Re: At what point do I intervene?
    Posted by: eldteacher on 2/23/15
    () Comments

    I agree that the students need to be disciplined, parents
    contacted, disciplinary procedures followed, and in sounds as
    though admin is either unaware of the situation (unlikely,
    given the series of subs etc) or "turning a blind eye". In
    either case it shouldn't be happening.
    As for language use, yes, they should be encouraged to speak
    English as much as possible, but as beginners they should also
    be allowed to use their native language some. This applies
    whether the students speak Spanish or Arabic or another
    language. In your post I can see some unfairness in the
    situation: it sounds as though the teacher allows the Spanish-
    speaking students to address her in Spanish, which she
    understands (you said she is a former Spanish teacher and
    said "she understood questions from Hispanic students and
    answered the students in English", I'm assuming that you mean
    students were asking questions in Spanish while she responded
    in English) but does not allow the Arabic-speaking students to
    speak Arabic among themselves. So, I can understand the
    student's frustration (not that it justifies his use of the F
    word, but I do think the situation was also unfair.) If Spanish-
    speakers can speak Spanish in class, Arabic-speakers can speak
    Arabic in class. This is not even getting into the language the
    teacher speaks, but it's about the languages the students
    speak. We can require students' work to be in English; we can
    regulate the language teachers speak in the classroom in some
    cases; but we shouldn't tell students that it is bad to use
    their native language. Even without speaking the language it is
    not difficult to see whether or not students are getting their
    work done versus having a conversation that is taking them off-
    task, regardless of the language. It does sound like this is
    what the sub was trying to do when she told the student that he
    could speak Arabic as long as he was working. In that, she's on
    the right track, as long as she sets the same expectation for
    Spanish-speakers.


    Posts on this thread, including this one

  • At what point do I intervene?, 2/18/15, by concerned teacher...
  • Re: At what point do I intervene?, 2/22/15, by to: concerned teacher.
  • Re: At what point do I intervene?, 2/22/15, by to: concerned teacher.
  • Re: At what point do I intervene?, 2/23/15, by Efrem.
  • Re: At what point do I intervene?, 2/23/15, by eldteacher.
  • Re: At what point do I intervene?, 2/23/15, by eldteacher, part 2.
  • Re: At what point do I intervene?, 2/26/15, by OP..thanks.
  • Re: At what point do I intervene?, 3/01/15, by elsiev.