Running head: THEORY OF PRACTICE EXAM
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Theory of Practice Exam
Robert Lybrand
Liberty University
October 5, 2019
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Short Essay Item 1
Understanding the value of having a shared vision of learning is vital to the
overall success of a school at any level. For our new charter school to be an academic
success we must all share a vision for learning that will ensure each student is being
taught the correct material so that they are successful at the next level. To begin the
process of generating this shared vision is will be vitally important to bring together each
person or stakeholder within the school so share their concerns and needs as they relate to
the learning vision. This group will include teachers, students, parents, administrators and
staff persons – all individuals that have a shared interest in the academic success of our
school. Once we have an understanding of the needs and expectations from each group
we can begin to draft together a plan for vision for learning. In this vision it will be
important that we address all concerns of each group as well as the needs they have. Once
the plan is in place, we will continue to monitor the learning vision to see if what we are
looking for in our plan is actually the outcome that we are receiving. If we see a single
area is falling short of our goals, than we will work with those individuals to address
further needs and concerns they are having to see if we can get the plan back on track.
The main idea behind this plan is to make sure that the material being taught to the
students, as well as the way it is delivered and the environment it is being delivered in is
conducive the success we expect our students to have. This responsibility does not fall
solely on the teacher of the course but rather on all individuals that play a part in the lives
of those students. Working together to create, implement, monitor, evaluate and adjust
this plan is how our students will be successful.
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Short Essay Item 2
The learning environment that I will strive in is one of positive, open energy. As
an educator in Higher Education, for me it is imperative that my classroom be one of
open discussions and understanding. I feel as though we learn better when we are able to
discuss topics and ideas as apposed to being lectured to. By having a classroom that
strives on the understanding of content through the discussion of material I feel as though
the students grasp the theories and concepts better than if they just listen to me lecture for
over an hour. By engaging the students in a way that is meaningful and also showing
them that their ideas and discussion points matter in the success of the class, I feel like
they have a better chance of success in my class. This is the type of environment that I
will strive the best in, and one that I work hard to make sure is in place in every one of
my classes.
All students learn in different ways and at different rates, so having a class set up
that is just a single way all the time is not going to help the majority of the students
because they probably do not all learn in that manner. While it will work for some it will
not work for all. Setting up my classroom in a manner that works for all types of learners,
at least at some point within the lesson is critical to their success. The developmental
behaviors of students vary based on each student and their needs. By expecting the most
out of your students while also collaborating to make sure the learning needs of those
students are met, is one way to ensure their success. Being able to work with the students
in a manner that they are comfortable with is a key essential to sustaining their
educational needs and goals while also helping them to be successful. By changing how
the class is delivered during the class, from lecture to discussion to visual I can better
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sustain their educational growth and success. When a student beings to see the fruits of
their labor their motivation rises to be even more successful.
Short Essay Item 3
For a plan of action within our school we must understand that this is a device that
we will use to help ensure the success of our students. There are several ways that we will
go about this so that the student, parents and caregivers are all aware of our plan and how
they can utilize the plan to help their student succeed. The first part in building this action
plan is that we will meet with all of the stakeholders to see what everyone feels should be
included in the plan. By meeting with them, along with online surveys to them and
discussion forms in person and online we will have a strong understanding of their needs
and what their expectations are for our school. Once this is completed and the action plan
is in place we will work through a series of understandings and ideas to make sure that
they have all the resources they need to help their student be successful. We will provide
written material that outlines the action plan and its uses to them; we will also have
discussion meetings with them to help them understand this plan. In addition to this we
will provide an app for our school and on the free app that can be downloaded to any
device, the stakeholders will have access to this plan and how to handle individual
situations. By using all three of these concepts to help them understand this plan they will
have a better grasp of what needs to be done and how this action plan is in place to help
them and their student be successful.
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Short Essay Item 4
Ethics in education is one of the corner stones to a successful school and
educational system. The ethical behavior of all individuals within a school is vital to that
schools success. Ethics in education starts at the top, with the administration. It is critical
that those in administrative positions within the school are ethical and who each and
every day why those ethics are important. When an administrator sways their ethics to
accommodate a student, teacher or situation then the ethics within the school is lost.
School culture is built on the foundation of the ethical morals of those in charge at the
school, and when that is lost the culture of the school is lost as well. Likewise when the
ethics within the school becomes lost, striving for student achievement also becomes lost.
All of the sudden students no longer feel the motivation to try their best because the best
is no longer needed; only an unethical leader is needed to make someone look successful.
For my school and classroom to be successful I must always remember that my ethics
will be tested daily and it is important that I stick to my ethics in order to show honesty
and integrity to my students and fellow faculty members.
If a teacher passes a student because they are a start athlete but that students never
completes their assignments or comes to class, then the ethics within the classroom is
lost. If the administration allows this type of behavior then the ethics within the school
will be lost. Once the ethics and culture within the school is lost, students no longer have
the motivation to do their best because they have a feeling that doing your best will not
necessarily get you the grade you earned not is it required. The only requirement is to be
a star athlete. Once we know and realize that our success within the school is built off of
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our own ethics, and that those ethics can’t sway, we will have a better understanding of
how we can be successful within our school.
Extended Response – Case 1
In our first case study we see that I have been hired as a principal of a school with
about 1,000 students. There are concerns from parents and teachers about the amount of
growing criminal activity and violence near the school. One of the first things that I as the
principal must do is respond to these concerns in a way that eases the mind of those
stakeholders within the school as well as making sure that the environment is conducive
to learning and success. Understanding through the information taught in this course that
as a leader within the school I must evaluate each situation and find a way to handle that
situation in a way that promotes student success as well as school success. Being a leader
it is vital that I take these situations seriously and explore all options and how the
outcomes will affect each stakeholder within the school and community. To help solve
this problem I will implement several different phases to address the growing concerns in
the school about the violence in the nearby neighborhoods. First I will speak with local
law enforcement and see how great the threat is within our school. That discussion will
also includes ways to prevent violence within the school. Then I will have those law
enforcement officers come and speak with stakeholders within the school. Through an
open community forum we will discuss the concerns of the stakeholders and as a group
develop ways to help prevent violence within the school. In these discussions we will
also look at how changes in policies will affect the students and the learning environment
within the school. Should we see that there will be a large change within the learning
environment of the school, we will look for alternate ways of protection that provide the
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same outcome without disrupting the learning environment. Within the school itself with
the teachers and students we will being a school wide program of watching for and
reporting violence or behavior that can lead to violence. By teaching the students and
teachers to be on the look out for situations that could be violent or criminal and then to
report those situations we can help to better combat the situations before something
happens. Through the program we will work with media officials to help promote the
program within the community, increasing our public relations environment within the
school and community.
Should a situation happen in the school that is violent, we will have a dedicated
team that will work to resolve the issue. They will work to determine the level of the
threat, the impact on the stakeholders and how that situation can best be handled.
Furthermore they will work to handle the public relations aspects of that situation and
make sure that everyone knows the steps we followed and how the situation was properly
taken care of. We will keep detailed documentation of each situation, where we look at
when it happened, why it happened, as well at the outcomes. We will also see if the
situation was previously reported or something that went undetected. Through this data
we will be able to see if the situations are getting worse and if the policies are working. If
they are working we will continually work to make sure that they are functioning at a
high level and improving. If we see that there are issues we will look at where the issues
are and how we can fix those issues so that the program and policies are a success.
Extended Response – Case 2
Situations like these can be difficult to enter in to however as a principal it is vital
that you understand the situation of each party and what their concerns are. This situation
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is no different; the school is in bad shape and needs the help of those around the school in
order to help it succeed. They need leadership that understands the situations and how to
take bad situations and turn them in to positive situations. For me personally this is
difficult simply because I fit in to the category of those that they feel might be out of
touch with the needs of this diverse community. Being a white male sometimes means
that you are considered out of touch and un-relatable to those that you might be leading.
One of the most important lessons I was ever taught as a teacher was to ride by my
student’s houses and see where they live, and that will change my mindset on many of
my students. My first task is to make sure the superintendent and the board know that I
have the skill set to sustain distributed learning. This, I feel, will come from showing
them that I have worked in a high school for many years before moving to the college
level and while in the high schools I worked in very diverse situations. I think it is also
important that they understand my upbringing and background. I was not born in to a
family that had a lot of money or power; I was born in to a lower middle class (at best)
family that lived pay check to pay check. The struggles that these students faced, I faced
every day. I lived those adversities and I understand where they are coming from. They
also need to understand that it was through that upbringing that I learned how to work
with others of different backgrounds and cultures, to see what they had to bring to each
situation. By using this knowledge and skill set and by understanding different cultures I
can better mobilize diverse community cultures and bring those cultures together for the
common good. I also learned through my upbringing that we must value each culture not
matter how different it can be from mine. When we do that we are safeguarding those
cultures so that we can equality at work within our school. I would work hard to make
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sure that the students; teachers, parents and all stakeholders understand the differences in
these cultures and understand why each culture is important and what they have to offer
for the great good. Through a series of programs we will work together to better
understand out neighbors and how they see the world. Jesus tells us to love each other;
we can only truly love when we understand. He does not say love only those that are like
us, he says to love everyone – when we understand their culture and background we can
truly love them. By doing all of this we can take a bad situation like what is currently at
the school and make it so much better. We have the opportunity to come together and
change this school and community, but it will take everyone together doing it, not just
one person – however someone has to lead that charge and because of my background in
diverse educational settings and my upbringing I am the person to do that.
