Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Case Study: Everyone’s Right
The situation facing the two teachers represents a common challenge the faces educators with regard to balancing the attention given to each student in a class. Every student has a right to study and learn in an environment with an equal treatment and attention. I believe this right extends to create a responsibility for teachers to ensure that all students are treated equally and fairly. The teacher should therefore give attention to all students, in accordance to their needs. However, this does not mean that the teacher should give attention some students at the expense of the others. Therefore, prudence should be employed in balancing the attention.
Practicing such prudence requires objective understanding of the needs of every student and the responsibility of every teacher to fulfill the needs. At the same time, the teacher should understand the challenges the each student faces in the quest to get the educational needs they seek in class. In this case, the two teachers took time to recognize the problems facing Tyrone in the class. This teaches us that a teacher should take time to understand the differences that all students have and how they affect the class work. The process of teaching-learning depends on the efforts of the teacher towards each student (Bryant et al, 2008). The same process, however depends on the personal abilities and challenges of each student in a class. It is therefore necessary that every teacher provides his or her effort fairly but in consideration of the student abilities.
In teaching, it is important that teachers understand the diversities with students in a class in order to address them professionally, and in the best interest of each student (Bryant et al, 2008). For the two teachers, they were considerate to understand the circumstances of each student in class, especially the special students. At the same time, they understand the expectations of the rest of the students, and so address the situation in a professional manner. The two teachers explained the behavior of Tyrone in a kind way, which everybody seems to agree to be patient with him.
The actions of the two teachers illustrate the professionalism that we should have in addressing different situations in class despite their complex nature. The two teachers’ objective discussions about the problem and gave honest critique of each other’s point. This gave reason, logic and kindness a room in presenting their professional views. While the view of Sharon was to keep Tyrone in the same class with the rest of the students and handle him in a special way, then, the view of her colleagues was different. Her thought of taking Tyrone to Mary’s EH class is a valid argument that will improve the learning experience of the nine-year old special needs learner. On the other hand, Sharon gives an honest view that separating Tyrone may affect his learning process.
After following the circumstances in the case, I believe that it would be better for the special needs student like Tyrone to be given a different class session than the other students. This will be a win-win situation, where the other students will experience a high quality level instruction; like the one they experienced in the first few months (Everyone’s Rights n.d). At the same time, the special needs student like Tyrone will do better if he gets a full time attention of an EH student.
References
Bryant, D.P, Smith, D.D., & Bryant, B.R. (2008). Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Classrooms. Boston: Allyn & Bacon
Everyone’s Rights, USF, Retrieved From, <http://cases.coedu.usf.edu/Tcases/everyones.htm> September 25, 2015