Influence

As I was conducting my research project, I would constantly update my assistant on my findings and she would tell me if she noticed any changes in our students. Well, yesterday she informed me on how this project has influenced her.
As a school, all students are included in daily remediation that is geared toward th end of grade test. Currently our groups are working on math. My assistant has been pulled from third grade to work in fourth grade remediation groups. As of late she has come down hard on her group because of their lack in knowing their multiplication tables. Yesterday, she told me that because she has been tough on them she decided to change her tune a little and give them the positive reinforcement that we have been using in our room. After a week of this communication with her group she found a change in their attitude toward their work. She also noted that she was quite encouraged by their changes.
I must say that seeing someone else use the positive reinforcement for the encouragement of other students has made me believe even more in my research. I am excited to see this project continue not only this year but next year as well. After our presentation and question time, I am also ecouraged to share my findings with my colleagues. I believe that if the positive continues we may see a complete shift in their attitudes as they continue their education.

Value

I saw the value of my project again today. We were having our morning remediation groups and I told a young man how proud I was of him for how well he is doing. His expression said to me that he had never been told that before by a teacher.
Another instance happened today when we were starting our reading lesson. Many of my students were out for chorus, resource, and small group pullout leaving me with 10 students. During this time, one of my students figured out a division and mulitplication problem with the number of students in our group. I praised her completely for her very insightful work. It was not until later that she began to open up to me. I have been waiting for her to open up since the first day. I have been praising her and reaching out with positive communication with her famil. However, today there was breakthrough. I am so excited to see her change. What a day and what a project!!!

Presentation

I have begun to work on my presenation. What is interesting is how my project has turned out. I am very excited to share with my fellow researchers how my project helped not only my students but myself. I believe that through sharing the results of this project, I can demonstrate that phone calls home can be for the positive and negative.
On a side note, I had a conversation with a parent yesterday morning. She was worried about a situation that took place on Monday. During our conversation she stated that I could use her name as a threat to her son. She began assuring me that telling him that I would be calling her would be a wonderful way to get his attention. Also, she would be more than welcome to come to school and discuss with him the problem that he is having.
I am a bit disheartened by this convesation. I have worked very hard on using the positive for his communication and progress in the classroom. I think that if I change to communicating more of the negative with the mother that her son may revert to some of his old ways. I then am led to think that there has to be a happy medium with the type of communication.
If there is this conversion of the two types communication (positive and negative) would they cancel each other out or would the positive to continue ot outweigh the negative?

P.S.

I know that I talked about Anna beforer, but her reaction has had such a positive affect on me that I just had to say it again.

Method 3

Well.....My third method is complete and my excitement is oozing out of every part of me. I have found a complete increase in student attitudes towards learning!
What an experiment is has been. Not only have students attitudes changed towards learning but they are more excited in their daily work. I must say that one of the greatest parts of the experiement was watching their faces light up when they received an awards or heard me tell their parents what a wonderful job they are doing. Anna was the greatest to watch.
Anna is one that just wants to be loved. She is a student who has the whole list of emotional issues ranging from foster to care to abuse. She is precious and was part of my focus group. It was the first time I gave her an award for math. Anna and her partner had worked wonderfully together in the math lesson. Her awards was for being a great math partner. When I handed her the award, her face was just amazing. She lit up like a child who walked into a room at Christmas that was filled with everything she had ever wanted.
Then there was Dustin's mother. When I speak with her in the car riders line to tell her about the wonderful things that Dustin had done that day, she was very excited. It was almost as she though she had never been told by the teacher what a wonderful job he had been doing in the classroom. I must say that it has changed my relationship with his mother. It started out being very rocky to being solid in a positive light.
What a great project this has been. I must say that this is going to continue is my classroom from now on. It is also going to be present in my room in the future.

Concerns

I am having some concerns about my third method. I know that what I am doing is working because I have seen a change in my students. However, what if their surveys do not change?
I have learned a great deal so far. My project has taught me that my students are like Pavlovs dog. Anytime that my students have heard that their teacher is going to call home they always assume that it is for the bad. However, it doesn't have to be a phone call for the bad, it can be for the positive. I have also found that my students would rather not have a phone call for the good because they want to be the one to tell their parents. So you ask, why don't you have the students make the phone call? Well, in surveying the parents, they do not want to be called at work unless it is an emergency.
Overall, I have found that this project has been very beneficial for my students. I have also found that their attitudes have changed!!!!!

Parent Survey Analysis

I have completed the second method write-up. I found some very interesting information in my survey analysis. One of the most interesting pieces of information was in regards to the parent choices of communication. Overwhelmingly, the parents choice is a phone call. I find that this response is very interesting because I believe it is asking for more personal communication from the teacher about their child.
Another very interesting response was a parent asking for daily communication. The parent wrote in reference to the child's kindergarten teacher. This teacher had a daily notebook in which they wrote about the child's day to the parents. In return, the parents wrote back to the teacher. It is my question as to how the teacher had enough time in the day to write about each student. If I were to attempt this type of communication in my classroom on a daily basis, I would be writing for at least an hour. That is time that is not in my day.
Overall, I am finding that increasing the amount of communication is not only good for the student but for the parent as well. I find this to be true because it not only helps the child with their attitude towards learning, but it also helps to keep the parents abreast to the specifics of their child's education.
This project is proving to be a wonderful asset in my teaching and my learning.