Beloit Memorial High School By Lois Weiner

A complex class management problem that was interesting was the story from Lois Weiner describing the situation that occurred between Sonya and Danny and how she dealt with both situations. Both Sonya and Danny brought a knife with them to school for protection traveling back home or work after school. Inspired from the complex class management problem that Weiner describes, the made up complex classroom management problem stems from Weiner’s experience. While teaching at Beloit Memorial High School, students have brought various weapons and dangerous objects to school. The intent of the weapons however varied from each student that possessed the weapon. One instance where I spotted a weapon occurred while I was at my first year at Beloit

I pull Travis aside to ask about his hand but also confront him about the swiss army knife. Travis, who is a hard-working student, panics when I mention the knife. I ask Travis why the knife was in his book bag. Travis, who was aware of the rule that states that bringing weapons to school is illegal, starts to confess why he had brought the knife to school. He explains that during every passing time between classes two students would approach Travis and harass him. The bullies would pull Travis into the bathroom and harass Travis. Travis had gotten tired of all the harassment that he brought a swiss army knife to school to protect

Instead of punishing him for his decision, I questioned his thought process of why he had brought the to school. By confronting Travis in a private setting, I was able to find the origin of the problem so that a proper solution could be enforced. Similar to Weiner’s stories about Sonya and Danny, the teachers in the situations chose to find the reason why rules were broken instead on instantly punishing the students. Weiner explains that “When we see our students as human beings like ourselves rather than as ‘the other,’ we can separate the person from the act and intervene appropriately” (Weiner/Jerome 89). By allowing ourselves, as teachers, to step away as the authoritative figure, we can make a better connection with