8.3 C
New York
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Clearing the road in search of bread of knowledge

classaBy Ardain Isma

CSMS Magazine

Education is the key to any successful career. It is an intellectual gift enshrined in someone’s mind—irretrievable by others. It is this bread of knowledge that all parents yearn for their children. But success does not come without strict discipline. The strictness of the discipline varies from children to children, and it also depends on the level of parental involvement. Every child can learn, providing the environment is conducive to learning. In other words, teachers cannot teach effectively unless the classroom environment is suitable for that. Thus, classroom management has become a strategic component in the quest to reach academic altitude. So continuing with our classroom management series, below, please scenario number 5. Tell us what you think.       

Scenario 5

Mr. Colon, a 6th grade teacher at Hillsides Middle in East Orange, New Jersey, has written a referral for one of his students, Louise, for copying work that was not hers. Mr. Colon teaches French Level 2 and has great command of his class. Louise is originally from the Central American country of Belize, and she strongly believes in turning her work in on time. Louise is not the typical student who would be among the first to finish their assignments. She takes her time to process the information and then she does the work. Today during a timed test, Louise is a little slower than usual. Mr. Colon announces there is only 10 minutes left before he collects the papers. Panicking, Louise begins to ask for help from her partner who sits next to her. In Louise’s mind, she thinks it is okay, for in her native country it is all right for students who sit in pairs to share information.

Mr. Colon immediately moves in, takes the paper away from Louise and disqualifies her. Louise apologizes, trying to get a second chance. Mr. Colon refuses, reminding her of his class’ policy. Louise becomes hysterical and starts yelling and screaming. Mr. Colon pays no attention to that. He threatens to call security if Louise doesn’t stop, but she continues to disrupt.

If you were Mr. Colon, how would you have handled the situation?

Note: Dr. Ardain Isma teaches Cross-Cultural Studies at the University of North Florida (UNF). He is a career educator and he is the Editor-in-Chief for CSMS Magazine. He is the author of “Alicia Maldonado: A Mother Lost” and the author of the soon-to-be-released novel: “Midnight at Noon.” He may be reached at publisher@csmsmagazine.org 

Related Articles

Latest Articles