This document contains a summary of the author's experiences visiting schools in the United States as part of a fellowship program. The author observed innovative teaching methods that integrate technology and focus on preparing students for the future. Teachers were found to be skilled, treating students with patience and democratic attitudes. While students enjoyed freedom, there were also clear rules and procedures outlined. The experience gave the author new perspectives on education and how far Bangladesh still needs to progress to achieve similar standards.

1. TEA FELLOW PortfolioContents:Objective of portfolio

2. Self-introduction

3. My professional goals

4. Reflection on field work

5. Reflection on field trips

6. Life style inventory

7. Strategies

8. Lesson plan based on multiple intelligence

9. A typical American lesson PlanMD. MOSTAQ AHAMED86/2 Nijhum Residential Area,Zigatala, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209BangladeshCellular: +88 017 11 733679E-Mail: mosvision _2007@yahoo.comCAREER OBJECTIVEAchieving utmost competence in the field of educational development, Teacher training and research through enthusiasm, hard work, ethics, sincerity and brilliance, serving for the welfare of the society, education and economy through the assigned responsibility SCHOLASTIC RECORDPROFESSIONAL DEGREESPOST GRADUATION: Master of Education Institute of Education Research University of Dhaka GRADUATION: Bachelor of Education, National University Bangladesh TEA FELLOW: George Mason University, Virginia, U.S.AGENERAL ACADEMIC DEGREESPOST GRADUATION: Master of Arts in English Daffodil International University GRADUATION: Bachelor of Arts (B.A) National University, Bangladesh PROFESSIONAL RECORDFrom 1st January, 2000 to 1st March 2002INSTITUTE NAME: ANGELICA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL D/83/1 Bazar Road, Savar, Dhaka-1340 Designation Assistant Teacher in English From 2nd April 2002to till PresentINSTITUTE NAME: BEERSHRESTHA MUNSI ABDUR ROUF RIFELS COLLEGE BDR Head Quarters, Peelkhana, Dhaka-1205 Senior Teacher in EnglishMY PROFESSIONAL GOALSThe education and training of children is among the most meritorious acts of mankind, for education is the indispensable foundation of all human excellence and allow man to work his way to the heights of abiding glory. Judged by this, teachers are like the vanguards of the perfection of humankind. They are to carry forward the various branches of knowledge and true understanding and to promote the gifts and graces of civilized life. As teachers are the transmitters of morality, the builders of characters and the custodians of culture, they must possess superb qualities to perform those roles. They must attain quality leadership to empower the students so that the students can find solutions to their problems, develop analytical skill, team work, channelize their reactive potentials and develop a win-win attitude in order to meet the demand of the new millennium. But the quality teachers are not matter of chance. It is indeed, a matter of constant and conscious effort to groom them. The teachers with commitment, positive outlook, leadership abilities and desire to excel have to be trained because of the sublime nature of their profession. That means the teachers do not need mare academic excellence, they also need intensive professional and intellectual training-the training of both Head and Heart to from patterns of behavior and a distinctive mode of life. In those far of days teaching was not organized. It was more or less affair of the individual. But teaching has now undergone a revolutionary change and it is a highly specialized job now. The skill of ideal teachers is based not only on their scholarship but also on the right methods of imparting knowledge to the students. Teaching nowadays is both a science to be acquired and an art to be practiced. From this point of view my professional goals are to equip myself with the modern teaching techniques and methodologies and apply my acquired knowledge and skill to my teaching learning activities with a view to getting the desired feedback from the learners. As modern society has endless varieties of tasks to perform, my mission is to stir up the spirit of wonder and curiosity in my young learners to make them accomplish those tasks. My profession confers an exalted right on me to shape the attitudes, habits, personality of that children and make them total quality people, quality citizens and total human beings. My profession also allows me to help the young learners to achieve adult standards of technical performance and the capacity to take part in the social life of the group family, the community and the country in which they belong. My profession confers a noble duty on me and this is to help my motherland to bring out well balanced citizens to meet the needs of the country. As a teacher it is my moral obligation to nurture the intellect of the students so as to create a certain habit of mind, a skill and temper that can be set to work on facts and ideas with equal readiness. Being a teacher I have got the best the platform to set some finest examples of dedication and inspire the students to dedicate their lives to matters of great human importance and to undertake studies that will benefit mankind and world. I know that felicitous words can be used easily to define my goals. But realistically, to be a good teacher and to produce good students are very difficult. I shall have to go through the trials and tribulations of life to attain my goals. But I am optimistic because I believe the greatest feeling of life is to know who I am, doing what I love and living the life I enjoy.It was a journey of my soul, a feeling of a change, and a thrilling of renewed insight and wisdom. My introductory sentence may seem to be hyperbole in many of my personal matters but very much accurate to the feeling of my visiting to the U.S schools. Unless I visited U.S schools my perception about U.S school would be incomplete or fragmented. After visiting the school I awfully discovered myself in a new state with new dimensions and outlook. I feel no hesitation to say that formerly I was obsessed with a so-called vanity of my poor knowledge which was encircled with some obsolete ideas. Yes, only my six weeks staying in America and participating in different programs has kindled my imagination and I can think how far Bangladesh, my mother land will have to go to be paralleled with America. The matter is that in no way, we can deny the fact.I visited Poe Middle School, Annandale and Rockville High School, Mary land. The mind blowing teaching-learning environment, inviting atmosphere, and exciting teaching materials –all things together present an ideal and unique situation for learning. Now I can discern the fact that the ceaseless effort of the Americans to bring about a meaningful and effective change in the field of education has geared up the progress of America.The wonderful multi-cultural environment of America’s schools has given me the impression of the biggest melting pot of the earth where all nationalities of the world become a single entity forgetting all the differences. I found some students newly immigrated to the U.S.A. imbibing American culture and trend very swiftly. They are, in fact, the teaching strategies that help them to be one of the mainstreams.Most of the teachers seem to be occupied with continuous research about how the teaching-learning methods can be improved to ensure the utmost service and benefit to the students. It is clear that to be a teacher in America is not merely a matter of sweet will. I found all the teachers I met, skilled, knowledgeable and sweet tempered. They all have teaching licenses and the licenses can be achieved by crossing through a series of exam bars and finally being got approved by the State Department of Education, U.S.A.The most striking feature U.S education is the integration of technology with education. It seems to me, no books –no papers but to impart and receive education through technology. Yes, the students are rightly being treated as they are being made prepared to face complicacies of this century. I do consider myself a fortunate fellow as I got chance to attend the teachers’ meeting and to listen to their discussion. I found the teachers of different subjects coming one by one in the meeting and explaining their activities to the board consisted of veteran teachers. In fact, I found every teacher answerable to the authority for their activities. And the wonderful thing was that every teacher was trying to present some individual innovations/strategies he/she was currently applying to make the classes more effective. Their transparencies and creativities contribute to have the desired feedback from the students.I asked my mentor, Mrs. Andrea Belly,” How are the students treated when they become unruly?” The sweet tempered lady answered with sweet smile, “Correction with patience.” I was really impressed with the tolerance and the democratic attitude of the lady. In fact, her attitude epitomizes the attitudes of most of the American teachers. The children want to ventilate their every feeling. If a teacher becomes coercive and tries to suppress the feelings of the students, they will try to find illegal outlets to demonstrate their feelings. From this psychological point of view the students in schools of the U.S.A enjoys more freedom.Of course, there are some drawbacks of complete freedom. Freedom does not sense giving licenses to them to do whatever they like. Much deliberation is needed in this respect. I found the students provided with a hand book titled How to Succeed in Middle School. In the book the rules and procedures for the students and for the teachers have nicely been explained. At the beginning of the year, the teachers will explain how their classrooms work. This includes:The class room layout

10. When to come and go

11. Beginning and ending routines

12. What supplies you need for this class

13. Acceptable and unacceptable behavior

14. How and Where to turn your homework

15. How to ask and answer questions

16. When and where to use the restrooms

17. What to do if the fire alarm rings The teachers are kept up to date and they are well informed of their duties and responsibilities. A teacher’s promises are nicely defined in the above mentioned hand book. A teacher’s promise---------------------to respect all the students of his class

18. to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment

19. to give all students an equal opportunity to learn

20. to help all students who need extra help

21. to provide the best available instruction and materials to meet the standards of learning

22. to assess and grade all students fairly

23. to be available for after-school help at least one day per week

24. to not give up no any student

25. to treat all students fairly

26. to help students discover their best way to learn

27. to answer students questions and concerns fully

28. to find help when needed beyond my classroom

29. to guide students to make good choices

30. to include parents in their child’s learning experienceI found the teachers of these schools exhibiting effective listening, oral communication, presenting skills and expression in written communication and demonstrating respect for and responding to differences in perspective. It seems that every teacher has an accurate picture of self in terms of strengths, values, philosophy, and behaviors and he/she demonstrates commitment to reaching higher standards and readiness to take action to improve. I observed a formal, yet friendly, relationship built between students and teachers as well as an interactive way in which teachers engaged students in the development of the lessons. Though I observed a great number of informal ways of behaving in the class and students seemed to be discourteous in their classrooms, I think that the students’ good relationship with teachers is one of the most important elements that contribute making the classes a satisfactory and successful experience.Education for the special children of these schools can be specially mentioned because of its psychological explanations and outstanding way of taking care of them. The education of exceptional children is such a diversified and complex that it requires expert teachers and special curriculum materials and supplies. Educating the gifted children the schools reflect the government’s pledges to nation” No child left behind”.To sum up, I must say my field work is a great lesson for me. From this experience I can reset my goals--------my mission and vision. The experience has elevated my thought how many days my sweet country will take even to be paralleled to America. By nature I am wander lust and I always look forward to exploring the unknown, the unseen. Before coming to the U.S.A all the TEA participants were apprised of the tour plans and from then I had been in great excitement. It was my anticipation that the field trips would the feasts of my eyes and the festivals of my soul. My speculations were not at all exaggerations when I made the field trips. My field trip started from Washington D.C. by visiting the different museums. It was really a great education for me to visit those places. The Botanical Garden, the White House, the Washington monument everything arrested my eyes and I was bewitched with their wonderful architectural designs. But what charmed me most was the aesthetical sense of the American urban planners. Far or near wherever I moved, I found every road and street, every house and building has its individual styles and features which are well-thought out and artistic. When I moved to Virginia I got several opportunities to make filed trips and every trip was special for me. Trip to Baltimore Inner Harbor of Maryland and Old Town Anapolis was exciting. I enjoyed there the beautiful harbor, aquarium and a mind-stirring Dolphin show. Visiting the Science Museum of Baltimore and watching the dinosaurs’ skeletons my mind travelled thousand years back to the prehistorical age. The bell of liberty, Ross House, Congress hall, Benjamin Franklin court and Real Portraits Museum of Philadelphia bear testimony to the rich American history. My visit to the historical site Mount Vernon, the house of George Washington of Vienna is a memorable day of my life. I felt as though I were in trance when I was in that great man’s house.My visit to two great ladies houses is last but not the list. They are Dr. Steeley and Dr. Shahrokhi. Their warm reception and cordial entertainment made everybody of the team feel quite at home. It was, no doubt, their great care that made every trip wonderfully enjoyable. THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT STEP OF TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR FUTURE IS TO DETERMINE THE TRUTH –THE TRUTH ABOUT WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU ARE, WHAT YOU WILL DO, AND WHO YOUR ALLIES AREStep 1: Primary style is Approval.Step 2: The step I have chosen to work on is Approval (3 o’ clock position)What does the style mean to you?The style means to me having low-self esteem, pre-occupied with the opinions of others.My score for the 35 style means I tend to believe that:Seeking approval from others will make me accepted and popular to everybody. That means I am very eager to please the other people to win their favors.Step 3: Identifying and isolating the influences I have experienced that are associated with this style.Friends…..Some friends hold negative attitude which influences me.Colleagues….Many of them seem to be cringed and they don’t have vocal even to ventilate their personal feelings. Their association influences me often.Step 4: Personally Positive Consequences Self-Defeating Consequences Few enemies Meek, low self-esteem Submissive opportunist Professionally Positive Consequences Self-defeating ConsequencesAlways in the good book of the Always at one’s beck and call is the sign Superiors. Slimy character.Step 5: If I changed my behavior in this area my life would be……..Some positive differences….Then I will be dynamic, respected and articulated and I will have my power of judgment and motivating ability.Some negative differences…….I may lose the favor of many. Besides I will lose the so-called popularity because of not being submissive and mute.Step 6: The thoughts and behaviors associated with my style is- AffiliativeStep 7: I shall have to give up the constrict outlook and the tendency to have the appraisal of my works from the people around me. I have to reshape my mind-set and install there the sense of self-esteem and the sense of propriety. Of course, it would be difficult for me to inculcate some new habits and relinquish the bad ones but strong will- power can help me to fight the challenge.Step 8: What barriers now exist to making this change? No visible barrier, I think. The only barrier is my crippled mentality. However, the three barriers are:My company

31. Depreciating my profession

32. Impracticality Step 9: How can I overcome these barriers?I must scan my weaknesses, frailties and then wipe them out by any means Step 10: What will you gain by making this change?Perfection, preciseness, leadershipWhat do you do to bring this change about?Introspection / Self analysis

33. Self-motivation

34. Mixing with people of high morale spirit