Scenario for Role Play 23
Teacher role
Donna is a very intelligent fifteen-year-old ninth grader. She is an excellent student who does a superior job on any project she does. Recently when a social studies booklet was due, Donna claimed she had already turned hers in, that it must have been misplaced. Later, when you speak with Donna’s mother the conversation revealed that Donna had left her social studies booklet at home. You talk to Donna.
Considerations
- Possible background information
- Behavioral causes
- Possible solutions
- Consider theories, models, or other information used to help guide your decision making
- Create a script for talking with Donna.
Student role - Donna
You are a very intelligent fifteen-year-old ninth grader and an excellent student who does superior work on everything. Recently a social studies booklet was due. You started on yours and thought it was coming along real well until you heard the teacher tell some other students how great theirs was, because they had tremendous pictures on the cover and inside. The teacher thought that was a real good idea and encouraged others to try and illustrate theirs. You do not think you can draw as well as some of the other students. When it was time to turn in yours you claimed you turned it in and the teacher must have misplaced it. You found out later that the teacher talked to mom on the phone and mom informed the teacher your project is at home. If the teacher mentions this you will insist you did two identical booklets. Since you always do superior work (because the teacher always praises you and makes a big deal of it) you do not want the teacher to know you could do anything but superior work. You would not want to let anyone down.
Teacher - Suggestions
Suggestions to encourage change from self-limiting behaviors to mastery oriented behaviors. See Conversations to change behavior
and possible verbal interactions and interventions.
Short term
- Talk with the student to try and allow them to acknowledge their actions.
- Tell the student that they will accept the notebook and not another word will be said.
- Do not accept the notebook.
- Let the parents handle the problem and accept the notebook if it came or forget about it if it did not and give the student a zero.
- Meet with the student’s parent(s) and discuss the problem.
Long term
- Engage the student in activities that ensure success and be quick to praise and encourage.
- Teach how to interact with adults.
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