Abigail Pelletier

EDU401
6/3/14

Chapter 4: Reflection for Action

Relationships
Mr. Cooper is a tenth-grade teacher. For the most part, today has been a good day. His
students are learning, and most are actively engaged in the lesson. The classroom calm
suddenly comes to a screeching halt as a fight breaks out between two boys. One wrote
an insulting remark on the others desk, and the second boyafter reading itjumped
out of his seat and onto the other boy. Insults and fists start flying.
What might this teacher do? Could these events have been prevented? Now that these
behaviors have occurred, how might Mr. Cooper best cope with the aggression? What
would you recommend?


Reflection

In order to answer this question, reflect on some of the topics we have explored in this
chapter including relationships, psychosocial and moral development, aggression, and
self-concept.

Lets brainstorm!
1. Why is it important to have high quality relationships, and what factors
contribute to productive teacher-student and peer-to-peer relations?

It is important for teachers to have high quality relationships with their
students, because it contributes to a happier and healthier school climate.
Also, teachers have a direct impact on how students view school and
learning, so if they facilitate these types of relationships they will be
contributing to positive learning environments. In doing this, students learn
to establish trust with their teachers. I think that some contributing factors
include promoting a pro-social and inclusive environment. There are four
important things to consider when trying to establish a high-quality
relationship; teacher-provided attunement, relatedness, supportiveness and
gentle discipline.

2. Consider the role Eriksons theory of psychosocial development in Mr.
Coopers 10
th
grade classroom. What psychosocial needs are most pressing
for students during this age and how can this information help Mr. Cooper
in his classroom?

Adolescence (12-18 years)-Social relationships are the most important
psychological need during this age, and Mr. Cooper can try to encourage
positive student interactions through group work and/or allowing students to
Abigail Pelletier
EDU401
6/3/14

work together on projects, etc. Understanding the importance of social
relationships at this age can help him to remember to monitor what is going
on in the classroom between students and establish an anti-bullying climate
as well.

3. How could Mr. Cooper use the information on moral reasoning to assess this
situation?

Information on moral reasoning can be used by Mr. Cooper to help him to
better understand how his students may be feeling and reacting to
situations, and he can also establish what is acceptable behavior in his
classroom. If he has a clear understanding of what is deemed right or
wrong (aka morals) he can teach his students to use logic in their own
situations so they can make good choices and actively choose not to engage
in aggressive behaviors (verbal, physical, etc.).


4. In what ways are Mr. Coopers students acting aggressively toward one
another? Was the first boy engaging in instrumental aggression or was he
engaging in hostile aggression? What about the boy who reacted, what kind
of aggression was he using?

Mr. Coopers students are acting aggressively towards one another by
writing an insulting name on the desk in order to upset the other person and
then the physical attack which lead to them both fighting. I think that the
first boy (who wrote on the desk) was using instrumental aggression-because
he was trying to upset the other person and make him react by writing that.
The other boy was displaying hostile aggression-he was reacting to hurt the
other boy because of the insult.


Information Gathering

Now gather information to help you interpret the situation. Consider:

1. If you were Mr. Cooper, what might you do next? Would you remove
students from the class?

I would first separate the two and then I would have them removed from the
classroom so they could be talked to individually to find out what was going
on. I would need to show the other students that violence will not be
tolerated, and try to instill some measures to ensure that I reduce the
likelihood of this reoccurring.


Abigail Pelletier
EDU401
6/3/14

2. If Mr. Cooper removes students from the classroom, what actions might he
take to gather information about the incident?

One step could be to ask other students what was going on, and see if they
have any insight on what could have caused this to happen. In a more direct
approach, talking to the two students individually to find out more information
would be extremely helpful.


Decision Making

Next, decide what advice to offer Mr. Cooper to help him handle the situation. Consider:

1. What strategies would you suggest Mr. Cooper use to resolve the conflict
between his two students?

I think that listening to the students about what is going on could be very
helpful. Hearing both sides of the story and discussing possible conflict
resolution strategies could be helpful. Talking to both students about why
there actions were inappropriate, and the consequences that come with this
could also benefit the situation. Asking students to give their input on what
is not working in the classroom could also be helpful.

2. What class-wide actions should Mr. Cooper take to prevent this behavior
from re-occurring in the future?

Facilitating a pro-social environment where students are encouraged to work
together could help to reinforce positive social interactions. Keeping an eye
on groups and what is going on with students at all times could help to stop
problems before they escalate as well. Discussing the values in teamwork,
anti-bullying, empathy and reasoning could help students to better
understand why they need to get along and how to do this effectively.


Evaluation

Finally, help Mr. Cooper evaluate his decisions in terms of how they will affect future
behavior in the classroom. To do so consider:

1. Mr. Cooper needs to prevent this behavior from re-occurring in the future.
What aspects of Mr. Cooper classroom (e.g., social structure, peer
relationships) will he have to assess in order to create a productive, safe
environment for his students?

Abigail Pelletier
EDU401
6/3/14

Mr. Cooper should evaluate his own classroom and consider whether his
classroom management, grouping, etc. could be contributing factors to this
negative behavior. Also, he should be sure that the classroom an inclusive and
positive learning environment and that all individuals treated fairly and equally.
He should also evaluate whether or not his students have the skills to defend
themselves and others in an appropriate and effective way (talking it out, etc.) in
order to resolve their problems.