A rowdy, disrespectful and
disruptive class is perhaps one of the greatest fears a teacher can encounter.
It may also be one of the most difficult challenges, one that will make or break
a teacher’s career. However, I feel prepared to tame this unruly class. After
rigorous studies, I believe I have the tools it takes and the idea of what kind
of teacher I would be. Many teachers just fall into place, like a piece in the
puzzle that is the education system. That is the first mistake. To command a
class I would define myself. The second mistake is pushing too hard from the
get go. The idea is to mend, not fracture further. In the end, I know I would
need to connect with my class to succeed. You need that connection to show them
the purpose in learning. I would be the teacher that stands out, adapts to his
class and connects with them on a level deeper than just education.
In the education system it is
common for teachers to just fill the role of teacher and nothing more, when it
comes to such a challenging class that is just not the case. I would have to
become the teacher. The one that
students want, the one that gets results and most importantly the one that is
her/himself. Once I defined myself my students would be more inclined to
identify me with a person rather than a teacher, not that teachers aren’t
people, but to a class so unstable they aren’t. As Mr. Lowrey did in Chalk, the 2006 dramatic comedy, he
played to his class and enlisted them in helping him win the school’s ‘Spelling
Hornet’, a spelling bee based on student’s slang words. I would need to have a
similar experience with my class, something to help them see me for me and
identify with me. However, they cannot see me as equal to them. My position in
the classroom needs to be defined as the dominant. If students were to act out
defiantly, I would need to make an example of them to the class, preferably in
a mockingly way as Mr. Escalante did. He merely returned fire, in a sense. Not
to say that I don't appreciate humor because I do but the kids need to
understand that those kids of distractions are unacceptable. It is my hopes to
work humor into my lessons and get a positive reaction out of them. I would
wish to get to know my students more thoroughly and have a vested interest in
their lives as a whole. Helping people in all aspects of life is important to
me and if I can do more than just teach my students then I would be more than
pleased. Just as Mr. Keeting did in Dead Poet's Society, he even went to
the extent to attend one of his students plays. His students responded
incredibly to the way he made his classroom a more friendly environment and
maybe even less of a classroom. We are going to have some fun in my classroom, good
ol' educational fun. The best part is they won't even know they are learning.
Many teachers just have a set
lesson plan from the get go. Which is how it is supposed to be, but it can’t be
set in stone. Not all classes are the same. I would like to custom tailor my
plan to this class if we plan to succeed. If I were to just force the material
down their throats then all they would do is reject it. The key is to ease into
the class with students of this variety. Similar to the ideas set forth in the
article, Gift of Grit by Jerry Large. He speaks on Paul Tough's plan of
parenting in which you only baby your children for so long then you have to let
them develop on their own. I feel a class of this type would benefit from such
a plan. Instead of just diving in, I would gradually lead into my lessons and
warm them up to the idea. Once I got them up and walking then they could start
running on their own. As Tough says, “If
you want success, build character and the rest will follow.” I feel this would
effectively change my class. Effectively passing the class to ensure the class'
success in assignments would boost their confidence and result in more
effective classroom experiences. The goal would try to steer away from the
normal feel of a classroom because to those students that creates some
discomfort. By showing them I can pace the class to their needs, they won't
feel so pressured as they would in a normal class. It won't be like a class
where I just read my lesson straight off a piece of paper. This will not be a
classroom that supports the banking method of schooling. I refuse. Paolo
Freire's take on banking style puts it like this, “Narration leads the students
to memorize mechanically the narrated content.” My class will not just be a
narration, it will play to the interests of all my students and captivate them.
Students who behave in such
unacceptable manners obviously have something missing from their lives. At
least, some some negative event that has brought them down to this level. I
need to show some sort of compassion towards them or connect with them in some
way. Comparable to part of the article, Children, Arts, and Du Bois by
Keith Gilyard. He recants of how he met a young poet nearing her eigth birthday and that just so happened to
be the same birthday of W. E. B. Du Bois. Not only did he tell her of Du Bois
but he gave her all the information she needed to research him further. A true
connection. I want to be able to be knowledgeable like that towards my students
interests. To show them that I am more than just an educator to them, I am a
person that cares. Hopefully this will cause the outbursts to occur less often
and create a level of respect between the class and I. If I notice my students
are particularly artistic then I should create assignments that require
creativity. Small thing like this to show the students that I am aware of what
they are interested and can relate it to our material.
This truly is the only way to
reach these kids. They won't respond to your run of the mill teacher. Their
lives have trained them to reject such advisers. I will be more than a teacher.
As I said, I will be the teacher. I must stand out from the rest as if
my name were bolded on the roster of teachers. My class will play to the needs
of the students at first bolstering their confidence and increasing their
maximum payload. The idea is withdraw results from them without them knowing.
My classroom will be fun and friendly. A place where learning and growing
prosper within all of us. I will be the teacher that stands for what he
believes in, runs a progressive classroom and gets to know each and every one
of his students.
Works Cited
Chalk. Dir. Mike Akle. Perf. Troy Schremmer, Janelle Schremmer.
SomeDaySoon Productions, 2006.
Dead Poets Society. Dir. Peter Weir.
Perf. Robin Williams. Touchstone Pictures, 1989. DVD.
Freire, Paolo “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” University of
California: Herder and Herder, 1970. Print.
Gilyard, Keith. "Children, Art, and Du
Bois." President's Commentary Sept. 2012: 19-20. Text.
Large,
Jerry “Gift of Grit, Curiosity Help Kids Succeed” Seattle Times. Seattle Times
Company, 2012. Text. 26 September 2012
Stand
and Deliver. Dir. Ramón Menéndez. Prof. Edward James Olmos, Estelle Harris, Mark Phelan.
Warner Brothers, 1988.
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