EDUC 2130-Lesson 7:

Culture and Learning

Overview Viewpoint:

Lesson seven of EDUC 2130 focuses on a student by the name of Jacinto and a teacher named Tom McIntyre who started to become a big influence on Jacinto. Jacinto came from a rough background leading him to misbehave in class, McIntyre changes all of that. This lesson shows as teachers we can make a big impact on our students by supporting them and challenging them. With this lesson we had to listen to a podcast of Tom McIntyre describing the events that took place and what he did for Jacinto to want to learn and change him. This lesson is an example of a student that we may encounter and how we might be able to handle it.

• In a couple of paragraphs, describe Jacinto. 

At a young age Jacinto had a lot of problems in schools as far as misconduct. Multiple times he actually had to be removed from class. You lived with his aunt because he had a mother who was a drug addict and a father who was an alcoholic. Jacinto got taken away and put in the foster care system moving from foster home to foster home. After enough misconducts the school decided to move him to a residential home where he meets Mr.McIntyre. Overall Jacinto had a rough upbringing and acted out a lot. 

• When Jacinto told his teacher (Tom McIntyre) to "blank" Off - what was the teacher's response? 

Mr.McIntyre came to help Jacinto while he was writing and noticed that he made a mistake by writing a prepositional phrase. Mr.McIntrye tried to correct him by saying that he wasn’t suppose to do that. Jacinto didn’t like that and got upset. Jacinto then began to write "blank off" on the top of his paper. It didn’t seem to affect Mr.McIntyre and he kept his composure and just noted to him that your not suppose to do that either. Jacinto being used to how his old teachers reacted he didn’t expect Mr.McIntyre to act like that and he was shocked. 

• What happened to Jacinto? 

After awhile Jacinto began to show progress in the classroom. Jacinto eventually left the program with his grandmother having a stroke. He then had to live with a cousin. By staying with his distant cousin he began to lose focus and started to go back down hill. Jacinto ended up joining the Blood Gang and began robbing convenient stores. He then had criminal charges against him and was sent to a juvenile detention center. 

• Based on what happened to Jacinto, why do you think the teacher, Tom McIntyre, wanted to share this story? 

I think Tom McIntyre want to share this story because he wanted teachers to know how much they could impact a students life. Mr. McIntyre was actually able to help Jacinto and keep him out of trouble and focused on his work but as soon as he moved things went downhill. That’s because Jacinto depended on McIntyre as his support system and when he didn’t have it anymore he lost hope. Tom McIntyre I think also wanted teachers to know that just because a student comes from a rough background or act out doesn’t mean there isn't hope for them. There is hope for all students and its never too late for them. 

• Describe two of the most important (in your opinion) things you learned by listening to this story. 

I think one concept that I learned about is being patient. You shouldn’t give up on your students. Everyone is different. Meaning everyone learns in different ways. Not everyone is going to pick up on it the same way. You also should have patients with the ones who act out because they tend to have a lot of stuff going on and sometimes you have to focus on that problems to get them to focus. Also another concept that I learned is that teachers who have students that act out and say mean things to them shouldn’t take them too personal. When teachers do take it personal they get frustrated and a student can always tell and they feed off that energy and that will want them to egg It on more. The student will not want to work with you like that if they feel like they have control over you. 

• Did the community let Jacinto down? Why or why not? 

I personally feel like It did and didn’t. In the ways that I feel like they did The first couple schools that he went to couldn’t handle him. He couldn’t depend on the foster care system and he had to move so much. The reason why I feel like it didn’t because overall he control his own life. He had choices to either do the wrong or right decision and made the decision to do wrong. He could of used his parents as an example to do better but he ended up following their footsteps doing illegal things. 

• Summary 

  Overall I enjoyed listen to the story about Jacinto. As a future teacher I will come across many students that will have a similar story like him. This shows how important it is to make a difference in my students life and show them that I am their for them and that I do care for them because they may not get that decision at home. I was taught some more strategies on not to let things that students may say get to me because I was a student once and I know children can say some really mean and rude things. 

• Research Question 

  What can teachers do control misconduct in classrooms? 

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  Research Analysis  

  For an educator the development of conscious values relating to environment, transaction and dimension is fundamental to maintaining quality control in the classroom. Working with these attributes, students themselves can support quality control in the classroom. Without them however, a teacher is constrained to repetitive re-analysis and enormous effort to secure student motivation; all without the benefit of the input of the people these processes are designed to assist. This essay approaches quality control in the classroom from the perspective that the process is one that educators and students share. 

  Every teacher has to deal with disrespectful students. While no two situations are alike, perceptive teachers can find ways to manage the situation. First of all, refuse to take the disrespect personally. Keep in mind that the child does not really know you as a person and is responding as a child would, childishly. Next, work to minimize the disruption in your classroom. Depending on the degree of disrespect—from rolling eyes and heavy sighs to loud remarks, you can choose to keep everyone else as on task as possible. Deal with the misbehaving student personally and in private whenever you can. When you do speak with the student, resist the urge to engage in a verbal battle. Instead, take a problem-solving approach. Work to solve the original problem and usually the student will volunteer an apology. If the behaviors improves the child is on the right path. 

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  Research Summary 

  All teachers will have to deal with misconduct in the classrooms. How we deal with it is how the student will continue to act. We must also keep in mind that all students are different so they might deal with the discipline differently. I have to agree that you should deal with a student privately when they are acting out. Dealing with it in front of the class they may feel embarrassed so they act out more or they may like the attention so they do it more. You have to work with the student to figure out the problems and find a agreement between each other sometimes it may take patience until you can get the student to act a certain way in the classroom.

http://www.coerll.utexas.edu/methods/modules/classroom/01/discipline.php