Jessica: Can We Really Save Them All?

While still working on my credential, I observed a teacher who reserves a space in her classroom for the students who don’t want to learn. Students can choose to sit in the back of the room and joke around quietly with each other rather than waste her time and take away from the students who actually do want to learn. After she installed that routine in her classroom, she noted a remarkable leap in productive instructional time. The students who wanted to learn improved by leaps and bounds as compared to when she tried to teach them alongside unwilling participants. At the time, I was horrified by her plan and wrote my assigned reflection on just that thought: horrified that someone would give up on kids. Here’s a quick quip from that reflection: “If I am to succeed in Special Ed, I have to believe that there should be better expectations than the simple one of ‘be quiet while I teach the others.’”

Now that I have entered my third year of teaching, I can honestly say that I see where she was going with her idea. I have met my share of students who, if given the choice, would gladly take a seat in the back of the room and choose to not learn.  Indeed, there are days when half the class might choose such an option. Such was my experience last week, the week before spring break, when my students were so checked out in anticipation of a week off from school that they barely paid any attention in class. I also discovered my first gray hair last week. Coincidence?

Now that I am on spring break (and planning to dye my hair), I have been trying to reflect on the school year thus far and figure out why I am so upset. Perhaps because even after months of positive behavior reinforcements, negative behavior consequences, interventions, strategies, conferences, lesson plans and lesson plan changes, and plenty of rapport established between me and my students, I still have no idea as to whether or not I am getting through to ALL of my students. I try my best to focus on the progress and success of most of my students, but like all teachers, I have the select few who confound me, confuse me, worry me. Theresa has Juan, Richard has David, Allisence has Felipe, and I… ? I have a bottle of hair dye, which is a much easier solution to grasp than the solution to the question, “How do I help this child?”  

I work with children who could be so amazing, and here I am ineffectively compelling them to want to step up and into their greatness. I feel like Stellan Skarsgård in Good Will Hunting wishing he didn’t have to watch Will throw away all of his amazing potential.  But the thing is, while teachers can teach, we cannot necessarily impart the value of education. I may not remember everything about my feelings from childhood, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t see the long-term value of my education and how it related to my future. I did well in school because my parents told me that I was expected to do well in school. I cared because my parents cared. And when I needed help in school, my parents helped me. My only desire is for my students’ parents to do the same, and whether for valid or sad reasons, not all of them do.

The source of my anxiety is no longer anger, frustration, or blame. It has been reduced to a question of complicity: how do I focus on what I can do in a classroom while accepting what I cannot change in a student’s life?

Comments

[Tim Larrabee]

As a student teacher in both Gen Ed and SPED classrooms I have observed several students who "choose not to learn" to such an extent that they choose not to allow others to learn as well. I am often mentally torn about what should be done and trying to answer the age old ethical question about balancing the needs of the few (or the one) with the needs of the many. It is almost sacrilegious to consider writing off the education of a few (or one) students for the benefit of the many but often the resources need to balance these needs are not plentiful enough to do so effectively. Recently during my SPED student teaching a particularly difficult student who "chooses not to learn" was suspended for a while and it was amazing how much more meaningful instruction was delivered to the other students during this student's absence.

[Anne]

It is an interesting idea of creating a space where students can go if they do not want to learn/participate. Personally, in my classroom I do not see this working as it probably was intended. I still feel like my students need to learn the classroom routines. However, if the students are too disruptive to other students then I do have a 'Think Time' station where students can go to for up to five minutes and then they need to rejoin the class.
I have not had a student need to go to think time yet (knock on wood). Typically, students when asked if they need a think time respond by getting back to work or participating in the group.

[Natalie]

I am only a student teacher and have had little experience thus far, but from my experiences, I have already come across students who do not want to learn or to others may seem almost impossible to learn. That is OUR job, though; to get through to this students. We are learning specialists and so it is our duty to do what ever we can possible to teach our students. I feel the same way as some other people commenting: Putting students who do not want to learn in the back of the room is almost like giving up on them. If we give up on our students, then we wasted the 4+ years of our own education teaching us the antithesis.

[Mariah Woods]

I still do not know if I agree with that teacher who put students who choose not to learn in the back of the classroom. To an extent I understand where she is coming from, but I believe another approach should have been taken with those students to effectively get through to them. Teachers should never give up on any student, but there is a time where all of us get frustrated. I think spring break was a great time for you to reflect and figure out your next step. I personally would maybe try a token economy system to motivate students to learn. It is always hard to give a student a positive and healthy environment at school, but then leave school to something completely worse. No all progress is lost during that transition. As special educators we need to show our students that we care, and we will be that positive role model in their life. This can be the biggest difference in a child; just the fact that someone cares.

[Bailey]

Why should we teach students that if they do not want to do something, that they can just check out and do whatever they want? Of course, students who are having a difficult time at home and may have no structure in their lives are going to choose to remove themselves from instruction, but it could be for many reasons. Ranging from frustration, peer pressure, lack of confidence, etc, students will do what their parents have always done in tough situations. As teachers, I believe that we can try to make a difference in this attitude of giving up. Show the students that you care enough and give them options in their education that may change their viewpoint. Every little bit counts when you're trying to reach a child.

[puppychan83]

While I can understand exactly what you are saying, I think that if we all just throw are hands up and only teach the willing then why are we teaching. I have always been drawn to those kids who seem unconnected. I find that they in fact really want to learn it just takes the right motivation and accepting that not everyday is good.

[Nichole Moran]

I think that one of the most important things that needs to be done as a special education teacher is to show our students that we care. Many of them come from poor families or families that lack parental support. Sometimes knowing that someone cares and believes in them will give them a little motivation to learn. Another way to try to increase student motivation is to give them choices. Let them choose how they are going to learn. Give them some ownership in their education. Sometimes the involvement and choice gives them additional motivation. Another option for those students who "don't want to learn" is to designate a certain amount of free time each day. Create a schedule for them, or with them. After they complete their daily tasks, they may have free time. A visual schedule is often most helpful, as they can see where they are and where they need to be. This way students know they will have free time each day, but certain tasks must be completed first.

[Jared]

I teach a class of 7 in a DD facility, and I have one student who, on most days, would rather sit on his bean bag and play on the iPad than learn with the rest of his class. I have struggled with getting this student to participate all year, even when I have created a lesson that caters specifically to this student's interests. This student has, among other diagnoses, Explosive Personality Disorder, so when he gets agitated or upset he can have severe behavioral outbursts, which usually include the destruction of property in the classroom, as well as physical altercations with staff. So, if this student says that he does not want to participate, I usually have no choice but to let him go, because if I press him too hard, he gets upset and goes over the edge. His parents have the same struggles at home, so education is not as great of a concern as him having good behavior. I try to do what I can with this student while he is calm and willing to participate, but those opportunities are far and few between.

[Muriel Rand]

One thing to keep in mind when we're not sure we've made a difference is that the impact that teachers have on children is often felt years later. Sometimes we just need faith that what we work so hard to do really does matter in the end.

[Kaleb Kuhlman]

I teach a small contained classroom of students who are emotionally disturbed. These students almost all come from poor families where education is sparsely valued in the household. As a result, on top of behavior problems that frequently occur, these students often seem like they do not want to learn. It is incredibly frustrating for me at times because I am trying so hard and seem to be getting no where.
That being said, it is important to realize that although you may seem to be getting no where with your students the effect you are having on them is tremendous. Just remember to always show your students that you are willing to go an extra mile for them. Also, you can get all of your students to enjoy learning it just is much tougher with some of them. I would keep trying all kinds of different activities in the classroom. Hang in there you are doing a lot more for them than you can ever imagine!

[John]

I think the "I choose not to learn" table is something I could see working in my CTT and self contained classrooms as a practical way to minimize instruction time lost to behavior problems. However I think a teacher should obviously target those students with follow up strategies such as conferencing, talking to parent, creating student contract, positive incentives for motivation etc. The point is you could do this after having actually made progress with other students that day because there was a manageable learning environment.

[Sue Shellenberger]

Are you kidding me? Either this teacher is not fit to be in the classroom, or the school climate and administrative support for resources is so poor that she has given up on her responsibility to figure out how to reach and teach EVERY child. After 20 years of teaching middle school special education in and outside of the regular education classes and as an administrator, I can honestly say I have never given up on a student, regardless of how oppositional they appear to be. This teacher needs to get help from veteran teachers who CAN motivate students and from administrators, or get out of the classroom.

[Ashley]

Not all students have a home life where education is of great concern. I think that a teacher can create a caring environment for their students. I don't agree with the teacher that allows her students to check out for the day and not care about learning. We are teachers and I know we cannont do it all, but we have to strive to do our best for our students. Letting them sit in a conrner is not doint the best for them they are missing out on instruction which is impacting their learning.