Case Study 1: Alone in a Crowd
Case-Study-Alone-in-a-Crowd-bandwagonIs the regular classroom always the best place for students with special needs? Why or why not?
This case study is about a student named Darlene who has special needs. Darlene is working on feeling comfortable within a classroom/school setting. This means she has to learn to cope with her sensory overload related to sound, her outburst and the words she uses with her peers.
The thing about people with special needs is that it isn’t always the same for every individual. As a teacher you can’t just assume every person with special needs is the same and requires the same accommodations, and attention. For one student with special needs the classroom could be considered a great place and helps this particular student socialize with their peers but for another student with special needs a classroom can be a place that causes way to much stress for them and instead this particular student needs to work in their own separate space. Another particular student with special needs may only be able to spend portions of the day in the classroom and require some alone time to dewind from the sensory overload the classroom gives them. Whether or not the classroom is the best place for a student with special needs honestly all depends on the individual student and their needs. This case study stresses the importance of getting to know your individual students and what works best for them.
Every student learns differently and some may require accommodations and some won’t but it is important to have the conversations with past teachers, family members and most importantly the student about what works best for them and figure out the best way for you as a teacher to help them to learn and enjoy the learning.
Just like as a teacher you don’t just assume something based on a students religion, culture, color of their skin, or ethnicity the same goes with their special needs and accommodations. Instead it is important to get to know your students to best accommodate to them and their needs whatever that may be.
In my practicum this past year, we had two students with autism in our classroom. One of the students was non verbal and is learning how to socialize within a classroom setting. Although this student was learning at a preschool level and always had a teacher with her, she spent most of the day in the classroom with the rest of the class to work on her social skills. The other student with autism completely blended in with the other students and the only reason you would know he had autism was the fact that he had a service dog at the front of the classroom that he sometimes went and laid down beside when he was feeling overwhelmed. Teaching within this class really opened my eyes to the wide range of special needs students may seem to have compared to the needs they may actually have. As mentioned above, as a teacher I plan to work with each individual student to get to know how I as a teacher can best teach them.
What would you do if you believed that your school’s policy on inclusion was compromising your ability to teach all of the students in your classroom?
I would first think about what it is about the policy that is compromising my teaching ability and try to find a way to make it work. If this still isn’t working I would go ask for some support and figure out the best way to make it work. As a teacher you don’t know everything and it is okay to ask for help. I think including all students and their abilities is so important and there are plenty of ways to accommodate for these different needs and learning styles within a classroom. I don’t agree that students should be taken out of the classroom unless it is in the best interest of that individual student and I strongly believe that every teacher can learn to accommodate and teach to each individual student.
Case Study 2: This Suits for Wearing
Case-Study-This-Suits-for-Wearing-mythA the beginning of the case Morris Dyer assumes that his class will meet quality standards if he teaches the same content in the same way to everyone. Why does he begin to question these assumptions?
Morris Dyer began to question his assumptions about the content he teaches after he assigned an assignment he thought was pretty simple. He realized that the corner girls weren’t being rude and not wanting to participate but instead the majority of them didn’t really understand what he was teaching. Dyer realized that his assessments were inadequate ways for grading some of his students abilities fairly. He realized that his students were all individuals with different needs and not just all grouped into one.
What do you think it means to be a “quality educator”?
In my opinion, a quality educator is somebody that builds relationships with their students and goes out of their way to best educate each and every one of their students no matter how much extra time, accommodations or different ways of teaching it takes. A quality educator is somebody that meets each and every one of their students half way no matter what it takes to help them pursue their education. The students feel comfortable and accepted when taught by a quality educator. A quality educator brings out the best in every student:) In the case Dyer was known as a quality educator but I disagree with this until he changes his assumptions and ways of thinking. In the beginning his thoughts and assumptions were very narrowing and really only worked for the “perfect” student but he eventually realized that not every student learns the same and that his one way of doing things has to change no matter how much extra time it may take. He is slowly actually becoming what I see as a quality educator.
Whether we like to admit it or not, the myth of the normal child affects our perception of our students. How will you challenge this myth in your own classroom?
I have a ton of experience working with a variety of youth of all different abilities. I had to learn all of the different ways to accommodate these youth to help them in whatever we were doing at the time. I as a student may have appeared to be a “normal” student but I was in fact not a “normal” student and required accommodations and accessibilities all throughout high school and university. These experiences really opened my eyes to the fact that every student may be willing and eager to learn but not every student will learn the same way or at the same time. In my classroom I plan to challenge the myth of the “normal” child by creating a safe place that students feel comfortable opening up to me and their classmates. I plan to be firm, but fair with each and every one of my students and set fair boundaries for the safety of my students and myself. I plan to get to know each and every one of my students and build a personal relationship with each one of them. I will continue to remind my class that everybody is here to learn and we will all get there and it is okay to get there at different speeds and different ways. I plan to ask my students about their home life and ask them in what ways I can help better their education and help them learn. Lastly, I plan to go out of my way to create the time and space to accommodate to each and every one of my students needs to help better their learning environment and help them excel.
Case Study 3: Bang! Bang! You’re Dead!
Case-Study-Bang-Bang-Youre-Dead-moral-panicDo you agree that playing violent video games at a younger age can lead to violent behaviors? Why or why not?
I have honestly thought about this a few times and gone back and forth about which side I agree with. After reading this case I am leaning more towards the fact that yes being exposed to violent video games can lead to violent behaviors but the fact that these behaviors have always been around. I agree with the point that when I was younger we were exposed to toy guns and played games like cops and robbers and always had gun fights the only difference today is that it is online and more realistic. I think that no matter what children will be exposed to guns and violent games but the fact that the game is on the tv allows for the student to distance themselves from the idea and realize that it isn’t real. I think that the violent video games come with conversations among their peers about the game and what the students are exposed to on the game but not necessarily the reason for violent behaviors. I had a hard time answering this because I somewhat agree with both sides.
What is it about modern cultural phenomena such as video games that people find so threatening?
Like anything new, I think people are afraid of what it can result in and afraid of the unknown. Video games were never as popular or played by young students in the past like they are now and people are afraid that these games are changing the way these students are behaving. They are afraid that these “new” video games are causing violent behaviors in students. I personally think it is a generation of people that weren’t exposed to the video games afraid of what they don’t know and need something to blame certain behaviors on. I think times are changing and people are afraid of change personally. I think people find that the video games these young students are being exposed to are too violent and realistic and will cause the student to act in the same violent ways.
As a new teacher, how will you decide when to challenge your colleagues’ certainties and when to refrain from doing so?
I think this question depends on time and place. I was told in my practicum this year that there is a time and place for this and sometimes it’s whether or not you want to climb the mountain or just keep walking around. Teachers have working relationships and sometimes arguments/disagreements are just meant to be tossed behind you as you walk around the mountain instead of climbing it and continuing to argue and possibly ruin a work relationship. I think as a new teacher I will only really challenge colleagues’ certainties if I am passionate or positive about the topic or if it somehow puts me another colleague or any student in a situation that can be avoided. I think as a new teacher it is all about building connections and relationships and I wouldn’t want to ruin that over a silly argument that doesn’t matter in the long run. Sometimes you just have to bite your tongue and sometimes you fight for what you believe in. It depends on the circumstances of the argument.