This document provides guidelines for a political thought paper assignment, including requirements for format, content, and documentation. Students must write a 5-page argumentative paper on one of several pre-approved topics. They must argue a clear thesis and systematically refute any counterarguments. The paper must be double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font, with 1-inch margins. It must include a cover page, endnotes page, and references page using a reputable numerical citation format. Sources must include a minimum of 10 scholarly sources such as books, academic journal articles, and government documents. Wikipedia may not be used. The paper is due at the end of the semester in MS Word format and may not include plagiar
The Liver & Gallbladder (Anatomy & Physiology).pptx
Political Thought Paper Guidelines (50 Points) Th.docx
1. Political Thought Paper Guidelines (50 Points)
The Project
This is a semester-length research paper assignment and will be
submitted on the last day of the course.
Argumentative Format
Prepare a five page, typed (double-spaced)
argumentative paper. The paper will argue a
clear thesis in response to the research
question selected from the list of topics approved by the
instructor. In the process of arguing the thesis, all
counter-arguments should be systematically
refuted using reasoning and the evidence collected through
research.
Presentation Format
The paper’s cover page must include the paper’s title, student’s
name, and the professor’s name. The paper should use Times
New Roman # 12 font and use one inch margins on all sides of
each page.
Documentation Style
All sources used must be cited using separate End
Notes and References pages at the end of the paper. Any
reputable
numerical citation End Note format is acceptable for
documenting sources. * Parenthetical citation formats are not
acceptable, and, if utilized, will result in a zero for the
assignment.
*An End Notes Page is required. It must include all citations of
sources quoted or paraphrased in the text of the paper.
2. *A References Page is required. It must include a list of all
sources used in the paper in alphabetical order by the authors’
last names.
Sources
A minimum of ten (10) sources must be utilized and cited on the
references page. The quality of sources is critical. At least one
good source book on your subject should be cited. At least one
reputable academic journal article should be cited. At least
three government documents should be cited, as well.
Newspaper articles are acceptable, provided the paper
does not significantly rely on them for information.
Books - At least one (preferably more than one) selected
academic book written recently (last 5 - 10 years) must be cited.
Academic Journal Articles - At least one (Example: American
Political Science Review) must be cited.
Government Documents - All pages at official government web
sites count.)
(Example: The Budget of the United States Government can be
found at the U.S. Department of Treasury web site.)
Internet Research
Students are encouraged to use the internet for academic
research. However, the following standards of documentation
apply:
All of the bibliographic information (Author, Publisher, Date
Published, Etc.) expected for any other non-internet source is
necessary to be cited. In addition, the entire website address
should be cited at the end of the citation. If you only submit a
website address for a source it will not be counted as a
legitimate source.
Wikipedia and any other online encyclopedias may not be used
for your research.
Date and Method Due
Submit the paper in MS Word
3. NO PLAGARISM
Political Thought Paper Research Questions
Students must choose
one of the following (
pre-approved) questions as a research topic for the
Political Thought Paper.
Should L.A. District Attorney George Gascon be more
aggressive about prosecuting crimes committed in Los Angeles
County?
Should Governor Newsom's new state water plan be
implemented?
Should the U.S. military defend Taiwan from attack by China?
Should the U.S. Constitution be amended to create a "balanced
budget" amendment?
Should the U.S. Constitution be amended to impose term limits
on members of Congress?
Should the term of the U.S. Presidency be changed to one six-
year term?
Should all firearms be registered with the federal government?
Should the U.S. Government continue building the wall on the
border with Mexico?
Should pornography be outlawed on the internet?
Should all millionaires pay an additional 10% federal tax on top
of their existing federal tax bill each year?
Should a draft of all 18-year-olds be instituted to recruit
military personnel to fight in the War on Terror or other wars in
the future?
Should Social Security be privatized?
Should the electoral college be replaced with a direct election
for the President by the people?
Should benefits in federal welfare programs be reduced, limited
or eliminated?
Should the federal income tax be abolished and be replaced with
a national sales tax with a constitutionally mandated rate limit?
Should all illegal immigrants in the United States be granted
4. amnesty and be provided with residence status and a green card?
Should the Governor of California begin executions of prisoners
on Death Row?
Should Metro implement a plan to tax all drivers on L.A.
freeways for every mile they travel?
Should prayer be allowed in public schools?
Should a voucher system be implemented in California as a
means to provide private school education to children of poor
people?
To fight climate change, should all people in California be
required to own a hybrid or electric car by the year 2035?
Should the U.S. Senate end the use of the filibuster?
2
Amanda Puryear
Module 2 Discussion 2: Building a Collaborative Team
After analyzing school and community data, two areas of
change were identified in the Grand City Schools system. The
first area is the need for culturally relevant teaching practices,
and the second is the implementation of restorative justice
practices. These areas go hand in hand with improving Grand
City School achievement and discipline. For the process of
change to take hold, strong internal leadership is vital (Fullan,
2016). This team would be comprised of five individuals,
including myself, from various specialties that, when compiled
together, can help to guide the change process. The action plan
for addressing these issues starts with forming an
implementation team. This team will coordinate the elements of
the action plan, including the inventory of the current
curriculum used and disciple practices used in Grand City
school, coordinate the creation and disaggregation of a climate
and culture teacher and student survey, and the planning and
execution of teacher and administrative training.
As a curriculum specialist, I will be able to aid in the
5. evaluation of the current curriculum and the integration of
culturally relevant curriculum materials. The second task
member is Dr. Lauren Williams, Culture and Climate Specialist
for Hearne ISD. As a specialist in culture and climate in k12
education, Dr. Williams will provide insight and resources in
integrating cultural relevance and restorative justice. She will
also provide needed training for teachers. The third member is
Dr. Gerald Murray, Director of Curriculum for Grand City
School. As the Director of Curriculum, Mr. Murrey will provide
insight into the current curriculum available in Grand City and
how it is being used. He will also help to coordinate teachers
and administration during the inventory phase of teh action
plan. The last two members represent the Grand City
community. These members are Gary Kepple, Associate
Director of Grand City Community Outreach Center, and
Samantha Groves, Social Worker with Grand Citys Human
Service Agency. Both Mr. Kepple and Ms. Groves provide
insight into the community of Gand City on a social and
economic level.
For this task force to successfully initiate change, it must
work collaboratively to initiate, implement, and institutionalize
the action plan to address our targeted areas. Morel (2014)
outlines methods by which a productive collaborative learning
environment can be created. The first strategy is the
involvement of significant work. Andragogy, adults, need to see
the relevance and importance of the work and be internally
motivated to collaborate. By utilizing the prior knowledge of
team members and setting a small number of focused goals
(Fullan, 2011) for the change, buy-in for the team member can
be created. This productivity will be maintained through the use
of longitudinal data provided by current Grand City data on
office referrals and suspensions (Walden University, 2016b),
the cultural and climate survey, and future climate surveys
during select parts of the year. A second strategy is creating a
trusted environment (Morel, 2014). This can be done by
building respect among team members and providing
6. transparency in the group's purpose through communication.
References
Fullan, M. (2011).
Change leader: Learning to do what matters most. San
Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons
Fullan, M. (2016).
The new meaning of educational change (5th ed.). New
York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Morel, N. (2014).
Setting the stage for collaboration: An essential skill
for professional growth.
Links to an external site.Delta Kappa Gamma
Bulletin, 81(1), 36-39. doi: 1080/00228958.2005.10532081
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2016b).
Grand City education and demographic data files [PDF].
Baltimore, MD: Author.
Sophia Lanette Ruffin Hedrington
I specialized in Special Education curriculum, instruction, and
teacher leadership. As part of Mayor Keller’s task force, I have
expertise in creating instructional practices to increase student
test scores as well as working with general and special
education teachers to improve their pedagogy of culturally
diverse learning. Within our action plan there are three major
components.
7. Action Plan
One action step would be to raise the standards of teachers
through collaboration and communication. According to Reed
(2015), stakeholders must be able to develop a deeper
understanding of how the teacher truly feel about their approach
to instructing in a culturally responsive environment. Teacher
must know that they are going to be supported with teacher
professional development that is going to assist with learning
how to instruct a diverse community of students. Another action
step is improving data collections and use within the district.
Longitudinal data collection can drive instruction within the
classroom because a teacher has a clear view of what the
students can and cannot achieve (Chenoweth, 2015). The last
action step is school funding so that the district can provide
teachers with resources they will need to meet the needs of their
students and families.
Collaboration and Communication
The cross-specialization task force must have strong
collaborative efforts among its leaders to focus on changing
how Grand City approaches education, healthcare, social
services, and employment opportunities. The role of the team is
to create an action plan that involves providing scientific,
researched based improvements for the community (Castillo et
al., 2012). Communication between group members must be
clear and concise. Everyone’s goal must be clear and unified.
The team must be able to exchange knowledge. Everyone must
be cooperative.
Data Collection and Use
The change starts with examining the data of the students and
teachers. We must be able to understand everyone background.
A way to do this is by creating a Longitudinal data collection
system to assist with driving instructional practices within the
classroom (Chenoweth, 2015). This will give the district a clear
picture the teacher’s skillset. It will also give classroom
teachers the information they need to create more diverse
learning opportunities for students.
8. Conclusion
In summary, it is important for the Mayor’s Task Force to work
together to improve the challenges that Grand City is currently
facing. There are major benefits to having a cross-specialization
team working together to create change and make informed
decision based on data. When a town has a collaborative
partnership among its leading entities like education,
healthcare, social services, and technology/employment then we
can solve the ‘‘messy problems’’ that cannot typically be solved
by an organization acting alone (Savage et al, 2011). Within the
cross-specialization team we find that implementing a plan for
educational and community change is easier when the task force
can have shared goals and trust one another to make informed
decisions that will benefit everyone (Savage et al., 2011).
References
Castillo, J., Batsche, G., Curtis, M., Stockslager, K., March,
A., Minch, D., & Hines, C. (2012). Problem solving/response to
intervention evaluation tool technical assistance manual-
revised. Educational and Psychological Studies Faculty
Publication, 39.
Chenoweth, K. (2015). How do we get there from
here? Educational Leadership, 72(5), 16-20
Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational change (5th
ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Reed, M. (2015). To find solutions, look inward. Educational
Leadership, 72(9), 80-85.
Savage, G.; Bunn, M.; Gray, B.; Xiao, Q.; Wang, S.; Wilson, E.;
& Williams, E. (2011). Stakeholders collaboration: Implications
for stakeholders’ theory and practices.
Journal of Business Ethics. DOI 10.1007/s10551-011-
0939-1
1
9. Module 2 Discussion
2 Resources
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&A
N=98474485&site=eds-
live&scope=site&authtype=shib&custid=s6527200
https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edswss
&AN=000348824500004&site=eds-
live&scope=site&authtype=shib&custid=s6527200
Fullan, M. (2016).
The new meaning of educational change (5th ed.). New
York, NY: Teachers College Press.
· Chapter 3, “Insights into the Change Process” (pp. 39–53)
· Chapter 4, “Initiation, Implementation, and Continuation” (pp.
54–81)
https://cdn-
media.waldenu.edu/2dett4d/Walden/EDDD/2015/CH/mm/grand_
city/index.html
GRAND CITY (waldenu.edu)
https://cdn-
media.waldenu.edu/2dett4d/Walden/EDDD/2015/CH/mm/grand_
city/index.html
1
EDSD-7900-1 (11/28/2022-02/12/2023)-PT27
Module 2: Learning Resources
10. Module 2: Learning Resources
Back to Module 2 at a GlanceMODULE 2: LEARNING
RESOURCES
Required Readings
· Fullan, M. (2016). The new meaning of educational
change (5th ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
· Chapter 3, “Insights into the Change Process” (pp. 39–53)
· Chapter 4, “Initiation, Implementation, and Continuation” (pp.
54–81)
· Reed, M. (2015).
To find solutions, look inward.
Links to an external site.Educational
Leadership, 72(9), 80-85.
· Chenoweth, K. (2015).
How do we get there from here
Links to an external site.?
Educational Leadership, 72(5), 16-20
· Morel, N. (2014).
Setting the stage for collaboration: An essential skill
for professional growth.
Links to an external site.Delta Kappa Gamma
Bulletin, 81(1), 36-39. doi: 1080/00228958.2005.10532081
· Marsh, J. & Farrell, C. (2015).
How leaders can support teachers with data-driven
decision making: A framework for understanding capacity
building.
Links to an external site.Educational Management
Administration & Leadership, 43(2), 269-289.
doi:10.1177/1741143214537229
· Sterrett, W., & Irizarry, E. (2015).
Beyond “autopsy data”: Bolstering teacher leadership,
11. morale, and school improvement
Links to an external site..
Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 18(1), 3-
13. doi:10.1177/1555458914551828
· Cho, V., Jimerson, J.B., & Wayman, J.C. (2015).
Data system implementation: A leader navigates people
problems around technology and data use.
Links to an external site.Journal of Cases in
Educational Leadership, 18(2), 134-143.
doi:10.1177/1555458915584677
· Guidera, A. R. (2015)
Parents need access to education data- and need to
know it’s secure.
Links to an external site. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(5),
8-12.
· Walden University. (2017b).
About: Our history
Links to an external site.. Retrieved from
https://www.waldenu.edu/about/who-we-are
Review this site for information on Walden University’s
mission and vision and its focus on social change.
Required Media
· Grand City Community
Go to the
Grand City Community
Links to an external site.and click into City Hall to
review the following for this module:
· Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2017a).
Grand City opening task force meeting [Video file].
Baltimore, MD: Author.
12. · Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2016a).
District collaboration for change [Video file].
Baltimore, MD: Author.
68 Educational Leadership / Summer 2022
Teaching through the pandemic has been traumatic.
Schools must now prioritize organizational well-being.
Mona M. Johnson
For more than two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken
education leaders,
teachers, and school systems on a professional roller coaster
ride. With very
little notice, educators across the United States had to shutter
school doors,
move into isolation and quarantine, establish universal
approaches to virtual
learning, and devise innovative ways students could continue to
access meals
the school usually provides. They’ve had to learn and
implement unparalleled public
SELF-CARE
Is Not Enough!
IRINA YEVTUSHENKO / iSTOCK
13. ASCD / www.ascd.org 69
health mitigation strategies, and continuously
reinvent day-to-day operational practices. Many
districts closed and reopened classrooms several
times and erected hybrid learning structures
in the interest of reducing student and staff
exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
During these years, K–12 educators worked
tirelessly and were challenged in countless
ways while living the frontline experience of
responding to the global pandemic. Each has
felt—and may continue to feel—wounded and
weary. And leaders and teachers ran this gamut
while navigating changing circumstances in their
personal lives, too, which were often difficult.
Trauma—For Individuals and Systems
The reality is the pandemic affected many school
leaders, teachers, and other professionals within
the K–12 landscape in ways that can be considered
traumatic. Trauma is defined as, “an event,
series of events, or set of circumstances that is
experienced by an individual as physically or
emotionally harmful or life-threatening and that
has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s
functioning and mental, physical, social, emo-
tional, or spiritual well-being” (Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration,
2022). By this definition, coping with this global
pandemic has been traumatic for many people,
most certainly including educators. And just
14. like individuals, organizational systems can be
affected by prolonged harmful or threatening
circumstances—and the experience of COVID-19
has been traumatic to schools and districts
throughout our country (and across the world).
Two-and-a-half years in, the effects of this
pandemic are taking a heavy toll on educators
and on the schools they work in.
The prolonged stress of constant pandemic-
driven changes in school systems has manifested
for educators in three ways: burnout, moral
injury, and compassion fatigue.
Burnout is “chronic workplace stress that has
not been successfully managed” (World Health
Organization, n.d.). Burnout is often revealed
in comments and conversations in school
hallways, lunchrooms, and staff meetings in
which educators articulate their experiences of
energy depletion, feelings of emotional distance,
pervasive negative or cynical thoughts, and fears
of diminished effectiveness.
Emotions of moral injury are “strong feelings
of guilt, shame, and anger about the frustration
that comes from not being able to give the kind
of care or service an employee wants and expects
to provide” (Washington State Department of
Health, 2020). Teachers have conveyed such
feelings about enforcing isolation and social dis-
tancing on students as virtual learning shuttered
schools and curtailed face-to-face engagement.
Students lost out, and educators lost the direct
engagement that is the cornerstone of effective
15. instructional practice and, for many teachers,
a source of great satisfaction. Educators at all
levels felt helpless, too, when unable to comfort
students who experienced pandemic-related
family illness, trauma, and loss.
Compassion fatigue is the “natural conse-
quent behaviors and emotions resulting from
knowledge of a traumatizing event experienced
by another and from wanting to help a suffering
or traumatized person” (Beaton & Murphy, 1995).
It’s a weariness that comes from caring so much
for someone who is suffering. Especially as it
relates to the pandemic experience, compassion
fatigue can manifest itself among K–12 educators
as a sense of overwhelm, severe exhaustion, sleep
disturbances, emotional dysregulation, boundary
mismanagement, and physical and mental health-
related concerns.
Toward Post-Traumatic Growth
Realizing that this pandemic has taken a toll on
K–12 systems and educators, school leaders must
take time now to reframe their perspectives
and begin to move forward in the spirit of post-
traumatic growth. Leaders need to acknowledge
the wounding impacts of the pandemic while
simultaneously finding and embracing any useful
changes that could come from going through
70 Educational Leadership / Summer 2022
pandemic-related challenges. Now is the time to
reflect on our experiences and make constructive
16. adjustments, individually and systemically.
In this sense, school leaders have an oppor-
tunity, right now, to draw from educators’ recent
experiences to strengthen the effectiveness of K–12
organizational practices in ways we may never
have imagined before the pandemic. As the pan-
demic starts to wane, we need to move away from
believing that individual efforts toward wellness
will be sufficient, that educator self-care practices,
in and of themselves, can propel schools forward
and out of this crisis of well-being. Individual self-
care, albeit essential, isn’t enough on its own. It’s
simply impossible for educators, as individuals,
to self-care their way through the individual
and systemic impacts of burnout, moral injury,
and compassion fatigue. Education leaders must
reaffirm their commitment to whole-organization
wellness and shift their focus toward embedding
well-being strategies within their organization to
systemically support educators’ well-being.
Organizational wellness implies that employees
perceive that the relationships, policies, and social
norms across their workplace support optimal
wellness for everyone (Reynolds & Bennett, 2019).
When individuals in an organization experience a
commitment to systemic wellness, the operations,
School leaders
must begin to move
forward in the
spirit of post-
17. traumatic growth.
SOLSTOCK / iSTOCK
ASCD / www.ascd.org 71
strategies, and culture of the organization fit
together, make sense, and (most important) are
healthy. There is minimal “politics” and confusion
and high morale and productivity—and there is
lower turnover (Lencioni, 2012).
As the director of a districtwide wellness and
student support program, over the past few years
I’ve seen a tremendous need for K–12 schools to
implement more systemic well-being strategies.
Today the need for institutional shifts is more
evident than ever—and must begin as soon as pos-
sible to ease the pandemic-related impacts on K–12
districts and school cultures. Here are four places
to start—three true shifts in practice schools
should make and one area to invest in wisely:
n Start or rekindle an organizational
sense of belonging for everyone in
the school.
n Strengthen social-emotional
competence in adult professionals.
n Promote an active under-
standing and practice of workplace
self-regulation strategies.
18. n Invest in workplace well-being
resources.
Until we make these institutional shifts to
develop and reinforce whole educator well-
being, our school systems can’t move forward
in constructive and healthy ways.
Toward Organizational Wellness
Creating a Sense of Belonging for All
Strengthening a sense of organizational
belonging, the collective experience of fitting in,
is the first institutional shift necessary to foster a
wellness transformation in the workplace. Shawn
Ginwright, professor at San Francisco University
and author of The Four Pivots, has described
belonging as “a mutual exchange of care, com-
passion, and courage that binds people together
in a way that says you matter” (2022, p. 94). A
sense of belonging in relationships and workplace
communities is essential to both individual and
systemwide well-being (Brown, 2021).
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, during
the most active phases of the virus, the public
health strategies of isolation, social distancing,
and masking posed a significant, if unintended,
barrier to belonging. The individual connections
educators had had with one another and with their
students were blocked. When social closeness
is barred, and we’re cut off from the power of
human connections, systemic fractures and divi-
sions begin to tear away at workplace belonging.
This shows itself in the workplace as extreme
19. impatience, overt irritability, emotional blunting,
blaming, inadequate communication with one
another, and even hostile behavior.
Institutional strategies that can rekindle a sense
of belonging include:
n Doubling down on relationship-based
leadership, which looks like giving indi-
viduals or groups undivided attention
when meeting; intentionally asking
colleagues/staff “how are you doing”
and making time to listen closely to
and offer real support specific to their
response; and approaching staff behavior
challenges with an empathetic perspective
before reacting.
n Revisiting—as a whole school or in small
groups—your school’s mission statement and any
statements of key behaviors and expectations for
the school community.
n Doing strategic team-building with key
leadership groups (such as department heads or
the administrative team) through activities like
reviewing strengths and weakness of existing day-
to-day operational processes; engaging in data-
driven goal and objective setting; and ongoing,
applicable action planning. Team building
strengthens relationships and trust and increases
a sense of belonging.
20. Phyliss Fagell (2021) has said that since we’ve no
manual for helping children thrive in the wake
of a pandemic, “We can start by ensuring that
everyone feels seen, nurtured, and valued.” There
is no manual for helping adults during these dif-
ficult times, either. But schools can start by pri-
oritizing belonging, so all educators and staff feel
seen, heard, and valued. We need to agree again to
cooperate with one another, rebuild meaningful
https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/fostering-hope-healing-and-
well-being
https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/fostering-hope-healing-and-
well-being
connections, and make meaning
together in the shared purpose and
pursuit of K–12 education.
Strengthening Social-Emotional
Competence
Social-emotional competence is
the process by which individuals
apply knowledge, attitudes, and
skills to understand and manage
emotions, set goals, feel and show
empathy for others, maintain
positive relationships, and make
responsible decisions (CASEL, 2022a).
Key elements of adult professional
social-emotional competence are
the ability to practice self-awareness
and self-management, make respon-
21. sible decisions, maintain and grow
relationships, and practice social
awareness (CASEL, 2022b).
The first step in practicing social-
emotional competence in the work-
place is having self-awareness, the
ability to understand your emotions
and thoughts and their influence
on your behavior. At the core of
self-awareness is the ability to suc-
cessfully navigate emotions. Most of
us think of work as being driven by
skill sets, information, brainpower,
experience, achievement, and accom-
plishment. However, emotions are
the most powerful force inside the
workplace, influencing everything
from leadership effectiveness to
innovation to customer relations.
(Brackett, 2019). As we move forward
in the post-pandemic journey, system-
wide professional development
focused on reinforcement of adult
social-emotional practices, espe-
cially professional self-awareness
and skillful emotion identification,
is paramount.
Developing Self-Regulation
Strategies
Awareness, acknowledgment, and
practice of self-regulation strategies
in the workplace is the third shift
necessary to usher K–12 organizations
forward in the pursuit of organiza-
22. tional wellness—and it’s a crucial
one. Bruce Perry, an author, teacher,
clinician, and researcher in children’s
mental health and neuroscience,
confirmed this insight, stating, “The
single most helpful thing educational
systems can do is to embed organi-
zational care strategies into their
systems, so educators are regulated”
(Perry, 2022).
Dr. Perry is right. Since the
beginning of the pandemic, the
emotional brains (limbic systems) of
K–12 leaders have been functioning
on maximum alert, fight-or-flight,
and survival mode. We have had
to rapidly create and implement
countless new day-to-day operational
practices under great stress. No
wonder many educators still often feel
dysregulated—unable to adequately
manage overwhelming emotions they
experience at school, such as frus-
tration or sadness. A teacher who’s
dysregulated during the day might
have difficulty focusing and remem-
bering details of assigned tasks
or burst into tears in a collegial
conversation.
The Neurosequential
Engagement Model of Therapeutics
23. (National Council for Adoption,
2022) integrates the principles of neu-
rodevelopment and traumatology.
This developmentally sensitive,
neurobiology-informed approach
holds that individuals cannot fully
relate to or reason with others in their
environments, including co-workers,
until they can identify their own
neurological dysregulation. Once
they recognize any dysregulation,
they can actively regulate themselves
and establish neurological control
from within.
Effective self-regulation practices
are relational, relevant, repetitive,
rewarding, rhythmic, and respectful
(National Council for Adoption, 2022).
Regulation strategies that work well
in K–12 workplaces include breathing
exercises; creative expression like
drawing or writing; rhythmic
movement, including singing and
dancing; mindfulness and meditative
breaks; reflective time-out prac-
tices; positive self-talk; and laughter.
Schools should familiarize adults
with these healthy coping strategies
and set up systematic ways they can
practice them when they begin to feel
dysregulated or flooded with tension
or emotion.
When educators become skilled
at self-regulating in the workplace,
24. they gain the ability to coregulate and
help others soothe and manage their
72 Educational Leadership / Summer 2022
Institutional shifts
that allow educators to
responsibly self-regulate
can transform school
cultures and contribute
to organizational
well-being.
ASCD / www.ascd.org 73
distress. Practicing self-regulation, and in turn
coregulation with students and colleagues, leads
to an increased sense of safety, calm, and support
during times of distress. Institutional shifts that
allow educators to responsibly self-regulate can
transform school cultures and contribute greatly
to overall organizational well-being.
Providing Practical Supports
In addition to the institutional shifts indicated
here, K–12 systems should invest in practical
workplace supports for whole-educator well-
being, including:
n Employee Assistance Programs to help
25. educators access mental health, financial, legal,
and other related services.
n Access to quiet, calming spaces in which
educators can practice mindfulness and remain
self-regulated, and a system through which they
can go to such a space briefly as needed.
n Expertly facilitated educator well-being
support groups to focus on professional
well-being and shared experiences and learn
professional and personal wellness skills.
Repurposing district budget allocations aimed
at supporting educator professional devel-
opment or partnering with community mental
health providers are two creative ways districts
can fund innovative educator well-being
support groups.
The Power of Leaders
As school systems make shifts like these that
support educator wellness, it’s important to
remember the power and responsibility edu-
cation leaders have to model healthy profes-
sional well-being. By transparently engaging in
practices to support their own physical, emo-
tional, social, occupational, and spiritual
wellness—and letting their vulnerability
show—leaders can set an example for others,
foster a culture of belonging, and contribute to
the positive sense of well-being urgently needed
in K–12 classrooms, schools, and districts
nationwide.
References
Beaton, R. D., & Murphy, S. A. (1995). Sensory-based
26. therapy for crisis counselors. In C. R. Figley
(Ed.) Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary
traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the
traumatized. Brunner Mazel Publishers.
Brackett, M., (2019). Permission to feel: The power of
emotional intelligence to achieve well-being and
success. Celadon Books.
Brown, B. (2021). Atlas of the heart: Mapping
meaningful connection and the language of human
experience. Random House.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional
Learning (CASEL). (2022a). Fundamentals of SEL.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional
Learning (CASEL). (2022b). What is the
CASEL framework?
Fagell, P. L. (2021). Fostering hope,
healing, and well-being. Educational
Leadership, 79(1), 50–55.
Ginwright, S. (2022). The four pivots:
Reimagining justice, reimagining
ourselves. North Atlantic Books.
Lencioni, P., (2012). The advantage: Why
organizational health trumps everything
else in the business. Jossey-Bass.
National Council for Adoption. (2022). Meeting
children where they are: The neurosequential
model of therapeutics.
27. Perry, B. (2022, February 21). Trauma, resiliency
and healing in educational environments.
[Virtual conference session]. Kansas Educational
Service Center.
Reynolds, G., & Bennett, J. (2019). A brief measure of
organizational wellness climate. Journal of Occupa-
tional Environmental Medicine, 61(12), 1052–1064.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. (2022). Trauma and violence.
Washington State Department of Health. (2020).
Statewide high-level analysis of forecasted
behavioral health impacts from COVID-19.
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Burn-out an
“occupational phenomenon.” International
Classification of Diseases.
Mona M. Johnson is the executive director
of wellness and support in the South Kitsap
School District in Port Orchard, Washington. She
manages programs that ensure students and
staff are healthy, safe, engaged, and supported
in their pursuit of social-emotional wellness and
academic success.
https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/fostering-hope-healing-and-
well-being
https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/fostering-hope-healing-and-
well-being
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7691977/
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43. CitationTitle:Setting the Stage for Collaboration: An Essential
Skill for Professional Growth. Authors:Morel, Nina J.1,2
[email protected]Source:Delta Kappa Gamma
Bulletin. Fall2014, Vol. 81 Issue 1, p36-39. 4p.
Document Type:ArticleSubject Terms:*
COOPERATION
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JOB skills
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CAREER development
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TWENTY-first century
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LEARNINGNAICS/Industry Codes:611430
Professional and Management Development Training
624310 Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Abstract:Collaboration is identified as an essential
twenty-first-century skill, and research supports that
professional learning is enhanced by collaboration among
teachers. Nevertheless, many American schools have little time
built into the day for collaborative professional interactions
such as coaching, peer observation, modeling, or professional-
learning-community work. Administrators and teacher leaders
can take a few essential steps to promote and enhance their own
collaboration among colleagues and promote the collaborative
practices of professionals in their schools. [ABSTRACT FROM
AUTHOR] Copyright of Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin is the
property of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and its
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full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)Author
Affiliations:1Associate A dean of the College of Professional
Studies, Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee
2Member and officer of Beta Chapter, Xi State Organization
(TN)Full Text Word Count:1842ISSN:0011-8044Accession
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Setting the Stage for Collaboration: An
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ContentsConclusionReferencesFull TextListen
Collaboration is identified as an essential twenty-first-century
skill, and research supports that professional learning is
enhanced by collaboration among teachers. Nevertheless, many
American schools have little time built into the day for
collaborative professional interactions such as coaching, peer
observation, modeling, or professional-learning-community
work. Administrators and teacher leaders can take a few
essential steps to promote and enhance their own collaboration
among colleagues and promote the collaborative practices of
professionals in their schools.
A few years ago, I met Kum Fong, an administrator from the
Singapore Ministry of Education, who was visiting Nashville,
Tennessee, as a Fulbright Scholar to share her research on
professional collaboration among teachers. At the time, I was
working to develop collaborative professional-learning practices
in my school district, and I asked her to comment on her
impressions of American teachers and their collaborative
professional learning. Without hesitation, she answered,
"Teachers are so lonely here." Her observation backed up my
own sense that the professional isolation of the American
teacher must be addressed in order to improve teaching and
learning in the twenty-first century. In this article, I explore
why collaboration is so important at this juncture in education.
Why is Collaboration So Important Now?
49. Collaboration, according to Rubin (2009), is a "means of
aligning people's actions to get something done" (p. 16).
Collaboration leverages diverse perspectives and skills and can
promote creativity and productivity. In addition, collaboration
is a skill that is valued by employers as well as civic and social
organizations. It is tied to greater job satisfaction, and it is an
effective learning practice, especially for adult learners.
Practicing collaboration models its importance for the students
who will be called upon to collaborate in an increasingly
complex economy and society.
Collaboration is necessary in a complex, global society. One
hundred years ago, a teacher might live her whole life
collaborating with only a few hundred people whom she knew
and developed relationships with over a lifetime. Today,
through technology, educators come in contact with hundreds of
people from around the globe every day. Fifty years ago,
teaching required an individual to get along in his or her
geographic community; today, teachers are expected to
communicate instantaneously with parents, leaders, and
colleagues at home and around the globe. Information about
best practices in the classroom is instantly available to all
stakeholders, and community members expect their teachers to
stay up to date with current research and to implement
innovations in their own classrooms almost immediately. The
increasing complexity of teaching students to develop skills for
a future society that one can barely imagine requires teachers to
be learners every day--not just in the summer when professional
learning opportunities have been traditionally offered.
Collaboration increases teachers' job satisfaction. The MetLife
Foundation has conducted an annual Survey of the American
Teacher every year since 1984. In 2012, the survey indicated
that teachers' job satisfaction had dropped to the lowest level in
25 years. Only 39% of the 1000 public school teachers surveyed
reported job satisfaction--a drop of 23% since 2008, when 62%
of teachers reported being satisfied with their jobs. Compared to
the most-satisfied teachers, the least-satisfied teachers in the
50. 2012 survey were more likely to work in schools that, during
the previous 12 months, had experienced cuts in professional
development and decreases in time for professional
collaboration. Satisfied teachers tended to work in places with
adequate professional development and time for collaboration
with peers. The 2012 survey indicated that teacher stress was
also much greater than it had been in the past, with 51%
reporting significant stress in their jobs--up from 36% of
teachers reporting job stress in 1985. Not surprisingly, teachers
who experienced more stress also reported lower job
satisfaction. These data suggest greater teacher satisfaction
exists when teachers are free to reflect, collaborate, and create
their own professional growth. In a time when attracting and
retaining excellent teachers is becoming more and more
difficult, providing collaborative professional learning can go
far to increase teacher satisfaction.
Collaboration is an effective learning practice. Working with
others to share ideas, take a point of view, defend a position,
give and accept feedback, achieve consensus, and apply
knowledge to a common goal leads to improved teaching and
learning. Working with others can enhance creativity, improve
reflection, increase respect for others, promote team
celebration, and enhance self-efficacy. Just as children are no
longer expected to learn information passively, teachers cannot
be expected to depend entirely on workshops and lectures to
develop their practice. According to Materna (2007), "Group
collaboration especially is essential in adult education, since
adults want to share their experiences and interact with others
both academically and professionally" (p. 42).
Collaboration is an important example to students. If educators
expect students to excel in twenty-first-century skills, then
teachers must model these skills. Students notice and emulate
teachers' use of technology, collaborative practices with
colleagues, and development of problem-finding and problem-
solving skills. When teachers fail to model collaboration and
the other competencies that support higher level thinking and
51. creativity, students may assume that a right answer exists to all
problems and that taking an intellectual risk is inappropriate.
Teachers who work collaboratively contribute to an
environment in which students can grow and learn their own
relationship skills. According to Joyce and Calhoun (2010),
"When teachers live in healthy schools, they create an elevating
environment for their students" (p. 30).
What Skills Do Teachers Need to Collaborate?
Collaboration both builds interpersonal skills and requires
certain skills. These skills do not always come naturally, and
school leaders and professional developers may need to teach
and reinforce the use of such skills explicitly with faculty
members to help them collaborate more successfully with their
peers. Based on my experience leading collaborative groups,
requisite collaboration skills include the ability to
* read the emotional climate of a situation and improve
emotional safety for others;
* apologize;
* focus on the project and not on individual personalities;
* listen;
* express and advocate for one's own point of view;
* take the other person's perspective; and
* define mutual goals.
A variety of resources is available to help individuals self-
assess their abilities in these areas and then hone them to
greater effectiveness. Individual or group coaching can go a
long way to help leaders excel in these skills.
What Kind of Environment is Required for Effective
Collaboration?
Collaboration thrives in an environment in which the school
leader has developed a climate conducive to collaboration.
Three essential elements are necessary for that climate:
involvement in significant work, trust, and consistent processes.
Involvement in significant work. When pairs or teams work
together, the goal must be worthwhile and the expectations must
be high. Busy work, work that is not taken seriously by leaders,
52. does not lead to effective collaboration. Rock (2008) explained
that when individuals interact with others, their brains are
looking for status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and
fairness. Status is how one thinks others value him or her and is
one of the most important needs of human brains. All
individuals want to believe that the person with whom they are
interacting has respect for them and their work, and humans are
very adept at identifying the regard others have for an
individual. Being given significant work related to the goals of
the organization and being provided a protected time to do this
work increases the status and motivation of teachers. In schools,
the most significant work is, of course, the achievement of
students. Tying organizational goals and collaborative work to
student outcomes underscores the significance of any project.
Trust. Trust is the most important component of collaboration
(Tschannen-Moran, 2001). High-stakes, highly competitive
structures, over-direction or micromanagement, secrecy, and
lack of transparency undermine trust among faculty members.
Principals must work to create a climate of respect and trust.
This does not happen overnight, and it starts with a positive
example set by the leadership. Teachers, administrators, and
coaches should identify and commit to a communication model
that they will follow with fidelity as they work together. Some
school personnel agree to an open communication model, where
all collaborative professional information is shared among
teachers, coaches, and administrators. Others decide on a model
where only positive information is shared, and still others agree
that communication among teachers and coaches is open, but
principals will not ask for or receive information about areas of
concern except from an individual teacher about his or her own
practice. Whatever the model, the key is that all the
professionals in the school agree to and adhere to it consistently
(Morel & Cushman, 2012).
Consistent processes. When trust has not yet been developed, a
tight process for working together provides a safe emotional
environment in which to take risks. Consistent team processes
53. provide identified roles, discussion protocols, and agreed-upon
norms that lead to productive dialogue. The use of consistent
protocols in meetings supports the needs of the brain identified
by Rock (2008). Protocols balance status among participants
because they provide a process for everyone's voice to be heard.
Effective meeting or learning protocols begin by reviewing
norms or agreements for interaction, setting a time to begin and
end, and making personal connections. This process shows
mutual concern for everyone's needs and emphasizes the
importance of the relationship. Specific protocols also provide
certainty because everyone knows the rules, and there is a
definite outcome for every interaction. Meeting protocols
protect autonomy because each participant is invited and not
forced or micromanaged to participate. Relatedness and fairness
are further enhanced because the norms for safe interaction
provide a voice for everyone.
Conclusion
I hope someday to visit Kum Fong in Singapore and witness
firsthand the levels of collaboration that teachers there enjoy. I
also hope, when I go, that I will be able to take many examples
of how teachers in the United States have worked together to
decrease isolation and increase professional collaboration for
the benefit of our students.
References
Joyce, B., & Calhoun, E. (2010). Models of professional
development: A celebration of educators. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
Materna, L. (2007). Jump start the adult learner: How to engage
and motivate adults using brain-compatible strategies. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
MetLife, Inc. (2012). MetLife survey of the American teacher:
Challenges for school leadership. Retrieved from ERIC database
(ED542202).
Morel, N., & Cushman, C. (2012). How to develop an
54. instructional coaching program for maximum capacity.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Rock, D. (2008). SCARF: A brain-based model for
collaborating with and influencing others. NeuroLeadership
Journal, 1, 1-9. Retrieved from
www.Neuroleadership.org
Rubin, H. (2009). Collaborative leadership: Developing
effective partnerships for communities and schools (2nd ed.).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Tsahnnen-Moran, M. (2001). Collaboration and the need for
trust. Journal of Educational Administration, 39(4), 308-331.
doi:10.1108/EUM0000000005493
~~~~~~~~
By Nina J. Morel
Nina J. Morel, EdD, is associate A dean of the College of
Professional Studies at Lipscomb University in Nashville,
Tennessee. She is an active member and officer of Beta Chapter
in Xi State Organization (TN).
[email protected]
Copyright of Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin is the property of
Delta Kappa Gamma Society International and its content may
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without the copyright holder's express written permission.
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2
Module 2: Discussion 2
BUILDING A COLLABORATIVE TEAM
Collaboration leverages diverse perspectives and skills and can
promote creativity and productivity."
- Morel, 2014, p. 3
As you review the contributions of your colleagues representing
members of Mayor Keller’s task force in Module 2 Discussion
1, reflect on their perspectives and relevant data. Through this
process, you will learn about the concerns of task force team
members who have expertise in other educational
specializations.
An essential element of change is collaboration among those
56. working to initiate and implement that change. Taking in
varying perspectives contributes to a fuller understanding of the
issues facing Grand City and helps to address them more
effectively. How might you build a collaborative team to
promote creativity and productivity in the changes you are
suggesting for your specialization and Grand City?
For this Discussion, you will develop a hypothetical, cross-
specialization team to support you in initiating the changes you
outlined in your action plan for this module’s Discussion 1.
To prepare:
I. Read the Morel (2014) article on collaboration and review
Chenoweth’s (2015) thoughts on collaboration and change.
Consider the benefits of collaboration in an educator’s
professional life. Reflect on the individuals you currently
collaborate with inside and outside of your professional field.
What specific strategies work well to keep this collaboration
positive and forward moving?
II. In the City Hall location in Grand City, revisit the task
force’s opening meeting where individual members discuss their
goals for change in Grand City.
III. Read Chapter 3 in the Fullan (2016) text, and review the
action plan you outlined for Module 2 Discussion 1. If you were
a member of the task force representing your specialization
area, and based on the factors that affect initiation in the
resources, who would you select as a member of a cross-
specialization team to initiate and implement your plans for
change?
Note: The members of your hypothetical team may be
represented by individuals already on the Grand City task force
and/or representatives from a different specialization area in
your own district or locale.
I. Research evidence-based strategies for working
collaboratively with colleagues when enacting change and for
establishing buy-in from other professionals during the change
process.
II. Read the Marsh & Farrell (2015) and Sterett & Irizarry
57. (2015) articles regarding data-driven decision making. Consider
how you might work collaboratively with the members of your
cross-specialization team to use the data to guide decisions to
address the issues outlined in your action plan.
Assignment Task Part 1
Write a 1 ½ page post of the following
· A brief explanation of your specialization (Early Childhood
Education) and the action plan you outlined in your Module 2
Discussion 1 post.
· The members of your hypothetical, cross-specialization team
you will need to collaborate with to help initiate the change
process you outlined in Module 2 Discussion 1. Explain why
you selected these specific individuals and how their expertise
will support needed changes in your specialization.
Reminder: The members of your hypothetical team may be
represented by individuals already on the Grand City task force
and/or from a different specialization area in your own district
or locale.
· Two evidence-based strategies for working collaboratively
with your team members. Be sure to explain how the strategies
will establish buy-in from your team and support meaningful
change for your specialization and the Grand City community.
· How you will use on-going data to inform collaborative
decision making and make continued positive changes within
your specialization. Be sure to support your explanation with
reference to the existing Grand City data.
For this Discussion, and all scholarly writing in this course and
throughout your program, you will be required to use APA style
and provide reference citations.
Assignment Task Part 2
Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts, noting the leaders
and issues they have addressed.
Respond to at least two of your colleagues
in a 150 word response each:
58. · by explaining how a task force member or specialization might
also support your colleagues’ plans for change.
· Support your explanation with reference to resources or
examples from your own professional experiences.