Behavior management: Dealing with students' complain
By Beautiful Cloud
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
April 22, 2009
I teach English at a community center twice a week to middle-aged women. I have been teaching there for over a year and this semester is my third semester. The crowd isn’t too big, approximately 15 students. A few of the students have been with me from the first semester I started teaching at the center. Through the past three semesters, I have used different methods and approaches to effectively reach all the students.
The first semester I taught grammar, last semester I taught reading comprehension and this semester, due to popular request, I went back to teaching grammar. The materials I used the first semester are different from what I am using this semester. While I used to create all the worksheets, I now use a really reliable book to teach out of. This has lessened the pressure for me and has allowed me to keep this job while attending school. While I do not sit in front of the computer investing tireless hours onto creating materials, I know that my approach to teaching these students has improved.
First, I am more familiar with the needs and desires of the students. Second, I am more understanding and attempt to be more empathetic to their needs. Third, I have become more easy-going; meaning that I no longer create ridiculous deadlines that I attempt to achieve, rather I move along with the students at their pace. This being said, I figured I was doing an okay job. However this past Monday, I was greeted with a rude awakening.
I came home to find a message from a student wanting me to call her back. It seemed urgent so I called her assuming she wanted help with her homework. To my surprise she answers by telling me, “I was really upset with you today and wanted to get this off my chest. You made a comment in class to ‘Student A’ in regards to me and that was really offensive. You said, ‘Next time you (Student A) should copy off of Student C rather than Student B (speaker)’ because I told her the wrong answer. You should never compare students in class like that.”
I was a bit taken back since I said it in a friendly manner and did it to poke fun at Student A for copying off of another student. I was extremely flustered and at that instant, a sense of anger surged through my body; to have this lady critique me for such a childish reason, I was insulted. I really wanted to tell her, “grow up and stop being so sensitive” but rather, I decided that I should listen to what she had to say and try to alleviate HER state of anger. Quickly I apologized for anything I did to offend her.
Rather than defend myself, I chose to listen to her and take this experience as another learning step to becoming a teacher. I mean, I will never be perfect to everyone and I’m bound to have a parent complain at one point or another. This experience hit me with a dose of reality. If this isn’t a true learning experience, I don’t know what is.
Long Island University, C. W. Post
April 22, 2009
I teach English at a community center twice a week to middle-aged women. I have been teaching there for over a year and this semester is my third semester. The crowd isn’t too big, approximately 15 students. A few of the students have been with me from the first semester I started teaching at the center. Through the past three semesters, I have used different methods and approaches to effectively reach all the students.
The first semester I taught grammar, last semester I taught reading comprehension and this semester, due to popular request, I went back to teaching grammar. The materials I used the first semester are different from what I am using this semester. While I used to create all the worksheets, I now use a really reliable book to teach out of. This has lessened the pressure for me and has allowed me to keep this job while attending school. While I do not sit in front of the computer investing tireless hours onto creating materials, I know that my approach to teaching these students has improved.
First, I am more familiar with the needs and desires of the students. Second, I am more understanding and attempt to be more empathetic to their needs. Third, I have become more easy-going; meaning that I no longer create ridiculous deadlines that I attempt to achieve, rather I move along with the students at their pace. This being said, I figured I was doing an okay job. However this past Monday, I was greeted with a rude awakening.
I came home to find a message from a student wanting me to call her back. It seemed urgent so I called her assuming she wanted help with her homework. To my surprise she answers by telling me, “I was really upset with you today and wanted to get this off my chest. You made a comment in class to ‘Student A’ in regards to me and that was really offensive. You said, ‘Next time you (Student A) should copy off of Student C rather than Student B (speaker)’ because I told her the wrong answer. You should never compare students in class like that.”
I was a bit taken back since I said it in a friendly manner and did it to poke fun at Student A for copying off of another student. I was extremely flustered and at that instant, a sense of anger surged through my body; to have this lady critique me for such a childish reason, I was insulted. I really wanted to tell her, “grow up and stop being so sensitive” but rather, I decided that I should listen to what she had to say and try to alleviate HER state of anger. Quickly I apologized for anything I did to offend her.
Rather than defend myself, I chose to listen to her and take this experience as another learning step to becoming a teacher. I mean, I will never be perfect to everyone and I’m bound to have a parent complain at one point or another. This experience hit me with a dose of reality. If this isn’t a true learning experience, I don’t know what is.
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