"Troublemakers" by Shalaby
The reading "Troublemakers" by Shalaby reminded me a lot of my service-learning experience I'm currently doing for this course. I am working in a kindergarten classroom that has some very severe behavioral students that can really disrupt the class. There are about twenty students in the class and there are 5-6 students that cause a lot of trouble throughout the day. Each of the students causes "trouble" in their own way.
One student will constantly interrupt lessons because he is either being "bothered" by another student in the class or by something the teacher is doing. This causes him to call out and yell in the middle of activities or lessons. One student has autism, so he is often being rewarded for small wins such as sitting in his chair when he is asked because he is frequently moving around the room. Another is extremely defiant towards almost any class activity. All of these students can be causing trouble at the same time, and there are only so many teachers in the room that can help at the same time while also trying to continue the lesson for the rest of the students. Each of these students requires a different type of care and attention throughout the day. I am normally in their classroom from 9:00am to 12:00pm every Thursday. I typically walk in while they are in the middle of their morning meeting on the rug. This is when they go around in a circle and do their morning introductions with each other. It is very rare that these introductions go without any interruptions from one of the "troublemakers".
My supervisor for my service-learning has been teaching kindergarten for 27 years now, so I would consider her very experienced in this field. She says to me that this is by far her hardest class she has had to deal with in her career. I would say that her classroom environment is very warm, inviting, engaging and fun for her students. The other "non-troublemakers" in her class seem to really enjoy all of the lessons and they behave very well. The reading states, "The child who deviates, who refuses to behave like everybody else, may be telling us- loudly, visibly, and memorably- that the arrangements of our schools are harmful to human beings. Something toxic is in the air, and these children refuse to inhale it. It is dangerous to exclude these children, to silence their warnings". This makes me wonder what exactly it is that these "troublemaker" students in my service-learning class are not happy with because I believe that it is a wonderful class to be a part of. I wonder if maybe the students were giving choice time in the morning when they come into school before their morning meeting begins if this would help them behave better.
Currently, the students will complete a worksheet when they come into school before morning meeting begins. I have been in other kindergarten rooms where they do have 15 minutes of choice time before the day begins, which could help them with the transition from home to school. Maybe if they started the day with doing something they want to do, it will lead to a better rest of the day for them. They could be misbehaving first thing in the morning because they are being forced to start doing work right away. Kindergarteners are still very young, and I believe that having some freedom in the mornings could help them be more compliant throughout the day and cause less interruptions or outbursts. This was a really interesting read since I was directly able to relate it to my service-learning experience so far. I found a wonderful article discussing the importance of free choice in elementary school and the benefits it can have on students. I definitely recommend giving it a look!
Hey Lizzie! Great post. I found it very do I say "eye opening" that everyone has reflected on similar situations in their placements. Some worse than others but nonetheless have seen it. Also that is a great article about free choice in grade school. I think students would benefit from that option.
ReplyDeleteHi Lizzie- great post! I really appreciate how honestly you’re sitting with this tension, because I felt it too reading Shalaby. It’s easy to read that quote and immediately think, but what if the classroom actually is warm and supportive?
ReplyDeleteYour observation about the morning routine stood out to me. Starting the day with a worksheet assumes all students are ready to sit, focus, and comply right away, but that’s a big ask for kindergarteners ( or middle schoolers!), especially those who might need movement, choice, or a slower transition into the day.
Hi Lizzie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post! It's tough to really connect with students that are considered "troublemakers" and to figure out what it is about the class that isn't connecting with them. A lot of educators like to brush it off and say that they don't care, but in all honesty, there could be a multitude of external factors that we don't take into consideration. I do like that article about free choice--it is crucial for those younger students who are transitioning into this new environment for the first time. I agree with Sam, having them start their day with a worksheet is a VERY big ask for them.
Hi Lizzie, thanks for sharing! I hear the same sentiment from many of my educator friends and colleagues about classes just being hard some years. I wonder what else is happening with these students -- there's only so much you can see in the classroom. It also makes me wonder where the teacher's boundaries lie. I think Shalaby's ideas are wonderful, but wonder exactly how realistic they can be. With 20+ children in the room to protect and educate, how much time and energy can be put into these ''troublemakers?" Teachers are brilliant, and they can't be a one-person social services department.
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