Students with disabilities
Among the five million students, ten percent of the school age population have some disabilities such as, physical, sensory, behavioral and cognitive. These students require a special education system. The majority of those who need special education lie in the four groups of disability, namely, language destruction, emotional disorder, mental retardation, and particular learning disability. Most often, these students need an appropriate curriculum which is applicable for their life and career. (Educating one and all: students with disabilities and standards- based reform (1997) 2009). There should be a beginning about whether and what kinds of modifications are applicable to the students with disabilities in the regular principles, curricula, teaching and evaluation. The necessary steps should be taken in the classroom itself as the school is the medium from which the disabled children get knowledge to face any obstacle in their way and also develop their personality, collaboration and attitude to everything.
Usually the students with disabilities have the tendency of alienation from everyone and everything. So in the classroom there should be action to involve the children in everything and everyone without any hesitation. This will help the children to avoid his or her complex nature and also to find some enjoyment among other students. There should be an appropriate atmosphere in the classroom for the disabled children to participate in the class with other children. The comfortable atmosphere will help the children to attend the class and also provide a good way to mingle with the children with disabilities. The teacher should show more concern and affection to the disabled children and this will help the student to make up his or her mind to participate in the class with cheerful mind, not a bad mood. The teachers also keep an affectionate mentality to the disabled children and show considerable respect to them and also teach the other students to show the same consideration and affection towards them. The teacher should also keep a mind to listen to their problems, especially worry, joys and anxieties and try to console them. The teacher should consider the child first not his or her disability and treat them as the other common children. This kind of care without any discrimination will make the atmosphere good for the disabled child and it also promotes their participation. The teachers also teach the other students to treat them with respect but not with hatred. These are the ways to increase the participation of the disabled students in their classroom.
When does ‘consequence’ become punishment?
Giving punishment to change the behavior of children will not always be a success. If a child is punished, it does not mean that the mischief of that child will change. On the other hand, it may encourage the child to do more mischief. So, it is better not to be punished. The children have to change their misbehavior through experience. The after-effects which a child has to suffer as a result of his/her mischief itself are the best punishment. Through this natural punishment, if the children try to realize their mistakes then it is the best punishment. Even though there are many methods through which one can change the bad habits of a child, it is the natural consequences that help the child more to learn about life. If a child does something wrong, first of all teach him to do the right thing; if he does not obey, better leave him and when the consequences become too severe he will realize his fault.
Is ‘reinforcement’ the same as bribing?
Reinforcement means we are giving full support or encouragement to someone to do something better and the result would be a better one. Positive reinforcement to kids will encourage them to do well. On the other hand, bribe means something like money which is given to someone to persuade them to do something wrong. It is not encouraged to do something good. So bribing is different from reinforcement.
Often, the student who happens to be there in the place where a misdeed takes place, will be punished out of chance and there is no significance for his justifying the facts and truths. The charge which is leveled against an innocent student will make him suffer though he is not at fault. Very often, those who actually did the crime will escape with the help of lies and false evidence. Thus, the fact is that those people who do mischief do not get a sufficient penalty but those who are unaware of the misdeed get the penalty.
What strategies are effective in dealing with difficult to manage children?
The behavior of all the children is not the same; it is different in different children. So, while handling the children one should have an effective plan. To manage a child is not very easy; so one should mix with and care for the child according to his nature and behavior. The teacher should watch each and every student and they can able to know their performance in class so that they can take suitable measures to correct them if they are doing something wrong. Instead of punishing the student for their every naughtiness or disobedience, tell them in kind words and make them understand about good and bad things. Also don’t forget to praise their good quality and attainments. Even though some students study well and concentrate in class they will not be able to attend the exam well so instead of blaming them for getting low marks in exam give extra tuition to these types of students and try to know about the problem of their weak performance.
References
Educating one and all: students with disabilities and standards- based reform (1997) 2009, The National Academic Press. Web.