Sociology

To new teachers, the primary challenge is usually establishing control over the students (Nucci, 2006). Melissa Reid has just achieved her long time dream of being a high school teacher but that dream is quickly turning into a nightmare. Two months into the experience, she quickly finds herself out of control of the class. It all starts with Gregorys outburst during a session. The outburst derails the academic discussion to Melissas night job and the consequent revelation that she is not yet a fully-fledged teacher. She allows the discussion to dwell on her private life and the students now fail to see her as their teacher, and hence the authority, instead seeing her as a teaching student.

As a new teacher, her main challenge was establishing herself as the authority and maintaining discipline and order in the classroom. She fails to establish herself as the authority in the absence of her cooperating teacher, Jane Maddox. This accompanied by the revelation that she is yet to graduate makes her lose the respect as a teacher and hence the quagmire. The situation deteriorates rapidly with some of the students yelling, sneering and using inapt language bordering on abusive.

The role of a teacher, beyond imparting knowledge, includes class management. She applies good classroom management practices by applying cooperative learning, understanding the students individually and behavior modification but this is not enough to regain control with James. James overreacts and threatens her with violence. James mother has been called to the school twice in a week and she understands that James has an underlying problem and even suggests professional help.

The need for psychological help for James should be a reason enough for Melissa to take the threat seriously and talk to the dean and James parents. She should advice the parents to seek professional help to better understand the underlying problem of their son.