Multicultural Case Study

MCE Problem Solving Case Study Section 1: Problem Identification The problem identified is gender bias that male students have towards female teachers. The conflict is many male students do not respond to female teachers the same way they respond to male teachers. These students feel that they do not have to follow directions/instructions from female teachers and will not complete assignments given without constant reminders. Male students who show this type of bias to female teachers are either from a single parent home, one where the female role is not respected, socialization of the student, or even a more affluent home.

These students are not held responsible for their actions at home and feel that they are not accountable at school for their behaviors. Male students who come from single parent homes usually carry more responsibility at home and will attempt to carry this role over into the classroom. He feels that he is the more dominant member of the household and that he is always in control. This student will not always complete assignments taken home because of his responsibilities and may or may not do well on quizzes and tests.

He may feel that these assignments have no bearing on his current situation because he is more focuses on survival for today and less worried about the future. The male students who come from a home where the female role is not respected will carry this attitude over into the classroom. When he is presented a classroom situation with a male teacher he is respectful, but when placed a classroom with a female teacher he acts out or refuses to give her the proper respect. He feels that he superior to her and does not have to listen to her.

Socialization of the student could also play a role in gender bias against a female teacher. The loud male student will always catch the attention of the teacher where as the quite soft-spoken female student will be overlooked. This attention can cause the male student to continue to act out in that teacher’s class. A male student who comes from a more affluent home, the parenting comes in the form of money or gift giving. These students will hold a sense of entitlement in all situations causing them to feel that they are not responsible for their actions or behaviors.

Even if corrected or punished at school they know that they will receive no punishment at home. They also realize that this provides a way out of that specific teacher’s class for a day or more. Perspectives The first group affected by this problem is female teachers. These teachers begin to feel less confident in their teaching and begin to second guess themselves. It threatens the teacher authority level in the classroom when one student continues to disrespect, because it shows other students that they too can get away with it.

After continual defiance or disrespect from students, teachers can begin to over react to situations that could be prevented with patience. Also, this disruption can prevent the teacher from accomplishing that day’s lesson because she is constantly correcting behaviors. Along with threatening a teacher’s authority these students can also cause fear in teachers. The next group affected is the male students. One effect could be the over generalization of all male students being placed into the same category as the defiant male students.

This creates tension between the teacher and the entire male classroom population. This can also create a hierarchy between the males in the class by allowing the loud, defiant male to become the defacto leader, while the others follow. This action causes the teacher to lose control of the classroom, allowing that male to take control. The third group affected is the female students. The quiet, soft-spoken female will often be overlooked, while the dominant male will receive all the attention in the class.

When the female students do well, they still do not receive the positive reinforcement they are due. After being exposed to this type of behavior the female students may begin to act out or defy authority figures because they feel that would gain more attention from the teacher. Also, seeing female teachers treated this way in the classroom can cause the female students to view this behavior as acceptable in everyday society. This can carry over into their lives, present and future. The fourth group affected by this problem is the parents of the students in the classroom.

As a parent, you expect your child to receive an adequate education while in school, but if your child’s class is constantly disrupted they are not receiving an adequate education. The teacher may not be able to cover all curriculum scheduled for that allotted time because of student(s) being disruptive in the classroom. Also, if your child sees this behavior on a daily basis, he or she may begin to think that it is appropriate and may begin to mimic the behaviors. The last group affected is the school.

First, if the teacher is unable to cover the necessary material or teach the material effectively the school’s test scores may begin to drop and will cause them to not reach their Adequate Yearly Progress. The administration will have to focus more on discipline issues rather than on the positive aspects of the school. The effect may also be seen with other teachers and their view of that specific teacher or classroom. Challenges and Opportunities One challenge for the teacher, parents, and school is the agreed upon level of reinforcement given to that student, whether it be positive or negative.

A challenge to the teacher is not allowing that student’s behavior to effect her attitude towards the rest of the male population in her current class and in future in classes. Another challenge to the teacher is attempting to make up lost instructional time that was given up when dealing with the disruptive/disrespectful student. This can put stress on her and the other students. A challenge presented to the male student, is that if allowed to continually disrespect female teachers in school it will negatively affect his relationship with all female authority figures, police officers, bosses, and significant other, in his adult life.

One challenge presented to the female student is to be acknowledged and appreciated for doing the right thing in and out of class. This can also apply to male students who respect the female teacher and her authority. An opportunity for the teacher would be for her to learn how to effectively manage her classroom and diffuse hostile situations. It allows the teacher to grow professionally in both the science and the art of teaching. All students have the opportunity to learn what acceptable behavior is in the school setting and this behavior will hopefully carry over into their adult lives.

The school has the opportunity to create a culture of acceptable behavior and to create a learning environment that provides an adequate education to all students. It also allows the school to create a precedent for future problems that may arise because of similar behavior issues.

Strategies

• Teacher could collaborate with other female teachers in order to get ideas about how to handle these situations.
• Do not ignore the problem, even if it seems small at that time.
• Set rule and expectations from day one.
• Let the students know that you are in control of the classroom.
• Develop a rewards system to reward student for positive behaviors.
• Take notice of successes in school or extracurricular activities.
• Give the student a daily job, in which he feels that he is important and is relied on.
• Involve as many outside parties as possible to help correct or improve behaviors. These parties could be parents, other teachers or coaches.
• Create a mentoring style program to provide the student with a positive example from an older student.
• The teacher may have to get administration involved if the behavior(s) a level beyond that teacher’s control.

 Reactive In the proactive stage, the teacher must show that she is in control of the room from day one and assert this authority to insure that the students understand the rules, policies, and expectations. She must have confidence in her abilities as a teacher. In this stage, she must also have her approaches and tools needed to handle violations of rules, policies, and expectations clearly defined.

She must be consistent in the enforcement of the rules, policies, and expectations in the classroom. In the constructive stage, the teacher must respond quickly to any demonstrations of rude or disrespectful behavior and must be consistent in recognizing these behaviors. The teacher should respond to the student with positive feedback, provide guidance or correction for more appropriate. In the reactive stage, the teacher could first collaborate with other teachers and determine methods to prevent the behavior from occurring. She needs to also reiterate the rules, policies, and expectations of the class.

Next, she could develop a rewards system to acknowledge positive behaviors from that student in her class. One possible reward could be for the student to have a daily task. This task could be handing out papers or taking the attendance to the front office. The task should make the student feel important and noticed by that teacher. Once it reaches the level where the teacher is unable to handle discipline in class, she needs to involve as many outside parties as possible. These can include coaches, parents, other teachers, and/or administration. Section 6: Expected

The solution gives each party impacted by the problem a fair and equitable opportunity to learn, teach, and be successful. The students are provided a safe and consistent learning environment, while being provided the rules, policies, and expectations of the classroom. This also provides the teacher with less stressful atmosphere that facilitates student learning.