MorganBennett

EDUC450:Context

ThompsonValleyHighSchool
1669EagleDr.Loveland,CO80537
Phone:9706137900

Community:
ThompsonValleyHighSchoolislocatedinLoveland,Colorado.

MajorEmployers:
ManyresidentsofLovelandcommutetoFortCollinsforemployment.An
exampleofthiswouldbesomeemployeesfromCSU.Belowisagraphforthetopprivatesector
employersintheLarimerCountyarea.

(From:
http://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2015/07/15/larimercountylargestemployers/30175329/
)

Demographics:
LarimerCountyoutperformedtherestofColoradoinhighereducationachievementbasedon
the2010U.S.Census.TheaveragehouseholdincomeinLarimerCountywas$57,215compared
to$57,685forthestateofColorado.ThepovertyrateinLarimerCountywas13.4%comparedto
12.5%fortheentirestate.TheU.S.Censusalsofoundthat43.1%ofLarimerCountyresidents
aged25yearsandolderearnedabachelor'sdegree,comparedtoa36.3%inColorado.
(From:
https://ballotpedia.org/Thompson_School_District,_Colorado
)

VotingTrends:
ColoradoAmendment66,theTaxIncreaseforEducationInitiative,formerlyknownas
Initiative22,wasonthe

November5,2013ballot
in

Colorado
asan

initiatedconstitutional
[1]
amendment
.Itwasdefeated.

Haditbeenapproved,Amendment66wouldhaveincreasedthestate'sincometaxtoraisethe
amountofstatetaxrevenuespentonpublicschooldistrictsbyabout16.6%,from$5.5billion
underthecurrentlaw,toalittleover$6.4billion.
(From:
https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_Tax_Increase_for_Education,_Amendment_66_(2013
))

School:
Districtmotto:Empowertolearn.Challengetoachieve.Inspiretoexcel.
(From
http://www.thompsonschools.org/domain/2150
)
Schoolmission:"Buildingforanewgeneration
Buildingtheskillstoachieveeachstudent'sacademic/careergoals
Buildingtheskillstocontributetosociety
Buildinganunderstandingofculturaldiversity
Buildingselfprideandselfconfidence
Buildingabeliefthatlearningisalifelongendeavor
(From:
http://www.thompsonschools.org/domain/540
)
Studentpopulation:1,162students
9th:268Students10th:312Students11th:298Students12th:284Students
SpecialEducation:138
FreeandReducedLunch:363
EnglishLanguageLearners:15
GiftedandTalented:155
(From:http://www.thompsonschools.org/page/2347)
(From:
http://www.thompsonschools.org/Page/2340
)
About60%ofstudentsparticipateinsportsandclubs(Fromclasstalkwithvice
principals)
Anexampleofprogramsincludes:Football,wrestling,FFA,StudentCouncil,and
volleyball
Theviceprincipalstoldusthattheschoolworksoffofmodeledresponsibility.This
meansthatteachersandstudentsareexpectedtobegoodrolemodelsforallstudents.The

adminalsotoldusthatstudentsarenotusuallypunishedforbreakingrules(i.e.dress
code),buttheyarestillexpectedtofollowthoserules.
FromvolunteeringattheTVWrestlingtournament,Iknowthatparentsareinvolvedin
theschoolandwillvolunteertorunconcessionstandsduringsportingevents.
TVHSislookingintoanAVIDTutoringprogrambeginningnextyear.

Classroom:
FromThompsonValleyStudentCourseHandbook:
Class:
English11IntegratedModernAmericaIntegrated
Credit:1.0LanguageArtsand1.0SocialStudies
InIntegratedEleventhGradeEnglishandModernAmericastudentswill:read,respond,
andapplythinkingskillstonovels,shortstories,nonfiction,poetry,andmultimediaas
theyrelatetoauthorspurposescomplementingAmericanhistory,geography,and
diversecultureexceedtheeleventhgradeEnglishrequirements
(file:///C:/Users/morganrb/Downloads/AllGradesCourseGuidebook20162017.pdf)

Classsize:
FrombeingintheclassroomforEDUC450,Iknowthatthereareabout25childrenin
theclass.Thegenderbreakdownis1:1formaleandfemalestudents.
ThestudentswhoareparticipatinginthisclassarenotonanAPtrackorparticipantsin
Read180.Theyperformatarangeoflevels,andfromtalkingwithstudents,mostof
themareplanningonattendingsomeformofhighereducationafterhighschool.

LearningNeedsofStudents:
FromtalkingwithMs.Goldberg,IlearnedthattheclassIamparticipatinginisa
middleoftheroadclass.ThismeansthatIwillhavestudentsbelowandabove
average.Todifferentiatetomeettheneedsofallofmystudents,Iwillbreakdown
learningintothreedifferenttargets,likeskiing.Thismeansthatstudentscantaketheir
learningintotheirownhandandchosetargetsthatwillbestchallengethem.Iwillaskmy
studentstorecordtheseinaninteractivenotebook,soIcanreviewtheirchallengesand
gradethemaccordinglyforinclassactivities.WhenIreviewtheirbooks,Iwillsetupthe

expectationsthatIwantthemtobechallenged.Thismeansthattheywillnotgetfull
creditiftheyarealwayscompletingtheeasiestchallengeeveryday.
Additionally,someofmystudentswillhave504sandIEPs.Iwillneedtoreview
theseandoffersupportasdiscussedwithotherteachers,students,andparents.

TopicandRationale:
My11thgradeintegratedEnglishclassisfullofstudentswhoaremostlyaverage
performersondistrictandstateassessments(Ms.Goldberg).Mostofthestudentsinmyclassare
collegebound,accordingtomyteacher.However,shesaidthatwiththeexceptionofafew,they
willmostlystartatacommunitycollegeandtransfertoafouryeardegreeprogramafterthat.
Sincethisclassismostlycollegebound,Ithinkthatitismyjobasateachertohelppreparethem
forthatchallenge.ThatmeansthatIwillsethighexpectations,butIwillalsobegivingmy
studentsafairamountofresponsibility.IthinkthatIneedtostructuremyclasstohelpstudents
internalizetheimportanceofcompletingworkwithoutstandingovertheirshoulder.Asastudent
incollege,Irealizedquicklythatthereisnooneholdingyourhandtocompleteeachassignment.
Becauseofthis,Iwanttocreateasimilarenvironmentformystudentsthatismorelowrisk.The
lowriskisimportantbecauseiftheydontturninanassignment,theywillnotfail,aswhat
mighthappenincollege,buttheywillreceivealowergrade.
Iwillplanandteachtoengagemystudentsbycouplingreallifeissueswithcontent.I
thinkthatEnglishisafantasticcontentbecauseitgivesmethechancetohaveimportantlife
discussionswithstudents.Forexample,abookthatIamexcitedtoteach,
TheirEyesWere
WatchingGod
,dealswithrelationshipsandgossip,amongotherpressingtopics.Thesethings
arerelevanttoeverystudentinhighschool,sotheywillbemoreengagedinthereadingsand
discussionsthatwillhappenduringclass.Ialsobelievethatallhomeworkshouldhavesome
importance.SinceIwontbeassigningbusyworktostudents,theywillhopefullyholdmore
stakeintheirwork.Additionally,Iwillusehomeworkasatooltobuilduponinclass.Sincewe
willbeactivelyengagingandusingthehomework,thiswillalsomakestudentsmorewillingto
completeit.
OnemorethingIwanttoinstilinmystudentsisagrowthmindset.Asastudentwho
didnthavetoworkhardtoexcelinhighschool,Ireallystruggledincollege.Iwasusedtonot
havingtostudyandgettingAs.Oncethatexperiencewasnotthesame,Ibecamediscouraged
andwasntsureifIwasgoodatschool.ThenIhadateachertellmethatIhadtochangemy

outlookonlearning.OnceImovedfromafixedmindsettogrowthmindset,Iwasveryableto
excelinmyclassesandbecomeabetterlearner.