Troublemakers Reflection
When we are younger, all we want is for adults to take us seriously, yet when we become adults, we don’t take kids seriously. We discipline them and eventually label them as ”problem kids.” What I found interesting in the text was the fact that 2-year-olds are getting expelled from preschool. Most 2-year-olds have never been in a school environment before, so it is an adjustment for them. Additionally, there are behaviors students will exhibit simply because of their age. 2-5-year-olds can’t be expected to sit still all day, so if the lessons aren’t engaging, they will “act out.” We can’t punish students for acting their age and by expelling them, teachers are putting them further behind. In terms of older students, I think there needs to be a better way to discipline them. Instead of immediately punishing students, teachers should take an opportunity to have a discussion with the students about what they did as well as next steps. Students are human and, thus, typically have a reason for their behavior. In addition, by suspending students, schools are making it harder for students to get a proper education.
However, I understand this is a nuanced topic. Being a teacher is overwhelming. You have to teach 18–30 human beings, each with their own personality, and it is even more difficult to do your job effectively if there are disruptions. Students also do things that require suspensions to take place. Due to this, it is essential to have relationships with your students. This changes the question from how to control the conflict to asking why a student is acting a certain way and what they need. By asking these questions, we can not only make space for students to be heard, but it prevents us from labeling students because now we will see them as people and not potential problems. Students are aware of how they are viewed by teachers, and if they constantly see that they are considered nothing more than a nuisance, they will internalize it. For me, I want to be a teacher who makes it clear to my students that I want to teach them, all of them, even if there are conflicts. I hope that by doing this, my students will leave my classroom confident in their worth and what they can bring to the world.
I love how thorough the video was with giving us the different perspectives to school suspensions. I love the idea of restorative justice because it not only teaches problem solving but allows the children to take accountability which is a life skill that'll benefit them for growth.
ReplyDeleteI agree that some behavior is extreme enough for suspension and others need to have the punishment match the crime and ALL students should be held to that same standard!
I like how you explained the importance of teachers fostering a relationship with their students, as being able to connect with your students will also give you a better sense of why they may be acting in certain ways. I also like how you talked about how there needs to be a balance, as students will sometimes act in ways that require a suspension or an appropriate punishment, but there are also other instances where an understanding needs to be fostered.
ReplyDeleteI love how you emphasized the value of instructors building relationships with their students because it helps to understand why children might act in particular ways when you can relate to them.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanmarie! I really enjoyed reading your reflection. I, too, found the idea of expelling two year olds interesting. As a future early childhood teacher, I would never think of expelling a child that young! I listen to the radio every morning and one morning the radio show hosts were discussing expelling young children for biting or other actions similar to this. I remember listening to them speak about how you have to discipline children for these actions and that if you don't, they will keep doing it. I just thought that this was crazy because as much as we hate to admit this, biting for young children is a developmental thing. And, it is also a reaction to emotions, since young children can't always express themselves. It is nothing wrong with the child themself if they bite. This is similar to Shalaby's point because it is an outside factor that is affecting the biting child; they are not a "troublemaker".
ReplyDeleteI agree with your points and also think its unrealistic that we expect preschoolers to know what to do when they have not been in a school setting before. The statistics about expelling them was very eye-opening, I had no idea.
ReplyDeleteI found this blog to be very interesting, see how you opened with a feeling that everyone can feel connected to! I also thought that your video was very beneficial to watch :)
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