Session Eight Activity Two-Joanna's Case
Study
October 22, 2002
Dear Joanna,
I hope that you are doing well today. Sometimes it can be tough being
a teacher, but I know that you are an excellent teacher. Despite your
decision to leave the school, I hope that I can help you to reconsider. Although
you were wonderful during your student teaching, you have never had the opportunity
to work or be trained to work with such a group of diverse students.
Every teacher needs to be trained in diversity and how to handle the type
of student that has been placed in your care. It would greatly benefit your
professional development to have this experience and to work with me to work
through this situation.
One aspect of working with this type of student is that they often come with
labels attached and that can shape our view of the students. In your
case, you were given a large number of students with labels like “bad” or
“trouble.” Negative identities influence the students’ behavior as
well as our behavior as teachers. I appeal to you to give them a chance
before you accept their identity. These students have been given up
on their whole lives and they need someone who will hang in there with them.
You, Joanna, are a teacher who could be that support for them.
The best way to approach this situation is to welcome these students to your
class and let all of the students get to know each other. After the
students have met and feel comfortable in your class, then you can decide
how to approach the curriculum to meet the needs of all students. It
is vital that students feel accepted and a part of the class that already
exists. Joanna, in this way you will win the trust and respect of these
students. You would have had success with these students if they had
grown to trust and respect you as the students during your student teaching.
The first action for you to take is to come back to work. Upon your
return, you should meet your students with a smile and welcome them all to
your class. After you have given the students an opportunity to get
to know you and for everyone to know each other, then you will be ready to
move forward. In addition to this first step, I suggest one of the
upcoming workshops with the region on classroom management and diversity
in the classroom.
It has been a pleasure working with you and I look forward to working together
in the future. I sincerely hope that you will take to heart my words
of encouragement and return to our wonderful campus.
Sincerely,
Tara Hernandez