25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them (22 page)

CLASSROOM POLICIES
AND PRACTICES

“I don’t like to give a lot of homework over the weekend, so just read every other word.”

Mistake

12

Inappropriate Classroom
Policies

SCENARIO 12.1
New Kid on the School Block

When I moved during the middle of a school year to a new school, the teacher at the new school didn’t really make me feel welcome. I was so nervous on school days that I literally “threw up” before school. Why I was scared of this teacher, I really don’t know. Eventually, it got to the point where I would refuse to go to school! No one was going to make me go to school! Thereafter, I was placed in a new room and enjoyed my school year. The bad experience was that the teacher was cold and uninviting to new children. I believe she expected me to already know the material that she had been teaching. I had no idea what was going on in her classroom. She really didn’t take time to explain things to me.

The cold reception that the teacher gave this new student suggests that she viewed the new student as an “unwelcome” responsibility or perhaps a burden! The administration may have forced her to take a new student at a time when she felt she already had too many students. She apparently took out her frustrations and hostilities on the unsuspecting child. She was able to act out her displeasure by refusing to explain anything to the child and by refusing to do any extra work to bring the child on board.

Insightful educators would realize that any anger or hostility directed toward a new student is probably displaced. If there is a teacher–pupil ratio problem, the teacher and the administrators own it and not the new student. True professionals will make any efforts that are necessary to bring the child up to date; they will provide
tutoring if needed and will try not to make the child feel deficient in the process. Wise teachers give new students warm welcomes, mostly because they want to, but also because they know that today’s disaffected, alienated new student can be tomorrow’s discipline problem.

SCENARIO 12.2
Banished to the Underworld

I remember being spanked on my hands with a ruler for talking in class in fourth grade. This same teacher didn’t like me so she put me in a lower level of reading. Guess what? That only lasted one day because my mother came to the school the following day and things changed. I went back to the higher reading group. To this day, I still don’t care for Mrs. C. I’m trying to forgive her but incidents like this stay with you all your life.

Some of the laments that have echoed through educational corridors for decades are: “The teacher didn’t like me so she put me in a low group,” “she gave me a bad grade,” or “she kept me in for recess.” These unfortunate perceptions usually emerge from a lack of communication between teachers and students. In some instances, these charges are true. I believe the scenario teacher deliberately put this child into a lower reading group as a punitive measure, particularly because she had to move the child from the higher reading group. She had spanked the child earlier for talking and it seems she exploited the negatives and stigma associated with low-level grouping and used them as a discipline tactic.

Effective, caring teachers would not use low achievement status, grades, or the like as a means of discipline. This strategy is unfair and ineffective. It only serves to alienate the student. If there is a need to place a child in a lower reading group, the teacher should feel assured that the benefits of such a move would outweigh the risk of harm.

The desirable strategy would be to communicate to the student the rationale for moving that student to a lower group. An even better approach would be to get the child’s consent and agreement that spending some time in a lower group might be helpful. If the child has some input and ownership in the move, the change may be more palatable and effective. If the child is against the move, she has a right to remain in the group and to try to do better. Moving the child to a lower group should be a last resort.

SCENARIO 12.3
It’s Now or Never

The incident I remember most involved my tenth-grade math teacher. I had been sick for a few days and the day I returned, she made me take a test. I asked her if I could take it a couple of days later, as I had been too sick to study while out. We also didn’t have syllabi at my school, and I remember being surprised that there was a test. She was very rude to me and with an ugly tone she said she didn’t care and I had to take it now, during that class while the rest of the class moved on. Needless to say, I didn’t know the material well and did quite poorly on the test.

A common fear among teachers is the fear of being duped and misled by students making excuses for missing a test. The fear is compounded by a fear of looking foolish. To protect themselves from such occurrences, some teachers take a very hard stand and refuse to give anyone make-up assignments. Over the years, they harden as they sacrifice compassion and empathy for rigidity and control. The hostile tone of voice, the lack of caring, and the air of indifference become barricades that say, “don’t dare try me.”

Insightful teachers know that it is possible to be compassionate, understanding, and empathic and still be a strong teacher. They are secure enough as teachers that being duped by a student, some of the time, is not a major problem. Of course, these teachers may ask questions, require proof, or reserve the right to check into a situation before granting a student’s request, but they do it with an open mind. They make every effort to say yes to students’ reasonable requests.

Another important point to consider is that tests are merely a means of providing feedback. Forcing the student to take the test only told the teacher what she already knew, that the student was not prepared to take the test. Reasonable teachers would say, “I’m sorry you were ill. I’ll schedule a make-up test for you in a few days.” Conditionally, they might require that the student furnish a doctor’s statement or have a parent verify the illness. A last, not so minor, point was the student’s surprise that there was a test. This could be the student’s fault or the teacher’s fault. If it is the teacher’s fault, it could indicate a flawed testing policy. It is true that scheduling tests at variable intervals can be very effective and can encourage persistence (Skinner, 1950), but to keep students on their toes, it is necessary to make them aware that there may be surprise tests or pop quizzes so they can stay prepared.

SCENARIO 12.4
One for You and One for You and None for You

One negative thing happened to me in second grade. I was struggling with my times tables, but the class seemed to be going so fast. The teacher, who I really liked, told us we were going to have a pop times test and it would be timed. She said it should be so easy. So she gave it to us, calling out, “2 × 2,” “5 × 5.” Everyone around me jotted down the answers. I was lost and so frustrated. At the end of the test, she had us turn it in and while we read, she graded them. She handed them out, congratulating the class. She said, “You all did so great. Mostly 100s!!” There were all but two 100s and I was one. She gave all the 100s a penny and told them to go to the office and get a piece of gum. I felt so left out and cried in front of everyone! I will never forget that.

This teacher has the mistaken impression, shared by many teachers, that group competition is an effective motivator. She announced that the test was going to be “so easy,” which implied that everyone should be able to do it. In spite of the teacher’s overconfidence, two of the students did not make a perfect score. She seemed happy that there were mostly 100s yet she only rewarded the students that made 100. Her actions suggested that she expected perfection; 100% of the students making 100%.

Skilled professionals recognize that there are very few tasks that are mastered by 100% of the class at any given time. Such expectations are frustrations under construction. Instead, reasonable teachers recognize student effort when evaluating student performance. This teacher could have established a policy of recognizing self-competition as well as group competition. Self-competition takes effort and improvement into consideration. She should have given everyone in the class a penny and she should have recognized the efforts of the two students that did not make the grade. She could motivate them by saying, “I could see you were trying very hard. I’m going to help you practice your times tables and I’m sure you’ll do better next time.” Effective teachers know that there is much more mileage to be gained from encouragement than there is from exclusion.