Third Post

Beginning Teachers Chatboard Bulletin
beginning-teachers@lists.teachers.net

Topic: “Student’s comments on a test paper”(topic posted by Chris)
Dates Spanning: 10/15/08-10/20/08

This topic was posted by a teacher, Chris, who gave a math quiz and discovered that one of his disruptive students wrote a note on the front of the quiz. The student did not answer any of the questions and noted that he “didn’t really learn” the information because the teacher “didn’t really teach it.” Chris explained that he gave the same quiz to two different classes and almost all of the students were able to answer the questions correctly. Furthermore, this particular student has been a problem since day one of the school year; he never completes classroom assignments and rarely completes his homework. (The student also steals things from Chris’ classroom.) Chris asked if he should bring the test paper down to the guidance department and set up an appointment with the student’s mother and/or father.

I was surprised to discover that the responses to this post were quite varied. I eventually came to the conclusion that the diverse responses must have to do with the fact that teachers have so many different experiences with students, administration, and parents. As teachers gain experience, they formulate opinions and do the best they can to determine how to handle current situations based on prior experience. For example, some teachers might have had problems dealing with administration and/or parents in the past and would now rather deal with a behavior problem one-on-one with the student. (In one particular teacher’s response to Chris’ post, she wrote that it is best to deal with the student first because as soon as a teacher involves guidance or parents, the teacher loses control. She also advised to make an effort to build a rapport with the misbehaving student and show him that Chris was concerned. If that failed, only then would she suggest involving guidance or the parents.) Others might have found that talking with students individually got them no where. (In another response, a teacher noted that if it were up to him, he would meet with guidance and the parents. He would make sure to print out all of the student’s grades and be prepared to show that the student was not completing his assignments. This teacher also advised that it would be better for Chris to express concern for the student’s grades than to focus on how disrespectful the student is in order to avoid a confrontational meeting.)

All things considered, there will never be two situations that are exactly alike. As a result of the fact that every student and surrounding situation is unique, teachers learn to handle behavior problems differently. Of course there are school rules and state laws that require teachers to report certain behaviors, but if a student is simply acting out, teachers mainly have to use their discretion. Nevertheless, I think it’s important to note that although the responses were different, more than one person recommended speaking with the misbehaving student and/or developing a relationship with him/her as the first step in handling the problem.


Some reflection and the reason why I posted a comment:
I’m not a teacher yet so I cannot judge other teachers on how they handle situations but I feel that because teaching is so demanding and there are so many things teachers have to worry about (learning how to teach well, learning how to manage a classroom and paperwork, knowing how to deal with administration/parents/students, dealing with the stress of standardized testing and teacher accountability, etc.) sometimes common sense and human perceptiveness goes out the window. In addition, I feel that teachers are under so much stress that they can forget the reason why they began teaching. (I make this comment based on the assumption that people decide to become teachers because they genuinely care about children and want to make a positive impact on their lives- academically and psychologically!)

As human beings in today’s world we do this all the time! Sometimes we get caught up and find ourselves prioritizing and/or making decisions based on routine rather than taking the time to think and listen to what our gut instincts tell us to do. So many of us are multi-tasking and juggling ten thoughts at one time and this prevents us from truly evaluating situations. I feel this is so unfortunate because we’re mindlessly going through our daily motions instead of truly living, learning, appreciating, etc.

Before we make a decision, especially one having to do with a student, doesn’t it make sense to gain as much information as possible about the student? As a teacher and a person, shouldn’t we care about all students and want to know what they are thinking, feeling, experiencing (whether they behave or not)? Shouldn’t we have a genuine interest in understanding what makes children act one way or another? Shouldn’t we be looking at our students as little teachers who can open our minds to things we never thought about or considered? I feel that it’s important to be aware of rules and to follow them, but I feel so many rules are created because we forget to use our common sense and to follow our hearts and minds. So, in a case where a child is acting out in class and not completing assignments, I feel our first step should be to start with the child. He/she holds the true answers to our problem. However, if we are not able to understand and get through to this child, then it is our job to get the assistance of others (guidance, parents, etc.).

Reflection on the comments posted, the teaching profession, and the general routines of our society prompted me to recommend that Chris speak with his disruptive student and to acknowledge that this child is not only a student; this child plays more than one role in life. It is important to be cognoscente of the fact that the student is a human being who plays many different roles because his roles/life outside of the classroom may be affecting his behavior in Chris’ class. (Please see the post for more details.)