Case Study Responses

What are the virtues of a good mentor?

Mentorship is an ever-present aspect of career building and the associated accumulation of new skills and professional conduct. Part of being a responsible mentor is the idea of valuing ongoing learning and growth in their field. This Case Study highlights the many complications in the field of education; in particular, the issue of a teacher mentor resisting change and innovation in their area of expertise. A mentor should be a strong structure of support and also work towards finding an equitable solution for problems that arise for all parties involved. Just because a mentor is usually deemed as an expert does not mean that their methodology is singularly best for every individual that is under their instruction. A strong virtue of a good mentor is not simply relaying a way of doing things but accommodating the students’ philosophies and refining them into a concrete practice that can be applied properly. Another strong characteristic that I would look for would be the ability to recognize good intentions within their student(s) and expand upon them instead of mistaking them as faults or implications in their own approach. Mentors in both professional and non-professional settings benefit both themselves and their student(s) by remaining humble. This relates to the previously mentioned point about expertise in the fact that being classified as an expert does not add up to an all-knowing individual.

History: Do you think we, as a society, have become more tolerant of violence as depicted on television and in video games? What evidence would you use to support your position?

Society has been desensitized partly due to the modern and historical conflict and its glorification through media and its presence in the public sphere. Violence is sensationalized in the general public and often seen through the lens of ‘good’ vs ‘evil’ and other justifications based in reality that transcend the simulated nature of media like video games. With this in mind, a common trend we can see is that there are members of the public and in particular, youth, that do not understand the ramifications of their actions and the lack of some associated ‘common sense’ that older generations claim to observe. This ties to violence in media like video games and television with the apparent lack of ability to recognize the disconnect the content has from ‘real-life’.

In this case study, we can see that the blame is put on children’s exposure to violent video-games and the parents choice to do so. I think that where the violence translates to reality is in part a failure of parental figures and/or educators to educate the child on the ethics of violent behaviour. As a counter to the increased presence of violence in mainstream media maybe educators should be contemplating what coping skills are not being taught instead of resorting to a restricted censorship approach. The idea that youth innately understand the difference between ‘play’ and reality does not transfer from preceding generations as per Ryan’s opinion in this case study. I think that this is a direct result of children becoming less likely to obtain all of the social skills and understanding of conduct to truly understand the difference.

As an individual who has been raised in a media-driven age of increasingly realistic and violent video games and television, I can see the divide. Personally, I have been taught how to differentiate between media and reality. Therefore, I understand the ethics of how violence in media is sensationalized for entertainment and how it does not translate to acceptable actions on behalf of myself or others. This area can be discussed and further related to the roles of educators in teaching social skills in conjunction with standard content and tackling the difficult obstacle of mental illness tied to the topic.

What strategies did Jim use to support Darlene in the classroom? How effective were the strategies?

One of the support strategies that Jim had implemented was the inclusion of the CEA (Paula) and other support staff to generate strategies for the struggling Darlene in an attempt to improve her coping skills. This wasn’t just present as teaching coping skills to Darlene but also addressed in the way Jim and Paula actively monitored for stressors that may create an outburst. Jim also attempted to put the situation in perspective for Darlene and explain the social queues that were presented by the others. Another strategy that Jim used was proactive reporting to the administration to gain more guidance and help to address the situation.

Introducing coping skills for Darlenes’ outbursts was effective for creating awareness on her behalf that she needed to deescalate her emotions but did not focus on the root of the problem. Darlene needed to be able to verbally communicate her discomfort to Jim and her classmates instead of allowing the situation to run out of control. So while the coping skills met the needs of dealing with the aftermath they were not truly effective in solving the root of the issue. The active monitoring of Darlene within the classroom is usually a very useful classroom management skill but in this case, it was less effective because there was less lead up to the outburst and therefore less opportunity to intervene. In the alternate scenario where Darlene understood the need to express her emotions measures would be taken to diffuse the situation thanks to the verbal alerts to both the teachers and the students.

The use of discussion between Jim and Darlene to explain the students’ reactions to her was a very one-sided solution in this case. What could have been done was a gentle reminder from Jim to the students to be considerate that the noise level and personal space is very important for a lot of people. Jims’ attempt to address the issue in a personal manner was very well-intentioned but as with most remediation of conflict, both parties have to understand the rationale behind each others’ actions. Lastly, the use of the support system that the administration provides was well utilized by Jim to get the necessary resources to better address the problem and establish a coherent account of the events that unfolded which added to the preparedness for parental concern. However, I think that further steps could have been made to preemptively contact Gavins’ mother in an attempt to show that the school as a whole was well aware and taking steps to prevent further incidents.

Responses to Classmates

In response to: “Sociology: Reflective journaling and the teaching profession”

I definitely agree with the observation that the shift from standardized testing to group work and journals is very logical. Especially with the underlying fact that many teacher candidates within the program have been through the school system and may suffer from the same anxieties associated with standardized testing. I think that the journaling and group work allows us as educators to become more immersed in the reasoning and technique behind the strategies. It not only helps mindsets around the learning but also grounds the content in real-life applications that are retained better than many minute details with exams. In my mind, the reflective piece of this method is responsible for uncovering your own understanding of the ‘why’ instead of focusing on just the result. Overall, I think that as long as this method is applied with specific goals in mind it has the potential to make academics more engaging and enjoyable for many students!

In response to: “History: Which technological bandwagon has been the most significant?”

The technological presence in modern classrooms is truly impressive. I believe the skills that are learned to utilize resources like computers are very undervalued, especially when compared with their immense presence in higher education and a wide range of business and employment establishments. Having a large variation in technology is why I believe it fits in every classroom. As with most tools, there is not a ‘catch-all’ solution that fits every need or scenario. This is where examples like tablets present themselves as a more tactile form of interaction with content than say, a standard desktop or laptop computer. That being said, I do believe that the computer is an impressive amalgamation of technological tools and resources that offer more educational value in one place than most other devices available to schools. In a broad scope, I also believe that we as educators can often fall under the illusion that one technological tool can do it all. In my opinion, if this persists, it can stagnate our ability to innovate and take advantage of the new and improved resources that are readily available to us.

In response to: “Philosophy: Technology and the Educational system”

Hi Carlie. Yes, I agree with the overall theme of finding a balance between a reliance on technology and still taking advantage of the dynamic learning experience it can offer. A particular piece that stands out to me is your comment on how commonplace and normal it is for students to be using technology in aspects of their lives outside of the classroom. I think that our duty as educators is to keep students constantly expanding their skill sets and making use of many tools that are available; regardless of whether or not that includes technology. Being a diverse learner ultimately helps students transition into becoming a diverse adult and the associated expectations of adulthood. This includes the necessities of interacting with others and the social personas we develop. Like with many things that provide stimulus there can be the possibility of addiction and I believe that this aspect is often overlooked because of how prevalent it is in society overall. (Sorry for the late contribution, miscounted my number of posts).