RAFT

            Scenario 1 seemed to me to be one of the most challenging situations. There does seem to be a bit more clarity because there are so many laws in place so some of the reactions from the General Teacher, Special Ed teacher and administrators are regulated by law, but moving within that seems tricky to me. I think the two RAFT statements pretty clearly demonstrate how this situation can be very difficult to handle as the general Ed teacher running the classroom. On the one hand I believe that every student should be allowed the same classroom opportunities, but where is the line if a student can’t handle the classroom setting or is disruptive and hinders others learning? How, as a teacher, do we draw that line when we also want to make sure the person that is struggling overcomes their struggles and learns how behave appropriately? I really like how one group talked about testing, and how before making any quick decisions, we should look at the student who is acting out and try to find a reason for the behavior, and then teach the student different ways of expressing their feelings without hurting others.

            I also think it is an important lesson for the other students in the classroom to understand that not everyone is the same, and many people have different boundaries than we are used to. Getting to work in a classroom with people that have learning disabilities or behavioral differences could be a good way for others to learn how to work with people who have differences. On the other hand, and following with the RAFT of the other group, I can see why a parent would have hesitations about their student being in a classroom with someone that is disruptive. A parent will always be their child’s advocate, as they should be, and in some ways they will have points, especially that just as the boy with learning disabilities deserves an education, so does their child, and combining the two could hurt the learning environment for all. As a teacher it is important to be able to see all sides of the argument, all the different needs that all your students have, and if you are capable of reaching all of your students and creating a positive learning environment with all of the differences.

            Another scenario that I felt would be very difficult to handle was the third scenario. This seemed to be the most confusing, as it contained the most characters. There were so many boundaries that, as a teacher, we would have to make sure we are not crossing. I think the main point I took away from this was to always check the facts. No matter what you heard from one person, as a teacher who is going to make some decisions and actions, we need to make sure that we have all the information before doing so. This situation was also interesting to me because as a teacher, we need to make sure we are being respectful to the student’s wishes, her father’s beliefs, and really understanding where the math teacher was coming from. As I am sure with many issues we will face, there are so many different bases that need to be covered, so many people that need to feel comfortable with the way the situation is being handled. I really liked the way one group wrote their RAFT in a positive way. Instead of writing to the math teacher and asking why the girl wouldn’t be moved up, what his problem is, etc. they very calmly and positively presented the issue at hand and created an open conversation so that they could work together in order to get the student in the right class.

It is clear as teachers we will be dealing with many different situations, and many times all at once, but I believe we must know all sides of the stories, and focus on education and staying positive in order create the best learning environments possible.