Miss Caster is a new teacher whose students are developing a proposal to increase the number of lunch options in the cafeteria. They plan to present it to the school board at the next meeting. Mr. McCullough, a veteran teacher who works with the same group of students in a later period of the day, walks by Miss Caster's room. He stops to observe for a few minutes. He later says to her, "I can't

Question

believe those were the same students I teach in the afternoon! In my class, I can hardly get them to take notes on my lecture or do their seatwork, but in your class, they were all working steadily and seemed awake and involved." Given the limited information that you have in this situation, which statement is most likely to explain the differences between the two teachers' experiences?

a. Miss Caster has students engaged in a task that connects their interests and experiences to solve a meaningful problem, and Mr. McCullough runs a more passively-structured class.
b. The students relate better to Miss Caster because she is younger and more fun, while Mr. McCullough is older and has a harder time engaging in positive, supportive relationships with students.
c. The students are more engaged in Miss Caster's class because it takes place early in the day; research shows that students are less likely to be engaged in class activities as the school day progresses and they get tired.
d. Mr. McCullough has low expectations for his students and does not believe it likely that they will successfully master the material in time for the standardized test.

Answer 1

a