Sarah Moss

EDUG 520
11/22/16

EDUG 520 Module Assessment

Directions - Describe a student who has a chronic misbehavior. Specify and describe the misbehavior.
Describe one strategy you would use to respond to his/her misbehavior. What theory or framework guides
your strategy? How does the TPE connect to your strategy?

Theory/Framework Restorative Practices

One of the rules in Ms. Moss 2nd grade class is that students must come to school
prepared to learn every day. This is something Ms. Moss has been punishing Paul for over the
last few weeks because he is frequently late to school, has not turned in the majority of his
homework assignments and rarely brings any pencils or other supplies to class. Instead of taking
away Pauls recess time, a time of day he enjoys because it brings him happiness, Ms. Moss
could choose a better strategy.
Judging from Pauls situation, a good choice for Ms. Moss would be to employ
restorative practices that work with the students to build community and restore broken
relationships rather than punitive practices she was using before. This power shift helps teachers
reflect on their own teaching practices as they exhibit positive dispositions of caring, support,
acceptance, and fairness toward all students (TPE 6.2) by giving the students a voice in the
classroom. An excellent way to accomplish this is to begin each day with a social event like a
morning meeting. This daily routine needs to be taught and explained properly and appropriately
for the grade level, but can provide students with a safe space to encourage community and
provide the teacher with a way to model expression of feelings with sincerity, allowing the
teacher to establish, maintain, and monitor inclusive learning environments (TPE 2.3).
For example, in the video we watched in class on 11/15/16, the students in the morning
meeting gave thumb signals to show how prepared they were for the day physically/mentally and
emotionally. One student put his thumb down because his head was hurting from the day before.
Ms. Moss could use something like this in her classroom to better deal with students like Paul.
From a positive and welcoming morning meeting, Paul may disclose that he doesnt arrive at
school on time most days because his parents tend to fight in the mornings. Or perhaps Paul
doesnt always turn in his homework because he stays at his dads house on Thursdays and
weekends and his dad doesnt have time to help him with homework because he is tired after a
day working at the construction site. Once information like this has been disclosed, it would then
be Ms. Moss job to reach out to the parents and the student to collaborate on a plan for Paul
(TPE 6.4).
In conclusion, by using restorative processes that work with students Ms. Moss could
create a more caring classroom that provides an opportunity for students like Paul to be
understood and helped rather than punished.