EDUC 300 FAT City Reflection PDF

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Based off in class film...

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10/26/18 EDUC 300 FAT City Reflection The FAT City video opened my eyes immensely about the struggles that some LD (Learning Disabled) children face in the classroom. The video highlighted very clearly the way that a teacher should not teach. FAT is an acronym for Frustration, Anxiety, and Tension. LD students are affected with an amplified sense of these feelings when being talked down upon in the classroom. Throughout the video the presenter gave many examples on how to teach LD students and what not to do with them. One of the first examples had to deal with a concept that the presenter called “throwaway sarcasm.” In this example, the teacher tends to negatively motivate the child and sometimes throws a sarcastic comment their way. The teacher, almost instantaneously, forgets the comment. On the other hand, this comment stays with the student for the remainder of the day and cannot stop thinking about it. This action by the teacher brings a sense of disappointment and sadness with the student, making it hard for the student to stay positive in the classroom. Another example in the video hit home with me and was the most eye opening. The presenter was mimicking a way that a teacher tends to get the attention of LD students (and students in general). He yelled in the direction of a student, “Look at me when I am talking to you.” He then later states, “What kid is actually going to look at you and listen to what you are saying when you are derogatorily talking down to them.” I have been in the classroom when this has happened to my fellow classmates and I am almost positive that it has happened to me in the past. The sense of helplessness and anxiety that a student faces when their teacher yells at them that way is unprecedented. There was an example of how to correctly teach an LD student that stuck out to me the most. He started with explaining how LD students have twice the processing to do. When asking

a student in the classroom what book they are reading, they correctly state Huckleberry Fin. Then the teacher looks at the LD student and asks who wrote it. The student responds, “Huckleberry Fin.” The teacher, at a separate time, pulls the student to the side and alerts them that he is going to call on her only when he stands directly in front of her. This helps her concentrate on exactly what he is saying. The LD student starts to get answers right on a regular basis. Eventually she musters the confidence to raise her hand even when the teacher is not standing directly in front of her desk. This is an appropriate and direct way to help an LD student. I personally believe that we need to do a better job of spreading awareness about LD children. I believe that the substitute stated a fact that 8% of children had a Learning Disability when this video was created. That number is now hovering around 20%. We should hold workshops for teachers so that they can correctly address each student’s needs on a personal basis....