Discussion Assignment Instructions
You must reply to both of the classmates post below with at least 150 words each. Replies are not required to have citations. Any scholarly resource cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include the course textbooks and articles from scholarly journals. Please avoid the use of websites.
For your replies, note that responses such as "I like what you said," "That is a good comment," and "I disagree with your comment" do not count as complete replies in and of themselves. Rather, state why you liked or disliked a peer's thread, present additional thoughts or ideas, and provide alternative ideas/thoughts when you disagree. Courtesy in any disagreement is expected; however, you are expected to know and maintain proper online etiquette as outlined on the Student Expectations page in the Course Overview.
Classmate One: (Nancy)
When responding to the teacher who stated, "I got into teaching to teach, not to be a parent to all these kids and deal with all their issues." I would first remind them that the difficulties that some children have with self-control and other "issues", are at least in part related to their individual brain development (Ormond and Jones, 2023). Every child is unique and is developing within an individual set of genetic and environmental factors that are as singular as their fingerprint. I would also remind the teacher that the way in which they interact with their students may have lifelong repercussions affecting their sense of self-worth and perhaps even their self-identity. If that didn't help, I might appeal to the teacher's intellect and cite research studies such as those conducted by Leon et. al., (2023), which state that healthy self-esteem in children is important to the student's mental health, their social interactions, and their academic outcomes. Lastly, I would remind the teacher that no matter what the student's abilities or neurodiversity, in God's eyes every human being has the same value, for "God is no respecter of persons" (King James Bible, 1769/2008, Acts 10:34), and that our value is placed on us by our Creator God for "even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." (King James Bible, 1769/2008, Luke 12:6,7).
Honestly thought if I were to be frank, I would probably question the teachers' motives and suitability as an educator in any instance. While it is undeniable that some children will try the patience of saints, I do believe that those who God has called to be educators realize that bad behavior is often a cry for help. As teachers, and especially as Christians, we must be able to look beyond the action to the soul of the child that Jesus died for.
References:
King James Bible. (2008). Oxford University Press. (Original work published 1769)
Leon, S. C., Lutz, N., Hindt, L. A., Huguenel, B. M., & Osborne, J. (2023). Implicit self-esteem moderates the association between explicit self-esteem and externalizing behaviors. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 32(7), 2015-2025.
Ormond, J.E., & Jones, B. D. (2023). Essentials of Educational Psychology (6th et.). Pearson.
Classmate Two: (Roselle)
In response to the teacher's assertion, I would present an alternative viewpoint while approaching the discussion with empathy and understanding. It is true that teaching may be quite demanding, particularly when it seems like we have to handle more than simply academics. But as educators, we must acknowledge that our job is not just to teach; it's also to support a child's overall development-emotional, social, and moral. Youngsters have different requirements when they arrive at school, and occasionally those needs go beyond academic instruction. The significance of holistic development is also emphasized by numerous educational ideas. For instance, Vygotsky's theory of social development emphasizes how important emotional health and social relationships are to learning (Alkhudiry, 2022). Children's capacity to learn is strongly influenced when they are experiencing emotional or behavioral difficulties. We aren't "parenting" kids in the conventional sense; rather, we are acting as reliable adults who offer stability and support, fostering an atmosphere where they feel secure and prepared to learn. It is also important to consider that not all parents have the same advantage and access to higher level of education. There are students whose parents were not able to attend school which will then therefore lead to lack of scholastic knowledge and abilities to help their own children at home academically (Koshy et al., 2021).
Biblically speaking, Proverbs 22:6 tells us to "train up a child in the way he should go," (King James Bible, 2017) which reflects our obligation to love and care for others, especially children. This includes advice in life and character as well as academic teaching. Teaching is more than just imparting knowledge; it's also about creating an atmosphere in which kids can flourish. We enable children to develop in all facets of their lives when we accept the emotional and social parts of our position. Even when we deal with non-academic problems, our labor is an investment in their future. I would advise my colleague to see these difficulties as a chance to positively impact children's lives in the long run, both academically and personally, rather than as a burden.
References:
Alkhudiry, R. (2022). The contribution of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory in mediating L2 knowledge co-construction. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 12(10), 2117-2123.
King James Version (2017). King James Online.