In these case studies below, I showcase some of my experiences and beliefs around two topics presented: behaviour and the importance of libraries in our schools. My beliefs around behavior showcased here align with my social justice slideshow and are pieces of my pedagogy that I foresee bringing with me to my practice. I truly believe we need to spend more time in elementary building social skills and behavioral skills, similar to how we teach other core subjects. I believe that the core competencies are vehicles to getting to this end in many ways, as they focus on developing many personal social attributes, as well as, patterns of thinking.
Hasinoff, S., & Mandzuk, D. (2015). Case studies in educational foundations : Canadian perspectives. Oxford University Press.
A Stitch In Time – Case Study
In the A Stitch in Time case study by Hasinoff and Mandzuk (2015) the system in place failed both students; however, the system was set up to fail inevitabliy, no student can be watched all the time. It is inevitable that some incident will occur that requires the supervising adults attention and take it from the student, which means that there is an opportunity for this incident to have occured. I believe if we focus more in the primary years on behaviour and worked on our behaviour (emotional regulation) in weekly/daily groups like we do with other skills ie. reading groups, that on the whole we would have less behavioural issues in our schools. I think these skills will positively serve students throughout their lives.
In this case study I wonder if the school has ever tried to facilitate improving the relationship between the boys. The comment from the principal, “these two boys have been like caged lions ever since the first time they met,” makes me feel that there were some missed opportunities in facilitating a better relationship between the boys.
I think that in this case FOIPPA hinders the principals ability to express the full dynamics of the situation that occured and information that may have helped the father of the injured child have some empathy and understanding towards Jace; in turn being unable to share this information creates a situation where a Kyle’s father doesn’t have the full picture and is claiming bullying. It is hard to defend a he said/he said in a public forum. Thus I feel prevention is the key to not ending up in these situations.
I feel in school suspensions should undergo a rebranding that sends the message we care, we are here and we will work through this with you. Instead the word suspension sends “bad behaviour,” messaging to the student, ultimately making the student think that they are bad. For public perception reasons you could apply an in school suspension that gives Jace more time with his support people, more like a time-in and not a punishment. If we were to follow the Indigenous Circle of Courage philosiphy we see that we need to foster a sense of belonging in our schools and our students.
Mediation training and use of talking sticks could have been useful in the scenario that occured in the case study. Schools should have students take some mediation training to facilitate peer-led mediation in schools; the more tools students have in their toolbox the better the whole student body will funciton. I think if we practise prevention (ie. emotional and behavioural skill training, mediation skills etc.) students will reap the benefits later.
Restorative justice processes should be practised in schools to facilitate apologies and accountability when situations occur like this one detailed in the case study, rather than zero tolerance policies that isolate. In this scenario restorative justice would be what I would advocate for, with a strict talking stick policy, to keep the conversation focused and civil. By providing more practices that foster a sense of belonging, schools will be a safer place for all.
Let Them Eat Cake – Case Study
In the “Let them eat Cake,” case study from (Hasinoff and Mandzuk 2015) I think that the culture of the school would be directly affected by the closure of the library. Libraries are places of community and information. They are quiet spaces for students where they discover books and information and a homework refuge space for students. Libraries also serve as meeting spaces for groups and clubs. I participated and now my own children participate in Battle of the Books. Their librarian and school library were key elements in this phenomenal tradition fostering the love of reading. For elementary students in particular libraries are magical. It is where they get to explore and find books and stories about topics they are interested in. Library day is an exciting day in the classroom. I think it is a tragedy that elementary students can’t access the library to exchange their books in the morning, lunch and after school as in the past they could have, at least a few days of the week. Having a place to explore your interests with books that are both tactile and tangible things can open worlds in their imagination for students; I think we need to provide more access not less to books.
The internet is a place of a lot of information, but also mis-information, librarians at all levels are skilled at sourcing information and teaching students about seeking out information. Librarians in my opinion have more relevance than ever, because of their role in providing these skills and being a constant source of good information. I think they in a school environment function much like Indigenous knowledge keepers do in Indigenous cultures. They provide understanding and context about gathering knowledge that is kept up to date with professional development. In the highschool’s I worked as a science assistant we got continuous updates from our Librarian’s bringing attention to different technologies about academic integrity, new/upcoming literature, new Indigenous resources and different new teaching approaches. They were some of the most sought out people in the schools because of their vast resource knowledge and technology knowledge. Librarian’s (and Library Assistants) in elementary also provide the continum of attachment for students. Students develop relationships with the Librarians that make the school feel more comfortable and community centered.
I feel that the school in the case study would be greatly changed over the course of a few years without the library. With a reduced feeling of attachment to the school and community, behaviour issues are likely to rise; mis-information about what sources are to be trusted is also likely to rise when you don’ t have someone whose job is to stay informed on changing dynamics of internet resources. School districts and schools that value Librarians are likely to have better educated students, as well as, stronger feelings of community and equality.