As a professional educator, one of my biggest roles will be to create a respectful, safe classroom, and school environment that can promote good learning. It’s very important that as of Day 1, students know what I am expecting from them; this being to work hard, to ask questions as many times needed, to respect each other’s ideas and personal belongings, follow directions, and so forth. It is crucial that my student’s feel that they are wanted. Therefore, I would strive to create an environment that is both enriching as well as accepting; whether it be celebrating a student’s work, or their failure. Unfortunately, there will be scenarios that will disrupt the way in which I would want my ideal classroom to be run. The questions that will arise will be centered on how do I address these issues to enrich my students on a whole other level; no matter how controversial they may be. Ultimately, I have to acknowledge all sides of an issue, and find the best solutions for my students because it is all about them after all.
As soon as teacher’s sign up for the job, it becomes their right and responsibility to act upon their student’s best interest. The scenarios discussed in class are undoubtedly real scenarios that occur in schools everyday. It’s very difficult to attest as to how one can handle a given situation until you actually find yourself in it, but I definitely think that they serve the purpose of preparing us for it by already thinking of how we can approach them.
The scenario of an unsupportive father in regards to his daughter’s aspirations to someday attend college is one that is very hard to dismiss. As a teacher you’re going to acknowledge and motivate all of your students to aim for higher education, but when your views differ from their parents, how does one respond to that? While you want to be sensitive to the opposing side, how can you allow for such competent students to settle for the minimum when they are very well capable of much more? One can view this as the parent being both sexist and uneducated; yet, how do we go about fixing it? Deliberately telling the father he is wrong for so and so reasons? Hope that he’ll eventually change his mind? Disregard the parent’s wishes and act upon your right as a teacher to supply your students with adequate resources to pursue a college education? These are all very valid questions one has to consider despite the challenges it will present.
The scenario regarding inclusion is one that I feel many teachers, administration, and parents feel strongly about because it changes the classroom structure from being entirely General Ed to both General and Special Ed. which can be something very new for some (especially teachers and students). On the one hand, the General Education addresses to the Special Education her concerns as well as the parents concerns about a student who is disruptive to their learning. Yet, rather than removing the child from the classroom (drastic approach), they work together to properly enact the “No child left behind” policy. As a teacher, I feel this response is very thought out and logical, you want to accommodate all students despite their backgrounds, but you also want to be on agreeable terms with parents, as well as provide a safe learning environment for the rest of your students, so how would you go about doing that? This is difficult to determine but I believe that with your personal reflections about the situation as well as open communication with your colleagues for support and guidance will be the most effective ways to address this issue. You definitely need to look at the overall picture, put personal feelings as well as biases aside, and fully assess what will ultimately be more beneficial for your students and act upon it.
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