During a lively in-class structured debate, I noticed one of my students, Kimmy, was not acting like her usual self. She’s usually a regular discussion participant, but as the debate intensified, she put her head down. I wanted to make sure there was a positive discussion happening, where students were actively engaged, participating, and following discussion norms. I couldn’t tell whether she was putting her head down because of something someone else said, or whether maybe she was just having a bad day. I wanted to make sure students felt safe, supported, —sometimes we all just need a break. I was conflicted as to whether I should interrupt the debate to check on Kimmy, by which I could have inadvertently made the student feel uncomfortable by singling her out, but I was also worried that my inaction would cause her to feel worse.
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Jared
11th Grade
Theory of Knowledge
Third Year Teaching
- What is the teacher's dilemma? Consider the teacher's goals, possible actions, beliefs about the situation and the students, and their own self-perceptions.
- Complete or modify the following sentence in a way that captures the teacher's central tension in the situation: "While on the one hand, the teacher believed/wanted/felt/did __________, on the other hand, they believed/wanted/felt/did __________."
- Thinking about how you maintain relationships with your students, how do you decide when to check-in on a normally engaged student, when you worry singling her out might cause further disengagement?