As professionals, teachers are allowed to make decisions on
the practices we use to teach our students.
These practices are usually a part of our belief of how children learn
and our own theory of what we consider to be effective teaching. The article reiterates this through the case
study of Matt. This affirms why it is not
effective for teachers to ask previous teachers how a child’s behavior was last
year. According to the article, Matt
thrived with one teacher, but had major issues with another. Therefore, a child might be very difficult in
one class, and not be as much of an issue in another. It all depends on the way a teacher handles
the student. This does not mean that
either style is wrong. In addition, it
doesn’t mean that a child with severe behavior or emotional disorders will be
fine in a different environment.
However, a teacher’s reaction to the student could make a
difference. I have seen this happen
within our own school environment.
I have definitely seen this happen, even in my own classroom. It's important, as you point out, to give students a fair chance at the beginning of the year. Just like many of the articles we are reading, it's important to get to know your students by observing and conversing with them. It's a shame if we come to these interactions with a preconceived notion about them.
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