branding: who's fault?

[djcalulod]

I was able to handle a class that was "branded" as the noisiest class in the whole high school department. At first, they were pretty normal, like the other students. They do tend to be noisy when they don't like or understand the lesson. But all of the other sections I have handled are the same. It just makes me wonders, is it the students' or the teachers' fault why they are branded as such. Also, I pity the students who are not even noisy in the class. Whenever they go out some teachers think that they're noisy too. Just because they're from that section? Well, I just hope that teachers will stop branding their students, because sometimes it affects their self-esteem.

[MrsC]

Excellent point, djcalulod! In the past few years, working with grade 7 and 8 boys with LDs and some behaviour issues, my biggest challenge has been helping them overcome the opinions others have of them. They were labelled as "trouble-makers", "good-for-nothing", "jerks", "pains-in-the-a**". They had heard it for so long from so many people, they believed it and acted accordingly. I was (and still am) so angry that the "trusted adults" at the school had such a profoundly negative impact on these kids and the opinions of others about them. With some of my students last year, academics had to take the back seat for a long time--they had absolutely no confidence in their worth or abilities because of what they had been told throughout much of their school career.

[Special-t]

To both: Did you actually say something to the students to let them know you were working on their reputations, or did you do it in a more subtle manner? I'll probably be working with kids just like yours and I'm curious to know what they responded to.

[MrsC]

I spent a long time building a relationship with the students in which they knew that they could trust me completely to be fair and honest with them. Although it was difficult for me to change the opinions of others, by building a positive relationship, I was able to model for the students (and other teachers) that it was possible. The parents were very aware of what I was doing, and they appreciated that someone was on the side of their children for a change.

We did talk about how their reputation was, "their own worst enemy" as they were getting ready to go off to high school. I talked to them about starting over, and how they wouldn't be taking any of their baggage from elementary school with them.

Sigh...I miss those kids...

[Proud2BATeacher]

I work with students in grades 1-6 in my class who has been diagnosed with severe behaviors. I work in one of the only 2 specialized elementary schools that work with these students. I am quite honest with them as to why they are in my class and why all of the kids are in our school are there. I also let them know what they have to do to go back to their old school or to a different school.