He’s a very bright child, gifted in math and critical thinking. But at the beginning of third grade, he still struggles with reading and writing. Give him a complex Lego direction book to construct something labeled ages twelve and up and he completes it in short order. But give him a worksheet asking questions about a passage he’s just read and he struggles.
His teacher is new, so perhaps her inexperience makes her view a young third grade boy as a behavior problem when he gets “off task,” is “not following directions,” or is “talking out of turn.” Perhaps she has drunk the Kool-Aid of common core and standardized testing, which tends to promote rote learning while diminishing the importance of creativity and differentiated instruction. Whatever the reason, she wastes precious time she could be teaching this child and understanding how he learns best using a computer program to document every time he is not doing what she wants. Rather than trying to figure out why such a bright child has such a hard time with reading and getting him the help he needs, she chooses to view him as a problem.
Teachers like this one tend to value order, compliance, and conformity over all else. When confronted with a student who marches to a different drum, their response is to try to force that square peg into the round hole of classroom order and typical behavior. And in doing so, they create school-haters whose self-esteem is diminished and talents are overlooked.
Another example. This time, it’s a third-grade girl with special needs who is mainstreamed. One of her problems is that she is highly anxious. In particular, she has difficulty with the chaos of dismissal time. Even though there is an aide who can help her exit the building a few minutes before the final bell rings, her teacher decides she needs to learn to be like everyone else. So, she keeps her after class for becoming upset when the bell rings and releases her to navigate the total chaos of the loud and crowded hallways alone. When she fails to emerge from the building, another teacher finds her sobbing on the stairs, too upset to find the door to exit the school.
I’m sure parents could supply me with many more examples of how teachers have punished their kids for who they are. Children with learning disabilities who are expected to perform the same way as their typical peers. Children who work slowly who are expected to complete assignments within a rigid time frame. Children with emotional issues who are expected to behave “appropriately.” Even children who have special needs and IEPs who are expected to do the work without having tasks differentiated.
The school year is just beginning. I am asking teachers to do some soul searching about how they respond to the child who appears to be misbehaving. Take some time to consider why that child appears to be not complying with expectations or following your instructions. Talk to his parents to gain a better understanding of how his mind works. Talk to special educators to understand her unique needs.
Documenting a student’s behavior without first trying to understand it is a disservice to the children you are charged with teaching. Please do not punish children for being who they are.
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