Case
Too Cool for School

I have a student who was in a dual-enrollment college course for Economics. He was not passing the course so he dropped it midterm. He has been placed in my inclusion Economics course to make up for not receiving his Economics credit. The problem is he hates being in the class and feels he is too smart to be in there. His mother even told our school secretary this when signing him out last week. How can I make this student feel that he is not too good for the class without being offensive? I will say he is a very bright student and should be in my honors class, but his schedule had conflicts so he could not be in that class. I do not want this student to feel too good for and/or hate the class.

Posted on: 03/13/15 | Views: 955
Solution #1
Instead of assigning an extra project, why not just have him do whatever your honors class is doing? If that's not possible, ask him to teach one of the lessons. Tell him the topic with plenty of notice and have him prepare his lesson. After you have approved it, let him have at it!

I love the idea of letting the student teach a lesson. He can demonstrate his knowledge of the content by teaching it to the other students. It would be a challenging activity that would engage the student in the class.

I think it is a great idea

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Solution #2
I would definitely pull this student to the side and have a serious talk with him. I would make sure to tell him that you understand why his current attitude to the class is they way it is but that its important for the entire class moral that he tries to make the best of the situation he has put himself in. Remind him of his leadership qualities and how this is a great opportunity to lead by example in the classroom and that you might even need his assistance in helping others in the class when they are struggling. This might help him see the positive impact that maybe a not so ideal situation can produce.

Great suggestion, thank you!

I will definitely try this suggestion.

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Solution #3
A solution to this problem would be letting him assist you in the class. Helping prepare lessons or him giving input for lessons. He could help other students who may not be doing so well in the classroom as well. He needs to feel validated, obviously his vigorous schedule caused some issues and now he is with you. Letting him feel like he is in control of HIS education would be beneficial to him.
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Solution #4
I agree that the student needs to challenged and the teaching needs to be differentiated to meet the needs of all her students. Once the student completes his work, have the student tutor his classmates. Sometimes, students learn better from their peers.
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Solution #5
It seems like you should try to differentiate the instruction to incorporate higher-level activities while learning what everybody else is learning. Having a conversation with the student about how important he is for the classroom and that he is going to be helpful to the other students will make him feel more important and needed for the class. I would try to use cooperative learning strategies, when possible, and allow this student to be a tutor or helper for the class.
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Solution #6
Make him a role model in the class and a leader figure. Assignment him some extra responsibilities and opportunities to help other students. This may allow him to feel more needed in there. You can sit down with him one on one and have a "real conversation" with him discussing his actions, repercussions, and how he can make the best of the situation.
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Solution #7
I would be slightly offensive, let the student know the work still needs to be completed for the class for a grade unless he feels like taking it for a third time.
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Solution #8
It sounds like he needs to be challenged. It is your job to make the environment challenging for him, even if he is not in your honors class. Maybe you can assign him an extra project?

Thank you. Great idea.

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