I Don't Want To Be in Class, but I Have To If I Want To Get My Check

Description of Learner:
Hannah, 22, grew up in Virginia. She dropped out of high school in the 10th grade when she was pregnant with her first child; she is now pregnant with her second. As a welfare client, she is required to attend my class as part of the program established by her caseworker.

Challenge Faced:
I am not quite sure how best to respond to Hannah to get her more involved in reading and writing. She seems to sit back, detached. Once she stated that she didn't want to be in class. She works on all worksheets and projects that the class does or that I suggest for her, but she seems to do them in a very careless and perfunctory way. Hannah sometimes makes controversial statements to the whole class, and I am unsure whether she is playing devil's advocate to see what reaction she can get, whether she is in effect challenging me for classroom control, or whether she is really voicing her uncertainty and asking for guidance.

What We Did:
One day as the class was discussing an article about child rearing, Hannah stated loudly for all to hear, "I think it's perfectly okay for a mother to beat her children. That's the way I was raised, and I turned out okay." Several other students started talking at once to respond to her, and others looked to me for a reaction. I let the discussion go on for a couple minutes, guiding it minimally to encourage all students to express their opinions, but I refrained from giving my own. Instead, I reflected back to the class that many people obviously had strong feelings about this topic. Consequently, I postponed the planned lesson and turned the high interest into a writing assignment. I asked the students to spend some time in silence, thinking about how they felt and how to explain their ideas. Then, I asked them to write about their true feelings on child rearing and child "beating."

Analysis:
A number of the learners poured significant concentration and effort into this assignment. Several wrote more than usual on this personally relevant topic; they had so much to say, they forgot their hesitancy to write. Unfortunately, Hannah wasn't one of them. Although she wrote, she claimed not to be finished, and she wanted to take it home to keep working on it before she showed it to me. She didn't bring it back. She continues to come to class and to express controversial ideas aloud, but less frequently than before.

What I Learned:
There are two issues here. The first is reaching the student who comes to class, but seems to put up a wall of resistance. I don't have the expertise to be her therapist and that's not my role, but I can continue to accept her as she is and convey her right to hold and express her ideas. The second issue has to do with using a "teachable moment." It's worth departing from the lesson plan to pursue a topic that comes from the students. A topic that they feel very strongly about is a great stimulus for reluctant writers.

Summary:

Director's Comments:

Hannah tends to be 'living' in a self-absorbed, emotional world where she is the center of all her thoughts and actions. This, combined with her tendency to engage in risky behaviors resulting in two pregnancies out of wedlock, suggest that she is neglecting attention to her cognitive, social and reflective learning systems. Apparently, she fails to see the need for a balance among her learning systems. She does as little as possible to improve academically; she speaks out forcefully on controversial issues, demonstrating a lack of social concern, and she believes her life "turned out okay" when the facts suggest otherwise, indicating limited reflective thought and action.

If Hannah is not receiving counseling support where she is guided toward reflective and constructive action, you may wish to investigate this possibility with her case-worker. Further, Hannah's statements regarding child rearing raise serious concerns about the welfare of her children. Statements of this type should be shared with her social worker, so the children can be monitored. You are absolutely correct in recognizing that your role is to teach and not to provide therapy. Nonetheless, your careful response to the childrearing issue demonstrates that you can use a "teachable moment" to help her gain insights into her thinking and behaviors.

If she is attending class just to fulfill a requirement, you may wish to discuss this with her social worker, because she may need to have the time extended to give her opportunities to change her attitude toward herself as a learner. Unless the experience is serving some useful purpose for her in addition to meeting a requirement, there may be some other activity that she could do whereby she might gain in-depth insights into herself as a mother and as a member of society.

Your decision to go with the "teachable moment" was insightful and productive. I view her reluctance to return her paper as an indication that she gained some insights into her own thinking by hearing the group reactions and hearing their compositions. The topic of childcare was definitely a hot topic that stimulated strong emotions and expanded the typical written reactions.