I usually do not like to use case studies to talk about dealing with classroom or other profes-
sional problems. I think case studies give you a false sense of preparedness. In the abstract,
it is much easier to be reasonable in a case study because you have little at stake. In the
classroom, dealing with real people and under the pressure of making decisions on the spur
of the moment, it is much more difficult. Your feelings, and those of the other people in-
volved, tend to get in the way. Responses to case studies can lend themselves to scripted
conversations and, in my experience, the situations that arise in classrooms are anything
but scripted. More important than having a script are your ideas, your goals, and your con-
cern for students. Every situation is unique and every student needs to be treated as an indi-
vidual. As with clothing and shoes, one size never fits all.
An added problem is that each school or district has its own guidelines and administra-
tive procedures for guidance and for disciplinary action. Many schools practice what they
call “zero tolerance” toward infractions or have a very strict and detailed code, which allows
teachers little leeway once a problem is reported. In some of these cases, conflicts that
could easily be handled as educational or counseling issues are handed over to the police
for adjudication. Although I have not worked under these dire circumstances, I have taught
in schools with what I considered punitive approaches to student discipline problems.
My approach, as we have spoken about already, is based on building relationships of
trust and responsibility between students and between students and teachers within a class-
room community. My general policy about discipline is that when possible it should be han-
dled within the classroom community. It also involves “creative maladjustment,” which in-
cludes bending the rules to make them work for my students and myself. I always tell
students that if they are honest with me, I will support them if they have conflicts with
school authorities or other teachers. At a minimum, I can attest to their honesty in our rela-
tionship. But if they lie to me, and I cannot trust them, I cannot offer them support.
My first recommendation to every student teacher and new teacher is to find out what su-
pervisors and parents expect from teachers when there are classroom problems, to learn
guidelines established by both the school and the law, and then to figure out how you can
satisfy the school and legal expectations while remaining faithful to your goals for teaching
and beliefs about teenagers. Veteran teachers, mentors, and union representatives can be
very helpful here. In my experience, supervisors, parents, and students respect teachers
with integrity, especially when they have a record of success with students. Usually you will
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FOR BOOK II:
A PRO/CLASS PRACTICES APPROACH
TO DEALING WITH CLASSROOM
AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL PROBLEMS
167