• Introduction
  • Welcome!
  • My Philosophy
• Background
  • Introduction
  • Resume
  • Transcript
  • Bag Speech
• Psychology Concentration
  • Introduction
  • Child Development
  • Senior Thesis Project
• Issues in Education
  • Introduction
  • Disparities in Special Education
  • Promoting Positive Adjustment for Struggling Students
• Experiences in Education
  • Introduction
  • Exploration Summer Programs
  • JBFCS Child Development Center
  • Sauquoit Valley Elementary
  • Middle Settlement Alternative Academy
• Resources
  • Introduction
  • Student Motivation
  • Classroom Management
• Next Steps
  • What's ahead?

Issues in Education

PROMOTING POSITIVE ADJUSTMENT FOR STRUGGLING STUDENTS

My interest in this topic began during my senior Fall semester while serving as a social work intern at Sauquoit Valley Elementary as part of my Field Study in Psychology course. At the time, I was working with several students in a kindergarten social skills group. These students came to us based on teacher referral, and struggled with many of the same issues: they had frequent outburts in class, were disobedient, had trouble staying on task, and were either withdrawn or aggressive with their peers. What I discovered throughout my time working with them is that there was another common theme within the group: they all came from a working-class background, and many had parents who were divorced, neglectful, and/or uneducated. Thus, I chose to examine school readiness and the causes and effects of low school readiness. I began by touching on the deficits (cognitive, behavioral, and emotional) that are often present due to early adverse experiences in childhood. However, the focus of this paper remained on the ways in which a child with these troubles is soon stigmatized and treated based on what is seen as “misbehavior”, which I will explain in the following example. Ultimately, I explored and came to understand the cyclical nature of early childhood issues. For example, a student from a low socioeconomic background may have been neglected as a child and may not have the cognitive skills to complete their assignments. They will soon become frustrated and may even be unmotivated or act out in frustration. Often times, teachers view this behavior as misbehavior, and chose to discipline or punish students in confrontational ways, rather than taking the time to undersand the root of the problem: a lack of cognitive abilities. Ultimately, this student may understand the student-teacher relationship as confrontational, and continue to be disobedient, only confirming the teacher's perception of the student as a bad student or a trouble maker. This label is then carried with the student throughout their school career, and both students and teachers treat the student in ways that only elicit responses that will confirm their pre-conceived beliefs about the student, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Again, my interest in this topic stems from my belief that every student has the right and the ability to learn when the proper mechanisms are in place. Though school has the potential to be the great equalizer, it is often the case that schools are designed only to benefit the obedient and good student. Students who do not fit the traditional mold tend to be slowly pushed away from the school realm, as described above.

To view my paper, click here.