Sunday at breakfast, I was sitting with a bunch of my friends; two computer engineers, one med students and one social worker. They were talking about how it’s so simple to reward of punish students to get their work done. If they do it, then they get a sticker if they don’t do it, then they get scolded. I kept my mouth shut, there are times in these conversations where I do not say anything because as a future educator my beliefs are “not important or I don’t know what I’m talking about” not that I am studying and going into the field of special education or anything. I was shocked by the conversation, but finally, I was asked, “Brenda, what do you think?” I said, of course I’d reward a student for doing their homework, they tried didn’t they? How can you say because a student didn’t do it 100% right that they didn’t try?
Going into special education I feel as if I have a different look on most things regarding education then a med student does. I was listening to their conversation, “I got detention and got calls at home because I never turned in my homework, it was done but I never turned it in” said the Computer Engineer. “I was bored in school, so I acted out”, here are classic cries for help by students who are considered “above grade level”. What did the teacher do in these situations? Shouldn’t we as teachers notice this as a need for more work or more challenging work? Or on the opposite end, look at a student who never does their work and doesn’t engage as a cry for help? It sounds so simple, but behavior is rarely seen as a way into the student’s brain, it’s just chalked down to, “she’s a bad student”. As I read blogs about education and read blogs about special education I have found some very educational and useful information in my everyday life, and in my schooling. I only hope they will learn that education is not cut and dry.
I agree. I find it rather frustrating when people who are not studying education make comments like: it is so easy to be a teacher, or that punishment/reward systems are all that is needed to achieve success as a teacher. It is anything but easy. As a future high school teacher, the sticker system will not work. It won't even work for some elementary students. And if a student gets punished so many times, it is as though they become immune to it.
ReplyDeleteI think for many students their acting out is a cry for help but some students refuse help or refuse to talk about their problems. There is only so much we as teachers can do with the resources, energy, and time that we have. This is one of the things I worry about the most as a future educator: What do I do with a student I can't get through to?
I completely agree, so very frustrating when people think they know what they are talking about because they went to school. Acting out is 10000000% a cry for help. No doubt about it! There is so much we can do as teachers but at the same time, if a student or parent is not willing to help make the change there is only so much we can do. But we do have so much influence on our students! One of the best things I have learned in my special education classes is to get to know your students, and really getting to know your students and making sure they k now you are there to help and do anything you can for them. That will help break through a students walls! I still worry about that everyday, but I'm glad we are taking classes like theses to learn different ways to understand our students.
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