I can still recall the students who were deemed "the troublemakers" of the class when I was in elementary school. As a young child, when I saw these students being reprimanded for talking out one too many times or being punished for not sitting still or paying attention, I quickly learned that if I did not want to be yelled at or shamed in front of the entire class then I needed to be silent. I realized that I needed to be obedient if I did not want to go to the principal's office, and as a result I was afraid to make any kind of mistake or go against the teacher's wishes. These children in my elementary school were not simply "troublemakers," but students who most deeply felt the repercussions from being confined by the harsh structure of the education system. Rather than finding a solution that did not involve dragging the students down further, the teachers unintentionally assisted in dragging these students down by forcing them to conform to an education system that does not fit their needs, thereby silencing their voices. This "my way or the highway" approach to education ignores that students are multifaceted individuals with unique backgrounds and traits that will alter the ways in which they learn best.
In my personal experience, I've spoken with parents whose children were considered 'troublemakers' because they couldn't sit in their seats for 30 minutes at a time to complete assignments and I had to tell them 'If your child has a good teacher, she'll give him the materials he needs, give him what he needs in general to be successful to complete his assignments. Even if he needs to walk for 5 minutes.'
ReplyDeleteMost behaviors stem from triggers and being able to understand them and manage them is also a key component to having a successful education. I love that you also included your personal experience and the effects you observed from it.
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ReplyDeleteHi Olivia, I can relate to your elementary school experience. I, too, felt the pressure to conform to rules to avoid reprimand, which often caused me anxiety. I found myself choosing silence and obedience to escape potential embarrassment. I agree that teachers sometimes go too far with their disciplinary actions. Your insight that students are inherently unique and schools should embrace this diversity is true!*
DeleteHi Olivia! I enjoyed reading your reflection. I can completely relate to your elementary school experience, not only from what I've experienced personally but from what I've seen. In high school, I was part of an education career pathway at my school, and in my senior year, we got to do observations in our local elementary school. I was placed in a kindergarten classroom, and in this class, there was a boy who was very disruptive. He couldn't sit still or follow directions, and as a result, he was often sent to the "calm corner" (literally the corner of the room) to play with little fidget toys to "calm down" (in other words, to become less disruptive). At first I thought it was a good idea, but after reading Shalaby's chapters, I think back to what I observed and realized how wrong it is. That young boy was being shamed in front of his classmates (although it was indirect, I can imagine he didn't feel the best after it), and he was missing out on learning because he was being sent to do something else. Now looking back, it's no wonder that this student was struggling in class; he was missing the instruction because he wasn't following with the routine that school enforces.
ReplyDeleteI remember in elementary school having the "card station" where you had to flip your card to a different color if you broke a rule. As a child that seemed to be the worse thing in the world- especially because it would be in the front of the room all day for people to know who flipped their card and who did not. I feel I learned very quickly to only speak when you are spoken to or raise your hand to hand, follow the rules, and do not be a distraction. I feel that use of fear those cards instilled caused what I guess would be anxiety around the idea of "misbehaving." Looking back, being a child should not be punished, things happen, kids blurt out stuff, standing in lines can be boring, just go easy on them.
ReplyDeleteI had a very similar experience I also reflected on in early education where I felt like I had to silence myself to be seen as a good student and out of fear of breaking any rules.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that as a kid we saw other kids get in trouble and being afraid to make a mistake because we knew the outcome, so it just encouraged us to always listen and be quiet. Seeing this happen is sad because I also saw that teachers would encourage more the students that were silent for being silent which is't good because then the student will think it's okay and correct to be quiet in class. A classroom should be made to have a conversation with one another to build off ideas.
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