TeacherServer.com
Home | How It Works | Stats
Login | Register
     
 
Topic Go Back
 
     
     
 
Case
Posted on October 3, 2014 2:51 am
Add to Favorites Add to Favorites

Zafer Unal
Zafer Unal
Reps: 1007
Bob and Jack
Bob and Jack are both in 8th grade. They were assigned the same homeroom and are in the same class block. Bob and Jack both have kinisthetic needs that don't always seem to be met during the school day due to time constraints. Bob and Jack both come from families with low socioeconomic backgrounds and they share many of the same interests. Perhaps, due to age and vicinity to one another, the boys are always antagonizing the other. Oftentimes, though the boys poke and shove the other (including in the classroom), this antagonizing is friendly. Both boys also seem to share the common link of anger problems. Due to family issues, both of the boys carry a lot of anger with them and can be volatile at times.

One day, each boy is having a "bad day". The teacher is standing out in the hall, in front of her classroom, greeting students and monitoring the hall. The boys walk in and shove each other a little, per usual. All of a sudden, one boy goes too far and a fight breaks out. A student (we'll call him John) jumps in to separate the boys, and successfully pulls the two apart. The teacher, having been absent for most of the brawl, tells John to let go Jack, who he's holding. John obeys, and the fight between Bob and Jack starts again. After much confusion, the teacher tries to break up the boys. She can't. They are angry and physically, they are too much for her to manipulate. So she discreetly asks John to separate the boys again, which John does. When the boys are separated, the teacher has a few of the "stronger" students escort the boys to the office where the principal can be responsible for disciplining them.

How could this situation have been prevented? There seemed to be warning signs all over the place. Also, what could a teacher have done in this situation if s/he did not have a student with John's strength and willingness to help?
 
     
     
 
Reply Submit a Possible Solution
Please read response(s) below (if any) before posting your solution.
 
     
     
 
Solution 1
Posted October 18, 2014 1:01 pm

JepyBe
JepyBe
Reps: 101
The teacher should have established from day one that poking and shoving, even seemingly friendly shoving, is unacceptable. In this case, it would not have gotten out hand last night. A blanket conversation about expectations is also necessary. If the teacher did not have John to help both times, thing could have been even worse. One thing I see is that she should NEVER have sent the students to the office alone. Hit the button and wait on an administrator. John was put in serious danger by helping break up the fight.
Votes: +6 / -0 Vote Up This Solution Is Useful   Vote Down This Solution Is Not Useful  

Comments posted for this solution

Jenna Herberson
Jenna Herberson
Reps: 200
This is why the first day is so important.
  Posted on: February 25, 2018 6:55 am

Reply Add a Comment
 
     
     
 
Solution 2
Posted February 17, 2015 11:43 pm

yHeGyV
yHeGyV
Reps: 100
In this case, proper classroom management was not implemented from day one. Clear rules and classroom procedures should have been discussed and implemented from the first day. By allowing the students to rough play during class the teacher allowed the behaviors to escalate. In addition, the teacher was not watching the students at all times. If the teacher were watching the fight would have not occurred and could have been prevented. Moreover, the teacher should have not allowed another student to get involved. He may have gotten injured. The teacher did not follow the code of ethics because she was not following school safety procedures.

The teacher should have send another student for help while attempting to break up the fight. Involving another student is not acceptable.
Votes: +1 / -0 Vote Up This Solution Is Useful   Vote Down This Solution Is Not Useful  

Comments posted for this solution

Reply Add a Comment
 
     
     
 
Solution 3
Posted February 21, 2015 11:48 pm

eqeTys
eqeTys
Reps: 103
The teacher clearly did not implement strong classroom rules on the first day, otherwise poking and prodding of the other students wouldn't have been allowed and the poking and prodding wouldn't have snowballed into a fist fight. Most importantly (in my opinion, at least), the teacher shouldn't have asked students to break up the fight. She should have immediately called down to administration to get a school administrator there as soon as possible. Getting other students involved could be held against her legally.
Votes: +0 / -0 Vote Up This Solution Is Useful   Vote Down This Solution Is Not Useful  

Comments posted for this solution

Reply Add a Comment
 
     
     
 
Solution 4
Posted February 22, 2015 6:32 pm

abypaN
abypaN
Reps: 103
This situation should have been prevented by the teacher having a no tolerance policy for hands-on or rough housing. If consequences would have been in place from the beginning then this situation might not have occurred. If there was a fight in the classroom, then the teacher should have immediately called for the resource officer to come and escort the boys to the administrator's office and John and other students should have been asked to step out of the classroom.
Votes: +0 / -0 Vote Up This Solution Is Useful   Vote Down This Solution Is Not Useful  

Comments posted for this solution

Danielle Brock
Danielle Brock
Reps: 100
I enjoyed reading this idea.
I will use this in the future for sure
  Posted on: March 1, 2015 11:10 pm

Reply Add a Comment
 
     
     
 
Reply Submit a Possible Solution
Please read response(s) below (if any) before posting your solution.