Shalaby’s Troublemakers
4.5-6 pages
Times New Roman or Arial size 12 Paper Due: Sunday, Dec. 6th
Paper Assignment for Shalabys Troublemakers
Select ONE of the following options to address. Make sure to use in-text citations so that readers can find material that you quote verbatim or that you paraphrase. Also include a Reference citation for the Shalaby text.
1. Shalabybeginshertextwithacallforschooltobeaplaceforteachingloveand freedom and ends by urging educators to be love. These are lofty ideals and goals. How does Shalaby pragmatically define teaching love and freedom and being love, in the context of schooling — and more specifically in the classroom? What do Shalabys observations reveal about the lack of fit experienced by children labeled as troublemakers? What vision of schooling and of classroom practices does Shalaby offer that might help to more closely approximate these goals?
2. ShalabyarguesthatinsteadoflookingatZoraandLucasandSeanandMarcus as troublemakers (a label thats a noun), we should look at the verb of trouble and turn our attention to how the context of schooling makes trouble for these children. How, specifically, does trouble manifest in the structure and demands of these childrens classrooms? And how is it reflected in the experiences of these children? Make sure to draw on Shalabys theorizing (i.e. her vision for schooling as put forth in her claims) and also to draw specifically on the experiences of two of the children.
3. Shalabyintroducesthethemesofvisibilityandinvisibilityandtheneedofall students to belong. What do these childrens experiences reveal about these themes? What kinds of visibility do they strive for? Do their efforts help them to feel a sense of belong with their peers and their teacher? In what ways are they rendered invisible even at moments of active attempts to be visible? Make sure to provide specific illustrative examples of what the children are doing and experiencing and what the short and long-term implications are for children who feel invisible and unaccepted. Make sure to draw specifically on Shalabys claims. Id recommend that you focus on no more than two of the children in developing your essay.
4. WelearnoverthecourseofthetextthatZora,Lucas,SeanandMarcusare eventually assessed and diagnosed three with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and one with an oppositional disorder. Shalaby, for the most part — and intentionally shifts our attention away from a focus on a label of a disorder to a focus on children labeled as being good or bad students. What do we gain from this move on her part? Does it give you a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the implications of being viewed as a troublemaker? Also, as the case studies evolve, how does learning about their diagnoses and the medication they take and the effects it has, complicate your thinking about medical solutions for children viewed as troublemakers?
5. Ifyouhaveworkedinaneducationalsetting(aclassroomorafterschool program –indoors or outside), have you had extended experience with one or more troublemakers? What was this child like? What challenges were they facing? Were there any similarities to Zora, Lucas, Marcus and/or Sean? Create a vivid portrait of the child(ren) and of their experiences and behaviors. Did you have the opportunity to meet or see the child interacting with a parent (or other primary caregiver) at home or in a non-classroom context? What were your interactions with the child like? What was the nature of your relationship and did it evolve over time? Did it progress in a positive or a more negative way? To what do you attribute any particular changes? What did you learn about this child/student from your experiences? How have Shalabys case studies and claims helped you to reflect on and rethink your experiences? What have you learned from one or more of these case studies? How have they contributed to your understanding of the child you worked with?
6. Ifyouareaprimarycaregiver(ie.,aparent,grandparent,guardian)ofachild who has been perceived as a troublemaker, address the above option from your perspective, making sure to highlight your experiences and your childs experiences interacting with the school. How was your child similar or different outside of school? Make sure to draw on Shalabys claims and one or more of these cases in supporting your discussion.
7. Youmaynothavehadlengthyexperienceswithonetroublemaker,butyoumay have had educational encounters with many troublemakers. Thinking back over time, what were some of the problems and issues that the children were dealing with? In what ways were they non-compliant? What behaviors did you observe? How did your preschool, kindergarten, or elementary school deal with troublemakers? What were the policies? How do the experiences of the children presented in the case studies resemble the experiences and challenges of the troublemaker(s) that you knew? How did the schooling and classroom practices make trouble for the children? Make sure to provide specifics about the children you knew and make sure to draw on Shalabys claims and on her observations of at least two of the children in the case studies.
