Diversity Implications for Development
Every student is different whether that be their home life, economic status, cultural background, religion, etc. All of which will impact how a student grows as a learner and overall person.
I have seen economic status and home life impact students very frequently, especially at Wingate Elementary school. The school is predominantly white, but all the students come from different home situations which affects their attitudes, behaviors, and learning in school. For example, one of my students has a father who suffers from drug addiction, and their parents are having relationship problems. As a result, this student’s attitude is short-tempered, sarcastic, and stubborn. Similarly, his behavior matches his attitude as he will make hurtful comments about his friends, won’t celebrate other accomplishments or work in a group, and during lessons he may be sarcastic or make offhand comments about the instructions. Although it is not acceptable to act this way, I believe that is his way of reaching out for consideration, support, and guidance. Hence, I will explain that his behavior is not okay, but I will also give him opportunities to discuss his feelings either with me, another teacher, or with the counselor, and further discuss how I can support him in that moment.
Building Relationships with your Students
Of course it is important to build relationships with all your students, but especially when a student shows a need for support, whether that be emotional or academic, taking the time to build a trusting and caring relationship with them can encourage them to confide in you and look to you for that support. Furthermore, once I began to build that relationship with my student by talking to them in the morning, checking in on them when they seem upset, chatting about his hobbies, praising him for his accomplishments, etc., he began to ask me for help more often with a more positive attitude. This is a continuous effort though, and somedays he will have a negative attitude and negative behaviors, but when I tell him that it is okay to feel how you feel, but not to treat others that way, he is more open to listen because we have built a relationship full of trust and care.
Another one of my students has a home life where he has moved around a lot to different schools and his father is going back to rehab. In addition, this student has been pushed along from school to school, grade to grade, without any academic support, which he clearly shows a need for. Not only is he failing the class because he struggles academically to keep up, but he also demonstrates behavioral issues as he shuts down, curses his friends, kicks things, and begins to cry. Once again, the student is reaching out for support, guidance, and care. Fortunately, I was not the only one to recognize his need for intervention, and the school helped implement additional reading and math support which boosted his confidence, positively impacted his mood, and increased his motivation because he was given the support to help him realize what he is capable of. In addition, I make sure to provide in class support with additional scaffolding and one-on-one guidance during independent work time. He is now in a better mood than ever, and I am glad he knows that he is in an environment that wants to help him succeed rather than discourage him with the idea that he needs to just “work harder” for him to not fail.
Poem Activity Scaffolde:
Poem Activity Additional Scaffold for Individual Student
