The Path of a Relationship

From the cradle to the grave, life experiences lead to one making important decisions regarding relationships that may take a person by surprise! The purpose of this chapter is to examine how each decision made throughout the course of a lifetime can bring about a lifetime of happiness due to a fulfilling relationship rather than forever chasing rainbows waiting for “Mr. Right.” The theories providing the basis for this chapter are Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Eric Erickson's study of human development. A closer look at parent influences shaping decisions regarding relationships will be discussed from a psychological point of view. Attributes of family therapy will relate to the influence parents have on the decisions made which are connected to a fulfilling, “or not,” relationship. Generational components affect relationships and the characteristics of how partnerships are formed due to those characteristics will be relayed. Finally, what constitutes a fulfilling partnership as opposed to one that disintegrates with each passing day has an important piece to this chapter.

Defective Decision Making

Teacher burnout as the result of poor career choice and decision making plagues new teachers in the field of education, as well as special education. This chapter introduces theories of moral development and self-efficacy that explain the thought processes of teachers whose expectations in the field do not match the reality of teacher practice. Therefore, their decision making to enter the field contributes to early teacher burnout. Three case studies are described as examples to understand how the psychology of choice determines the factors that result in burnout. The chapter describes how the teachers' decisions relate to the psychology of moral development theory and self-efficacy theory for their career choice. Their behavior and attitude as a teacher relates to their catastrophic choices. The chapter presents suggestions that teachers can implement to make better decisions for their career choice.

Maintaining a Socially Just Classroom

This chapter presents an ethical decision-making for student engagement from a social justice perspective. It discusses what social justice means by presenting some principles gathered from existing related research literature supported by teacher voices that are gathered from written survey. Student engagement and the factors that influence it are discussed highlighting them from a socially and culturally situated perspective. Motivational and sociocultural factors such as funds of knowledge, race, social capital, and cultural capital are presented to demonstrate why mere access is not enough as an ethical and equitable way of engaging student to achieve positive outcomes. Access must be activated by providing students ample opportunities to experience a sense of belonging, teacher trust that they are competent learners, recognition of their identities and interests, and meaningful engagements.

Language Loss

This chapter explores the phenomenon of heritage language loss (mother tongue) and the implications for English only speakers born in the USA with parents who are first- and second-generation English language learners. Drawing from critical race theory (CRT), first language loss is examined in the perceptions of Americanism, nationalism, citizenship, otherness, and discrimination. In addition, the chapter examines the dynamics of Latinx parents' decision to encourage their children to speak English only and as a result erode their ability to speak their first language (L1) or mother tongue and cultural identity. The author makes the case for language maintenance and assurance of all children learning English, without losing their mother tongue.

Solution-Focused Brief Counseling in Schools

Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) has become a popular methodology used in business, counseling, and other fields to help individuals problem-solve. In education, this approach is known as solution-focus brief counseling (SFBC). This chapter will review the origins of the solution-focused approach to counseling and problem-solving, present the major tenants, and discuss challenges. The chapter will also present interview data from current school counselors to examine how school counselors use SFBC in schools and provide strategies for implementation.

The Ethical Use of Online Content in Teaching and Learning

The inclusion of online resources and multimedia elements into instruction is often times misunderstood or unknown to teachers who want to design more engaging and interactive learning experiences for their students. This chapter explores the legal and illegal use of images, video, and written sources found online. Examples of ethical uses of online resources will demonstrate how to correctly incorporate and cite resources, apps, and multimedia into ethics-focused lessons. Students can choose from multiple means of demonstrating their knowledge in the collaborative learning experiences. Online resources that will assist teachers and students in the application of ethical and correct application of attribution are identified. These sites are good beginnings to deeper learning about this important component of digital literacy.

Ethical Leadership in Troubling Times

An administrator in a PK-12 setting has is an ethical responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone on campus. With an increasing number of safety incidents on school and university campuses throughout the country, the development and maintenance of a school emergency operations plan (EOP) everyone knows, understands, and follows is imperative. This chapter presents a format to make sure students, staff, parents, and any others on campus at the time of an incident are safe. Following the blueprint created by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, this chapter walks the planning team through the necessary steps to create a safe plan to follow in the event of an emergency. Special interest is provided dealing with an active shooter incident. The decisions the leader makes can have a positive or negative impact on the student/staff at the site. An ethical leader needs to plan for the worst and have staff prepared to deal with the worst with the hopes of never having to implement the plan.

I Am Happy, So I Learn It

There is a growing body of research that indicates that children experiencing happy emotions are advanced problem solvers, stronger collaborators, and perform better on cognitive tests. The science of happiness provides solid quantitative data indicating that happiness is positively correlated with motivation, learning, and academic achievement. However, schools are enmeshed into the culture of high-stakes testing and standards. Teachers are forced into an ethical dilemma as they attempt to follow the professional code of conduct focused on teaching and nurturing the whole child and the promotion of happiness within this culture of high-stakes accountability. This chapter will explore this ethical dilemma for teachers, the demands of standards and high-stakes testing, the intersections of happiness, wellbeing, and positive psychology in learning and the scientific data supporting those claims. Strategies for cultivating happiness, student wellbeing, learning, and academic success will be shared.

Teachers' Decision-Making Process

This chapter examines teachers' decision-making processes of selecting and implementing inclusive literature, especially in relation to children with disabilities, in their teaching practices. Inclusive literature celebrates diversity helping the individual see himself as well as others. Inclusive literature educates everybody about everyone, and books can help reduce prejudice. Diversity in literature impacts how children view disability and allows them to understand society. Realistic portrayals of a character with a disability can have positive impact on attitudes of students without disabilities towards peers with disabilities. The chapter will address effective strategies for selecting relevant and appropriate stories and books. In addition, the chapter will address effective strategies for using inclusive literature.

Boring Into the State of Boredom Through Age Groups

The research area regarding boredom has received increased import in the past several years owning to its relationship to risky and unhealthy behaviors. Boredom also has a profound effect on school aged children and adolescents along with the growing elder-hood population. From the boredom proneness scale (BPS), multiple studies have address everything from psychological correlates to boredom as avenue for creativity. This chapter reviews the research in this area including the types and causes of boredom and positive strategies to address trait and state boredom.