See also The Learning Process; Classroom management and the learning environment.
Jane Gladstone was student teaching in a sixth-grade classroom. She had been there for several weeks, helping with activities and occasionally leading specific activities that she had devised herself. She liked the students and felt that she had been developing good relationships with them.
One morning Ms Wilson, her supervising teacher, had to leave unexpectedly. “Something's come up, Jane, and the principal needs me to come to a meeting right away. It could be awhile before I'm back, so you'll need to take care of things. But you know the routines now, don't you?"
Jane was surprised and a bit worried, but also excited by the challenge. She did indeed know the routines, so she smiled cheerfully as Ms Wilson went out the door. “OK, everyone”, she said. “We'll start with language arts. Turn to where we left off yesterday, page 46."
“But Ms Gladstone”, said Paul, “We actually left off on page 32."
“No, dummy!" chimed in Katherine, you were absent yesterday, and the day before we had an assembly.
Remember?" Suddenly three or four students were discussing where in fact the class had left off in the book, and therefore where Jane ought to begin. Jane was wondering that herself.
“Page 46!" she said firmly actually more firmly than she had intended. But the students agreed, and the lesson began. The lesson turned out to be a short story about an athlete who trained hard as a runner for a local competition. Students took turns reading selections from the story, and in this way got about half way through it. Then Joe raised his hand.
“Ms Gladstone”, he asked. “Do you think athletes should be arrested for taking steroids?" Jane was taken off guard by this. She had been determined to finish the lesson smoothly. All she could think to say was,
“Well I don't know. That's a hard question."
“My dad says they should be arrested, and that no one should have any doubts about that."
In seconds the language arts lesson was forgotten and students were arguing about whether athletes should take drugs. For the moment Jane was on the sidelines.
“My uncle took steroids at university”, said Frank, “and it never hurt him."
“Gross!" called out Jill from across the room. “I suppose you take them too, then?"
“What's that supposed to mean?" asked Frank, obviously annoyed.
She’s saying your too fat, Frank”, said Joe. that's what steroids do, you know."
Jane was getting worried. How could she get the discussion back on track? Students were just getting more worked up.
“I've never taken any drugs!"
“Not real drug steroids you weren't listening."
“I bet you have, though…”
On it went, with some students getting annoyed and others clearly tuning out. What if Ms Wilson came back now?
“BE QUIET!" Jane shouted, surprised at hearing herself be so loud. Everyone got still instantly, stunned and surprised. But not for long.
“Be quiet!" someone mimicked softly from the back of the room. A few snickers. Then someone else said it, with sarcasm dripping from the words. “Be quiet!" Jane glowered at the class, wondering what to do next.
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