given
point. We also talked about being respectful should also seamlessly include being fair in
terms of what we are expecting from each other and the students.
Respect
When we did have the observation conferences, she knew that if she didn’t believe or
agree with something that I had shared it was okay to voice her thoughts about what she
believed and how she saw something through her own perspective.
VI. Collaboratively Developed Professional Development Plan
ACTION RESEARCH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Teacher Name: _____Leslie Callaway School Division Level:__Elementary
1. Summarize the final action research meeting: write what was decided in the form of a
proposed continuation plan.
We plan to continue to work with the fifth-grade students to continue reaching for
90% engagement. We also would like to gain student input to help reign in some
of the students that are consistently unengaged through hot topics that most
students are interested in. (TikTok)
2. Commendations (two) from the teacher’s involvement in the action research.
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Leslie felt like she was able to see her teaching in a new light. She did not feel as
frustrated with her students after participating in the action research.
Leslie felt like she had gained a new level of respect for administrators in their
completion of observations and professional development plans.
3. What one improvement (recommendation) needs to take place? Write as a SMART goal.
Leslie will engage 90% of the class during a 15–20-minute mini-lesson through
the use of hot topics and student input to help create new projects.
4. Action Steps: provide 3-5 activities that the teacher must accomplish to meet the SMART
goal.
Action Steps (Activities) Due Date Who will assess
progress/completion?
Resources Needed
Watch Viral (Appropriate)
TikTok(s) to Engage
Students in Discussion
about Hot Topics
10/21/21 Classroom Teacher Computer,
Promethean Board,
Youtube
Assign Project Relating
to One or More Hot
Topics
10/28/21 Classroom Teacher 5th Grade Art
Learning Standards,
Materials Needed
for Project
Observe Engagement
Levels
10/28/21 or
11/4/21
“Administrator” Note Taking
Materials
Give Student Survey
Discussing Student
Likes/Dislikes About
Project + What They
Would Like to do in the
Future in Art
11/11/21 Teacher Google Form
Discussing Student
Likes/Dislikes
About Project +
What They Would
Like to do in the
Future in Art.
Assess and Analyze
Student Levels of
Engagement to Determine
Next Steps
11/18/21 “Administrator” and
Teacher
Data, Student Input
Survey
Students only attend art class once a week.
Activity 1: The teacher must watch videos with students on or before 10/21/21.
Activity 2 Teacher must assign a project relating to the students’ interests (TikTok) by
10/28/21
Activity 3 "Administrator” must complete observation by 11/4/21. Date of
observation based on teacher’s assignment dates.
Activity 4: Teacher must give student survey by 11/11/21.
Activity 5: Teacher and “Administrator” must complete post-conference/data
analyzation by 11/18/21.
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5. Post-Conference
a. Administrator will conduct this meeting with the teacher after all of the data
(surveys and observation) has been collected (suggested: 11/12/21). This meeting
will take place during the teacher’s plan time or after school. We will follow the
same sequence we have in the past following up on the agenda items listed in the
action steps chart.
6. Connection to National Standards
a. “Component 4.1 Program completers understand and can demonstrate the
capacity to evaluate, develop, and implement high-quality, technology-rich
curricula programs and other supports for academic and non-academic student
programs” (National Educational Leadership Preparation Program, 2018).
b. “Standard 5. Community of Care and Support for Students. Effective educational
leaders cultivate an inclusive, caring, and supportive school community that
promotes the academic success and well-being of each student” (National Policy
Board for Educational Administration, 2015).
c. “Standard 10. School Improvement. Effective educational leaders act as agents
of continuous improvement to promote each student’s academic success and well-
being" (National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 2015).
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