Wednesday, December 2, 2009

{ Article }

Troubles in the classroom?

Are you an extremely strict teacher? Do you think that pupils should be in complete silence during the class? Are not they allowed to participate in classes? Do you think that their opinions are not useful? If you do not let them talk, participate; develop their ideas and so on, maybe your attitudes are not being the best.
During my new school work experience, which is at Saint George’s College, I have been working in 8th grade. This means, children between 13 and 14 years old. I was with my teacher in the classroom. She was explaining a task related to a written exam called PET, which the students are preparing. She gave some explanations and then, all the pupils started to work. While the students were working she asked me to help one of them, so I was focus just in that child. She began to walk around the desks, checking the papers. One boy had a mistake in his paper, so she asked him to correct it. But the reaction of the student was unexpected to her. He said that the paper was “his paper” and he did not want to change anything. The teacher’s reaction was worse; actually, she yelled that he was in “her class” so he must do what she said. The pupil refused to do that, so she went to her desk, took the eraser and went back to the student’s desk to erase what he had written. Finally, she did not do that, instead, she took the paper and tore up it. Obviously, she gave him another paper. That was her solution to the issue. The main point is,, was the correct form to change the student behavior? Why the pupil must do what she told him?
We know that those kids are living one of the most complicated ages of their life. Some of them think that they are the kings of the world. They are never going to fell down or giving up about something. Some others, like girls, are the drama queens. Absolutely everything in their lives is regarding sadness and loneliness. Every little thing that adults make, it means something against them. They just want to have fun, go to parties, spend time with their friends, waste time on chatting, and so on.
In the classroom there are between 17 and 21 pupils. She enjoys every class, except when the students start to make noise. She really hates when she is talking and someone is constantly interrupting her class. Who doesn’t? To me, it is something innate to the human being. I mean, we all want to be listened. Nevertheless, as teachers we should be twice more tolerant with some student’s attitudes. Teachers, cannot behave as if they were similar to the children, they have to be more mature. But sometimes there are situations that make professors loose the control. However, I can say that maybe teachers need to change their strategies or methodologies in their classes because children always need motivation and new things to stay awake, to pay attention, etc. Also, they should know that if the environment of the classroom is nice, pleasant or enjoyable, everything will be better. The reflection is that professors should think and analyze their pedagogical practices. So, if your classes are not working out as you want to, then it could be your own fault. Do not blame your students because is the “easy way” as this teacher did. Teachers must respect students and the other way around.

No comments:

Post a Comment