Mendler, A. (2015). Classroom Management: Fresh starts for hard to like students. Edutopia. Retreived from: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/fresh-starts-hard-to-like-students-allen-mendler
Synopsis:
We all know those people, the ones who make themselves really undesirable to be around because of their attitude, language, or general energy. Sometimes these people are our students. As Mendler recognizes, usually this is a coping mechanism used to draw attention away from more difficult situations happening in that persons life. So, just like an baby who won’t stop crying, we need to give these students even more love and attention in hopes to try to meet their needs. In this post on classroom management, Mendler gives suggestions for how we might begin to get through to students like these on a day to day basis. He suggests things like: treating your “worst” students like you would your “best” students, giving daily words of encouragement even when they are perhaps difficult to muster, and expressing gratitude even when they make baby steps in the right direction.
My Critical Reflection:
A short an easy read with ready-to-use tips for teachers on how to connect with the students that seem impossible to connect with. I was able to identify with the type of student Mendler was describing in this article, because at one point or another I have been that person. Often, even as adults, it can be difficult to recognize what we are feeling, let alone try to communicate that to someone else. We end up acting out in ways that get us the wrong kind of attention than we actually need. It is important to identify with these students and recognize that we have been them at one point in time. Perhaps that will give us the patience it will take to help them out.
