One of my students has an IEP, which includes a stipulation that the teacher must support her confidence and participation. During the discussion, one of her classmates spoke over her, challenging her to use evidence to support her argument. This student became deeply upset and started crying. At the time, I did my best to comfort her, but as the semester progressed, her participation, which started very high, slowed down. I found myself navigating conflicting roles, both as the teacher, responsible for leading a discussion with 33 students, and as an emotional support for a student who had formed a strong connection with me. I was also aware of my responsibility to provide services to students with IEPs.
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Sigal
9th Grade
World History
Preservice Teaching Year
- 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 your own classroom, how do you balance the needs of an individual student, when applying the supports they require may dampen the student-to-student discourse in a whole class discussion?