Answer each question correctly. Failure to do so will cause you to lose any classroom management you may have had.
1. Eight students in a class of thirty-two do not bring their book to class. They do not inform you of this, just sit quietly not doing their work and wait for you to notice.
You:
a. let them sit not doing their work: they're in high school, they should know!!
b. trade them a loaner book for an id card (better make sure you have enough loaner books).
c. make them look off someone more responsible sitting near them.
d. ask them "where's your book?" "your locker?" "who needs to learn Spanish, you or your locker?" "why didn't you bring your book?" etc. (but make sure you have enough energy to do this eight times).
e. B and C
f. some combination of b, c, and d depending on the students, their history of bringing their book, and their current class grade.
g. get frustrated and yell at the whole class for being unmotivated and not learning.
2. During a test, a student puts her head down, shuts her eyes, and refuses to do the test.
You:
a. look and see if she's awake
b. tap on her desk to try to wake her up
c. Tap on her desk again until she responds in some fashion
d. leave her alone, it's her decision
e. some combination of all of the above
3. A student comes to class with a serious shiner. She tells you that her boyfriend beat her up.
You:
a. call the counselor to make sure that it has indeed been reported.
b. have her go to the nurse for more ice.
c. try to continue with class as if nothing were going on.
d. pray desperately for the girl.
e. do all of the above simultaneously.
4. The next day, that same student comes back, crying because her abuser is out of lockup and she's scared.
you:
a. call the counselor
b. try to give her some advice
c. carry on with class as if nothing was wrong
d. pray desperately
e. all of the above
5. The girl sitting in directly in front of that girl has been running away from home (regularly) with some boy her mother doesn't approve of. You:
a. email the girl's mother daily to give her an attendance update and make sure the girl is accounted for
b. hope she realizes from the girl behind her the error of her ways
c. talk to her about the error of her ways
d. a and b only
e. ignore the girl
6. A girl hits a boy pretty hard, but he doesn't hit her back. (They're friends, kind of). You:
a. threaten her with a detention if she does it again
b. immediately call the police officer down
c. laugh
d. ignore it
7. Someone has drawn disgusting male genitalia on your back wall. You don't know exactly when or exactly who.
You:
a. Throw up
b. quit your job immediately
c. quietly interview every one of the students who has sat against that wall trying to figure out who the culprit is
8. A student (who to be honest really intimidates you) refuses to hand over his paper to you in flagrant insolence and disregard of your authority. You:
a. ask him again
b. write him up to the dean
c. call the dean down immediately
d. burst into tears and run out of the room
9. Two students get into a verbal altercation over one of them being called a b----. You
a. let them go outside the back way to fight it out between them
b. pretend you're a judge, listen to both sides of the story and let him off with a warning (you didn't actually hear it yourself)
c. slap both of them silly for being so immature
d. quit your job
e. speak with both of them and call all the parents after school.
11. During a game, students get so competitive and into the game that the air turns blue after each round with expletives. You:
a. are glad they engage in the game and ignore the expletives
b. shut down the game immediately
c. say "now children, please don't swear."
10. Students in your last period class flat-out refuse to participate in the game you want them to play to prepare for the quiz. You:
a. try to make them play the game
b. immediately give the whole class a zero on the quiz
c. quit the game, make them take the quiz, and assign homework on top of it
d. let them all just sit there and do nothing the whole class--what do you care???
12. A student clearly and loudly says Spanish swearwords across the room at the end of class. You:
a. let it slide you're exhausted
b. give him a detention
c. teach him new ones
d. merrily chirp "respetar!!!" and let it go at that.
13. During a conference with a student who's making your life miserable, your department head tells her you want to keep her in your class. You:
a. scream NO I DON'T and run out of the room (losing your job in the process).
b. pray for grace to keep dealing with this girl
c. smile at the girl despite the little voice inside that says oh please just get her out
d. talk with her at the end of the conference about what kind of behaviour you want to see from her everyday
e. all except a
14. You are getting observed after working two fourteen-hour days in a row. You:
a. grin and bear it
b. just let the kids do whatever they want
c. give out so much energy during that time you don't have enough to cope with the challenges of the rest of the day
d. hope for the best
e. a and b only
f. a, c, and d
15. One of your students knew the guy who was arrested for bringing a gun onto school property. It's his cousin, and he's going to get sent to jail for 20 years for the offense. This student is upset to the point of tears (and this is a guy who's been in juvy and is pretty tough--not the easy cry type.) You:
a. break your heart for him
b. start to cry with him
c. let him go to the bathroom to calm down
d. act like nothing is happening
Bonus question:
How do you respond like Jesus would when a male student, while pouring out his troubles lists among them: my boyfriend and I broke up this week?
Yes, these are all situations I had to respond to this week. My actual response is included in the multiple choice options, but it's up to you to figure out which one it should be (or should have been). There's no key, as I got some of the answers wrong myself.
