William is a student who struggles with the course content. He attempts to participate in class discussions but often interrupts the flow of thoughts and ideas by asking irrelevant questions or questions that were covered previously. You have met with him after class to assist him with some of his questions yet he continues to be an irritant to you and other students during class discussions.
Today’s classroom instruction is about scientists using mathematics in the search for life in outer space. William is excited and engaged but he keeps interrupting the class with off-task questions and comments. How might you handle this situation?
Teacher: “So scientists at SETI are using binary code to send messages into outer space.”
William: “Aliens totally exist! Did you know that scientists have them at Area 51?”
Teacher: “Well, I don’t really know about that Billy. That is why scientists are still searching…”
William: “Its True! My dad told me.”
Teacher: “Billy, we need to get through this material and I need you to stay on topic.”
William: “You always say that but I’m on topic! We are talking about aliens!”
Teacher…?
(One student can act out the part of multiple students in the following example)
The teacher gives back the first test of the year and students are angry because they did not do well.
Ben: “The test wasn’t fair because you did not explicitly cover all of the material on the test in class lectures.”
Teacher: “You are responsible for materials in the text and other readings even though you might not discuss them in detail during class.”
Tina: “I don’t think this policy is fair. We have always been only been held responsible for items covered in class.”
Jessica: “I’m going to tell my mom on you and you will be sorry when you get in trouble for being unfair.
The rest of the class is getting restless and chiming in about how unfair the test is. You are quickly losing control. What do you tell the class?
Deidre has been a difficult student to manage. She is rude and bossy to other students during group projects and often rolls her eyes at you when you give assignments or directions for activities. You feel that she could have a lot to contribute to class, but you can’t seem to break through to her. She is openly derisive of any other student’s contributions to the discussion and sometimes even of your comments. You decide to hold a private conference with her during an activity time to see if you can work the situation out. How will you handle this conference?
Teacher: “Desiree, I think you are being rude to your classmates.”
Desiree: “But they are stupid and are always doing stuff wrong!”
Teacher…?
Sydney has not said a word in class for the last five weeks. When you approach her directly to talk about the importance of participation and discussion in the classroom, she is always nice and says that she will participate more in the class discussions. But after several of these conversations she has not followed through. Demonstrate how you would handle your next conversation with her.
Adam has been behind in his homework from Week 2. Each week, before class, he comes to you with an explanation of why he was unable to turn his homework in on time. The first couple of weeks, you extended his deadline because his explanations seem reasonable even though you have a “no late homework” policy on your syllabus. It is Week 5 and Abby has come to you with a less than satisfactory reason why her homework is late.
Teacher: “You know about my late work policy on the syllabus, I can’t accept this.”
Abby: “But I know you accepted late homework from Adam. You have to let me turn it in late also.”
Teacher…?
Three of your students (Frank, Joe, and Biff) sleep through most of class each week. Their grades are suffering, and you see the problem of apathy spreading throughout your classroom as other students “learn” it is ok to not pay attention. You have spoken with these sleepy students who reply they stay up too late doing homework because football practice is right after school. Your principle criticized you because several of their parents complained about their children’s grades in your class. Enjoy your next conversation with one of these students…
You have been working on cooperative learning strategies in your classroom but students are accusing you of being lazy and not preparing for class. You believe these strategies could be effective if you could just get the students on board. Tomorrow is a test day and you are having students prepare for the test in groups.
Little Timmy: “My parents said it is not myclassmates job to teach for you. I don’t want to work in a group that doesn’t get anything done anyways. Just tell me what is going to be on the test!”
Teacher: “I’m not going to tell youexactly what is going to be on the test, but you are responsible for all of the materials you have been learning in class.”
Little Timmy: “But you never even taught us! Somehow we are supposed to teach each other!”
Little Timmy crosses his arms and refuses to participate at all. How would you handle this situation?
Beckyis failing class because she hasn’t turned in any assignments and has failed all of her tests. Becky has not been an attentive student in class and this is the first time she has talked to you.
Becky: “Can I please just have some more time to turn in my work? Then I can do better when I take the test again.”
Teacher: “Thesyllabus states that that there are no make-up tests and that homework is marked down 10% for each day late.”
Becky: “I haven’t been able to do the homework because my dad was arrested for dealing drugs and my parents are getting divorced!”
Teacher…?
Shaka Khan is often frustrated and seems discouraged. She regularly refuses to do her work and claims it is too difficult. She is clearly smart enough and you sense there is a different problem. Today the same pattern repeats itself…
Teacher: “Shaka Khan, I need you to do your work today.”
Shaka Khan: “I can’t do it!”
Teacher: “Sure you can, this is easy stuff! We just went over it as a class.”
Shaka Khan: “So your saying I’m stupid? Cause I don’t know how to do this!”
Teacher…?
Nelson was teasing Ralph about his mom; he made him furious by saying insults and then laughing at him when he got upset ("HA-Haw!). Ralph finally got so mad he punched Nelson and a fight broke out between the two boys. Your school has a strict no fighting policy and Ralph is mad that he is in trouble even though Nelson started it.
Ralph: “He said my momma’s so dumb that under "Education" on her job application, she put "Hooked on Phonics."
Teacher: “You still can’t punch him Ralph.”
Ralph: “But he started it! He does this every day and nobody ever does anything about it!”
Teacher…?
It is a few weeks into a new school year. Peter is a class clown that is always calling attention to himself. He continues to disrupt your class and you know you need to deal with this before it gets out of hand…
Teacher: “Lets take out our materials…”
Peter: “Oh, I’ll take it out all right!”
Teacher: “Peter, that’s inappropriate.”
Peter: “What?! You said to take out our work and I said I was going to!”
Teacher…?
Shaggy got busted talking during a test so you ripped up his test and gave him a zero. His parents complained and have come to your classroom for a meeting with Shaggy, the principal, and yourself.
Parents: “Shaggy said all he was doing was asking for a pencil. He wasn’t cheating.”
Teacher: “Well the rule is that students are not allowed to talk during tests.”
Principal: “Did you hear what he actually said?”
Teacher: “Not clearly, but it was clear he was talking to his friend.”
Shaggy: “See what I mean! [Teacher] is accusing me of cheating but doesn’t even know what I said!”
Teacher…?
Dwight doesn’t like to do his work and has a knack for sucking you into an argument that wastes time instead.
Teacher: “Sign your book out so you can do your work in the office.”
Dwight: “I don’t know how to do that.”
Teacher: “It’s the binder right there! We go over this every week.”
Dwight: “I don’t have a pencil.”
Teacher: “There is one right there”
Dwight: “That’s not a pencil. That’s a colored pencil.”
Teacher: “Just write your name on the sign out sheet…”
Dwight: “Well you told me there was a pencil there but that isn’t really a pencil”
Teacher: “It will work just fine. Just sign the sheet!”
Dwight: “It isn’t sharpened…”
Teacher: “Then use the pencil sharpener.”
Dwight: “I didn’t know if I was allowed to. It’s not mine.”
Teacher: “It’s a pencil sharpener Dwight. You are allowed to sharpen the pencil.”
Dwight: “It’s not a pencil, it’s a colored pencil…”
Teacher…?
April has an attitude and often talks-back. Many of her teachers have expressed frustration with her behavior but have been unsuccessful in changing it; they often end up sending her to the office instead. Which is apparently exactly what she wants…
Teacher: “April, I need you to move to the front seat please.”
April: “Why?”
Teacher: “Because you were talking.”
April: “But this stuff is boring and we are never going to use it anyways.”
Teacher: “You still can’t talk during class.”
April: “I can talk when I want to. You ever heard of Freedom of Speech?”
Teacher: “Alright April, you need to change your seat.”
April: “You can’t tell me what to do!”
Teacher: “Actually, that is my right in this classroom.”
April: “I have rights too! And if your classroom wasn’t so boring maybe we would actually be interested!”
Teacher…?
Real world reflection from a Student Teacher:
I noticed one of the students working on an assignment for another class. I politely asked him to put the assignment away and work on the lab. He immediately became frustrated and started saying things such as, “you’re placing me in a position between a rock and a hard place” and “this assignment is due next hour and you’re going to cost me a lot of points”. I told him that it must be frustrating that he couldn’t manage his time appropriately and that he was going to cost himself a sufficient amount of points in my class on the lab. My cooperating teacher (CT) heard the conversation and came over and asked the student politely to put the assignment away. The student became even more frustrated calling us pathetic and ridiculous causing a scene in the class. My CT took the student’s project away and said he could get it after class. He immediately kicked his chair out from under him a few solid feet and ran at her and was yelling at her in her face (no more than a little finger in length from her face). He was flailing his arms at her and screaming loudly at her. I ran up there and put myself in between the two of them because I had the gut feeling that he was going to make contact with her (he’s been known in the past to have these “fits” of rage). Another student interjected and was defending the student saying he was his best friend (these 2 students sit at the same table and have never spoken to each other). He started swearing at both of us too and I told my CT I would take them both to the office to get them out of the classroom, but she insisted on taking them to the office. On the way to the office, the student who was upset about his assignment was cursing at her all the way to the office calling her many derogatory names. My CT came back to the room after 2nd hour and broke down into tears obviously upset. The police were called and we were all questioned about the scenario that unfolded.
The interesting thing about all of this was that the superintendent came in and talked with my CT and I about the whole situation and was saying she supported us and that we did the right thing. A couple of hours later the principal came into tell us that he and the superintendent had a phone conversation with the father, and that the superintendent threw us under the bus saying the course of action we took was the wrong one. She didn’t support us at all in contrast to the conversation we had in the classroom. From the whole experience, I was just grateful that I was in the class with my CT and that the situation didn’t escalate any higher than it could have. I am also astonished that there was no support from the superintendent about the situation. I learned that dealing with irresponsible parents is another issue at hand I might confront as a teacher.