Although all three of the classes I regularly observe are Foundations
courses in history, the required class for freshman, the way the lesson is
executed and responded to differ vastly from class to class. The lesson objectives
are the same for all three classes, and all are held to a high standard,
regardless of one class having a large number of students with learning
disabilities, and another having students that are at the comprehension level
of an Advanced Placement class.
In
second hour the students tend to be very quiet, even during the times before
class has started. When offered the opportunity to do work as a group many of
the students shy away from the idea, preferring to work alone. This causes the
work to be more difficult for the students, because they are not utilizing
their peers in order to enhance their zone of proximal development. After
inquiring with my cooperating teacher as to why this is, she explained to me
that many students with learning disabilities struggle with opening up to
others, and lack the confidence necessary to present their ideas and opinions
in a group setting. It is a goal of the school that students with special needs
advance their confidence and social skills, particularly in regards to
formulating the questions they are trying to ask.
In
order to conduct the lesson with this group of students my cooperating teacher
and I often answered students’ questions individually, expanded on the answers
they gave, and gave them positive feedback in order to increase their
confidence in themselves.
Discussion with this group of students involves a more active role of my
cooperating teacher, who encourages the students to offer their input and is
always quick to take the opportunities and insights they offer her, however
small they may be. The students in this class, while quiet, do not strike me as
disinterested in the material. They simply seem nervous and anxious to share
with the class, at the risk of being “wrong.” To help them overcome these
worries my cooperating teacher keeps the group sizes small, ensuring that each
student will be heard by the others and will be acknowledged.
In
contrast, my cooperating teacher’s third and fourth hour classes have a dynamic
that is a 180-degree shift from their second hour peers. The students often
have trouble reigning in their discussions and take full advantage of
opportunities to work in small groups. The students are more open with their
thoughts, yet they still seek reinforcement before discussing a topic with the
entire class. Many of these students are interested in sports and pop-culture,
which can be used to enhance the lessons. For example, the students’ interest
in current events may lead to a discussion of racism, in which the comments made
by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling can be used to analyze the
institutional racism that exists to this day. The student demographic contains
a largely conservative population, leading to tensions when discussing the
policies and practices put in place by President Obama. My cooperating teacher
is always very quick to spin any negative comments in a more constructive
manner, and places a large emphasis on the rights of marginalized groups in the
historical context. In doing this, my cooperating teacher helps ensure that no
one is left feeling excluded, under valued, or unwanted in the classroom
discussion.
In
addition to the class with a large number of students with special needs and
the class that is near AP level, my cooperating teacher has another class with
a large number of students that are considered to have emotional/behavioral
disorders. When discussing her actions and reactions with these students, my
cooperating teacher reinforced how important it is for students to trust their
teachers, which will in turn lead to their respect for the teacher. Many of
these students are reported as disruptive, aggressive, and in some cases
violent with other faculty. Yet, in her classroom, these same students show a
high level of respect for my cooperating teacher and the behavioral
expectations of her classroom. Students are very aware of the lines that they
cannot cross, such as being demeaning to their peers, and they behave
accordingly. One student in particular has had a couple of instances where she
will not engage in the lesson or participate in the class. My cooperating
teacher has a “pick and choose your battles” approach, choosing when her
disengagement risks the efforts of her peers. Whenever this student has an “off
day” she usually will stop into the classroom later in the day, explain what
was wrong, and then apologize for letting it interfere with the day’s lesson.
The students trust my cooperating teacher with highly sensitive information,
and even when defiant they do not lash out with personal disrespect towards
her.
Knowing
that some students need added guidance in discussion, some prefer group work,
and others act in ways that they do not intend to be disrespectful all help to
tailor the lesson to each particular group. If I were unaware of the struggles
of the quiet class, it would seem as though they are disinterested, instead of
anxious. If I was unaware of the struggles a student faces outside of my
classroom, her defiance would seem like a personal attack, and so on. The
number one thing my cooperating teacher has showed me is how important it is to
know your students, and for them to know you as well.
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