<div dir="ltr"><b style="font-weight:normal" id="m_7126077311628385670gmail-docs-internal-guid-e1f8d099-34f8-fc5e-11f2-6197bd4ba5c6"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Samantha,</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I truly admire your personal story about your self-efficacy when faced with a challenging situation in your life. I too, had some challenges to deal with when I decided to go back to school so I have an idea where you are coming from. I also have had some rough years as a teacher and many times have felt a little “deflated.” I am currently struggling with getting poor results for the Geometry End-of-Course Exam and it feels like a kick to the stomach, especially after feeling really confident on the past school year and how things went. My plan now is the same as it was the year before. I will keep looking for and trying better ways to present the content for learning. I am sure that you plan on doing the same! </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I appreciate your candid response about your building’s collective efficacy. I would agree that a needed step to obtaining collective efficacy within a building would be good communication between all teachers. The word ‘collective’ sort of implies this by definition. Your approach to the administrator about the matter is commended and hopefully will impact a change in procedures for you next year. Keep up the good work and thanks for all you do!</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sincerely,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Tony</span></p></b><div style="font-size:12.8px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><br></div><div style="font-size:12.8px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><br></div><div style="font-size:12.8px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">Samantha's original answer;</div><div style="font-size:12.8px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><br></div><div style="font-size:12.8px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial">I believe that self-efficacy is the type of motivation that we all have within ourselves. I have reflected back on my time as a teacher which has been the past four years. When I first began college, I was really intrinsically motivated and had all odds against me. I had children very young and got married. I decided to go back to school when my daughter was 1 and found out two months before I started that I was expecting my son. I had the drive to complete my schooling so that I could be a school teacher. I always felt like I could make a difference. My first two years were challenging as a new preschool teacher but I felt I could do it and really teach these young children. After my first few years, I really did feel that I was making a difference. Last year I was moved to first grade but I was teaching Science and Social Studies for only thirty minute time intervals. I really felt like how could I make a difference only having thirty minutes with my students. I really feel like I lost some of my motivation last year and felt defeated. I think that a teacher does have to have self efficacy in order to have the drive to keep your own students motivated. I think there are people in my building who do have this drive and there are some who do not.<span> </span><br><br></div><span style="font-size:12.8px;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;float:none;display:inline">With collective efficacy, I do feel like our district lacks in this area. Our district as a whole does have goals but I feel like we are all completely separated by our buiding and that we all have different goals and different outlooks on several issues. I know that one example in my own building is the TBT meetings. I did not really have the same schedule as anyone else that worked with the same grades as me. Therefore, I only attended maybe two of those meetings last year. One of the things I told my administrator at the end of the year was that I need to be involved in these grade level meetings. This really made me feel like I had not part in decision making for my students and not much communication at all with the other teachers that I worked with. I think as an administrator, you need to make sure that all teachers are able to collaborate and attend the TBT meetings. I also feel like the collective efficacy does need to improve in our district and in our school. I think the goals need to be reinforced and be district wide. Our district does have a goal but I think it is not addressed enough or reinforced.</span><div><br></div><br class="m_7126077311628385670gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="m_7126077311628385670gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><em><font color="#3333ff" face="comic sans ms,sans-serif">Happiness is a proper balance of preparation and recreation.</font></em></div>
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