Leave Your Attitude at the Door

Amy Thompson serves as a clinical instructor, MAT Field Placement Coordinator, and MAT Program Coordinator for the University of Central Arkansas. Before moving into higher education, Amy spent fourteen years in the Little Rock School District as a third and fourth grade teacher. Amy is also currently working on her PhD in Interdisciplinary Leadership at the University of Central Arkansas.Crystal Voegele serves as the coordinator for middle level and secondary field placement and clinical instructor for the University of Central Arkansas. She is pursuing her doctorate in higher education administration at the University of Memphis. Crystal has served in education for eighteen years, fourteen of which have been spent serving as a literacy and ESL teacher. Chris Hogan serves as a clinical instructor at the University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas. Chris was a teacher in Conway Public Schools in elementary and middle levels for fourteen years and an elementary and middle level principal and program coordinator for Mayflower Public schools for eighteen years, prior to joining the staff at the university.

The book is filled with humor, allowing readers to let their guards down a little and see the need for inculcating professionalism in work settings. The authors narrate accounts of students in training who cite seemingly legitimate reasons for absences only to be caught – thanks to social media – going on cruises…. As readers make their way through the book, a realization soon emerges. Transcending the this-is-my-obligation attitude in order to come to a place where ‘we make promises and keep them’ (59) is key. Commitment, talent, and care for the educational setting are tested by problems, dispositions, and attitudes (77). Anyone interested in navigating these realities would benefit from engaging this work.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1: Pet Peeves about Field ExperiencesChapter 2: Disposition Issues and Aha MomentsChapter 3: Different Perspectives and Different PlayersChapter 4: Can You Be Proactive?Chapter 5: Building Effective Partnerships and RelationshipsChapter 6: Where Do You Go Next?Chapter 7: Professional Development and ResourcesClosing ThoughtsAppendix AAppendix BAppendix CAppendix DAppendix EAbout the Authors