Sherry TE801-09

CASE - Careful Analysis of Some Enigma

Description
A case is an opportunity for you to practice the professional judgment you use
every day as a teacher. In this assignment, you choose a "problem" situation:
something complex, perplexing, and preoccupying; using whatever mode you
wish, you describe this situation, generate and compare multiple
interpretations, and decide on a course of action.

Options/Possible questions
Option 1 – Classroom management
How are expectations set in your classroom and how might/do students interpret them?
Option 2 – Student motivation
What response have you had from some student(s) to your plans/routines/assignments?
Option 3 – Parent communication
How do you correspond with some parent(s) (e.g., email, conference, class letter)?
Option 4 – Hidden curriculum
What unspoken expectations are implied by classroom setup/communication/curriculum?
Option 5 – Your choice
What is something that grabs your attention which you’d like to understand better?

Process1
1. Describe the situation: try not to limit your point of view.
“student with head down on the desk didn’t respond when I said, “Please join us.”
(not “lazy student sleeping in class ignored me when I asked him to sit up.”)

2. Interpret the situation: generate multiple possibilities for what happened and why.
“1. student was intentionally rude; 2. student was bored; 3. student didn’t sleep last
night because of problems at home”

3. Define the stakes: what’s important in each interpretation?

“1. intentionally rude = student learning, my reputation/ability to manage class;
2. bored = student learning, how I design/deliver instruction; 3. home problems =
student well-being, my interaction with parents”

4. Assess the situation: compare your interpretations to what you’ve already seen.
“Given that this student always says good morning, participates in class, and turns in
his work, I’m inclined to rule out 1 and 2, however….”

5. Suggest alternatives: what are potential solutions and consequences?

“If there are problems at home, I could call his parents, but he might be upset by that.
I could try talking to his other teachers, especially the one who….”

6. Use professional sources to inform interpretations/stakes/alternatives

“After talking to other teachers and reading Chapter 5: Working with Families in
Weinstein’s Secondary Classroom Management….”

1
Case template and rubric developed by Dr. Tom Bird
 Sherry TE801-09
Assessment
The case offers a balanced description of the activities observed.
2 Passable (not adequate). The description says far more about the teacher than about the
students; or is vague, general, lacking in detail; or is obviously colored by a single point of view.
4 Adequate. The description includes both teacher and students. It does not favor one
interpretation, evaluation, or proposal.
6 Strong. The description includes teacher and students, presents their interaction concretely,
and allows for multiple interpretations, evaluations, or proposals.
8 Excellent. Beyond "strong," the description is very clear, specific, and vivid. It carefully
represents events in preparation for dispassionate and insightful interpretation.
The case offers searching interpretations of the activities described.
2 Passable (not adequate). The interpretation offers only one way of talking about the description.
Or, the hypotheses offered are unclear, undeveloped, hard to follow.
4 Adequate. One hypothesis is favored; another also is offered. The favored hypothesis is
relatively clear and explicitly connected to the facts of the case; the other less so.
6 Strong. Two or more clearly developed hypotheses are constructed and compared, so that the
hypotheses taken together read as a thoughtful search for understanding of the situation.
8 Excellent. The interpretation offers two or more well-developed hypotheses with great clarity,
insight, and empathy with the persons who participated in the events described.
The case offers honest and generous assessments of the educational value of the
activity described.
2 Passable (not adequate). Relates a value to one or more hypotheses from the interpretation,
but vaguely, unclearly, with inadequate support.
4 Adequate. States an educational value, relates it to one or more hypotheses from the
interpretation, and draws a conclusion that is plausible relative to the description.
6 Strong. Argues for an educational value, applies it specifically to one or more hypotheses from
the interpretation, and relates a conclusion specifically to the facts of the case, balancing honesty
and generosity.
8 Excellent. Like the "strong" instance, but with great clarity, explicit logic, and care for the
participants to the case.
The case offers thoughtful deliberations on the relative merits of alternatives.
2 Passable (not adequate). One or more alternatives are offered, but they are vaguely presented
and therefore difficult to assess.
4 Adequate. The section presents two alternatives to the situation described in the case,
compares their potential results with what actually happened in the classroom, and draws a
reasonable conclusion.
6 Strong. The assessment presents two clear and specific alternatives, compares their potential
results with care for the circumstances and possibilities for error, and draws a persuasive
conclusion.
8 Excellent. Strong, and offers alternatives with particular insight or ingenuity.
The case shows knowledge of options for thought/action from professional
reading.
2 Passable (not adequate). Mentions but does not use options from professional reading as parts
of the interpretation, evaluation, or deliberation. Or, the assessment misapplies options from
professional reading.
4 Adequate. Makes several valid connections between the activity in the assessment and the
options in professional reading.
6 Strong. Shows consistent awareness of options from professional reading, and validly applies
some of those options in interpretations, evaluations, and deliberation.
8 Excellent. Strong, and employs options from professional reading with particular insight or
ingenuity.