New+Goals

Overall, this research into alternative programs has reinforced just how complex the teaching profession is. By its very nature, alternative programs are meant to recapture students who could potentially disengage from school altogether. For this population, mainstream education clearly has not profited them for many complex, intermingled factors. Understanding factors that could potentially be a barrier to secondary school diploma achievements, would be essential for any Intermediate / Senior teacher such as myself. While poverty, parental class, neighbourhood, community and other non-school related factors are educational barriers that I do not have control over as a teacher, I do plan to be more proactive about removing the school and classroom related barriers that I do have control over such as negative experiences with school personnel, flawed school culture, passive instruction, irrelevant curriculum, lack of referral or assessment for exceptional students and ineffective discipline practices that depend on suspensions and detentions.
 * __How Will this Research Alter my Practice? __**

My two new goals related to my teaching practice are better serving the needs of minority students, who are disproportionately represented in special education and improving communication with fellow teachers. Will build my budding teaching practice on colleagues’ best-practices, rather than just relying on research || On going ||
 * __My New Goals __**
 * **Professional Growth Goals ** || **Professional Growth Strategies to Help Reach Goals ** || **Rationale for Professional Growth and Strategies ** || **Action Plan and Timeline ** ||
 * Learn more about the educational needs of minority students, specifically related to language barriers || Take ESL AQ || While I know that not all minority students have difficulty with English attainment, I will learn about the educational barriers to minority students in because of personal interest , experience and the changing demographics of my local board. || Summer 2012 ||
 * Improve communications with teachers || <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; text-align: center;">Maintain connections and make new ones in the board || <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Will provide insight into alternative programs, special education and the teaching profession in general.

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Summary Findings

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Guiding Questions and Answers

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Reflections

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Implementation Plan

<span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 16px;">References