Good teachers reflect on how their lessons have gone. Was Ms. ...

[shofmannx20]

Good teachers reflect on how their lessons have gone. Was Ms. Marotta's post-class reflection like to be helpful to her? Why or why not?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Some parents prefer that their children not celebrate Halloween, often for religious reasons. Is it appropriate to ask such parents to keep their children home on Halloween? Why or why not?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[Sarahjh]

Answer to Question 1

The case reveals little reflection about the lesson. Ms. Marotta observes that she has a lot to learn about teaching middle school students but doesn't identify factors that might have affected students' learning or specific things that she might have done differently. Without more focused attention to such issues, her reflection would not have much of an impact on her future teaching effectiveness.

Answer to Question 2

This question has no easy answer. On the one hand, asking students to stay home means that they may miss important academic activities. Furthermore, the Halloween holiday has origins in both early pagan traditions and in Christianity. In the United States, then, celebrating the holiday might be viewed as violating the Constitutional mandate for separation of church and state. On the other hand, most people view Halloween as a nonreligious holiday that is simply fun, and Halloween parades and parties at school have become a tradition that many children look forward to.