One of my students has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that 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
Unpack This Teacher’s Dilemma
- 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 ."
Unpack Your Own Dilemma
- Thinking about your own classroom, how do you support an individual student, when doing so may dampen the student-to-student discourse in a whole class discussion?
- As you navigate similar dilemmas, what are your goals, beliefs, self-perceptions and the possible actions you can take?