This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Judging Students
This one is a really hard question for me. I always try to go into a situation not prejudging someone. You are asking me to think of a student that I had already decided on abilities on what they would have before I taught them. But, I truly don't do that. I have a completely open slate when each child walks into my room. Now there are students that I have been concerned about being a disruption to my class, but there have never been learning issues. I have been training adults as well as students for many years. Going into the situation, I always assume that they don't understand what I am talking about so that I will use plain terminology and not industry words in the beginning. But, I have never "assumed" a student cannot learn.
I must say Dwayne, I wish I would have had teachers like you when I was in school. I have a pretty severe social anxiety problem. I was the class clown because of it. I did not really want to be disrespectful or disruptive. I just had to act out in a way that let me have some influence over the room. If I was guiding the class in some way, it did not feel like the walls were closing in anymore. To be funny and make everyone laugh was my coping mechanism. I see this in some of my students. So, I use it to the classes benefit. By not prejudging, you are keeping the door open to more readily understand this type of student. Kudos to you, my friend.
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