1 Chapter 4 Profiles of Today’s Learners

2 Varying Impressions of the Young View One Drug use is rampant and has increased over the years Disinterest in school and more interest in part- time work Faith is TV based Role models are not parents and teachers, but instead are musicians, athletes, etc.

3 Varying Impressions of the Young View Two Tobacco use is down and drug use is down Amount of time in part-time work is down 20 hours per week is key Faith is in organized religion and schools, not necessarily in TV Role models are parents and teachers

4 Varying Impressions of the Young Searching for the Truth Which view is more correct? Which view is held by the general public? Statistics show view two is the most realistic view in today’s society – Pendulum… Over 50 million students in schools across nation Many different attitudes and perspectives Diversity adds “spice” to field of education

5 Selected Characteristics of Today’s Learners Learners’ Families “Typical” American family as shown in media Less than ¼ of school aged children live in homes with a live-in mom and dad Many live with a single parent Most single parents are mothers What affect does the absence of a male / female role model have on children? Parents of higher income homes are more involved in the school process

6 Selected Characteristics of Today’s Learners Learners and Violence Characteristics of climate that are associated with school violence: Overcrowding Poor design and use of space Poor disciplinary measures Alienation of students Multicultural insensitivity Rejection of at-risk learners from teachers and peers Student resentment of school routines

7 Selected Characteristics of Today’s Learners Very Young Learners Daycare centers on rise due to increase of females wanting (needing) to stay in workforce Trends are pressuring public schools to serve 3 to 4 year old children By % of 3 year olds were in educational programs 65% of 4 year olds were in educational programs Much debate over publicly funded Pre-K programs – Should it be the responsibility of the school system to teach developmental principles of Pre-K age children?

8 Selected Characteristics of Today’s Learners Learners with Disabilities Prior to the mid-1970’s, students with disabilities were kept away from “general education” students Public Law Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975) Renamed: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1990) Learners, regardless of handicapping condition, would be educated in traditional classroom

9 Selected Characteristics of Today’s Learners Abused and Neglected Learners Mandated reporters – Teachers have a legal obligation to report any injury to a learner that appears to be non-accidental Approximately 3,000,000 reports each year Types of abuse and behaviors of victims Page 96 in text

10 Selected Characteristics of Today’s Learners At-Risk Learners Risk factors of students who do not perform well in school: Living with only one parent Child of a single parent Having parents who failed to complete high school Living in a low income household Living in high growth states Having poorly developed academic skills Having low self esteem Speaking English as a second language

11 Selected Characteristics of Today’s Learners At-Risk Learners Schools who serve at-risk learners well: Have good school leadership Have a positive school climate Have effective classroom instructional and management practices

12 Selected Characteristics of Today’s Learners Learners’ School-to-School Mobility Children are increasingly moving from one school to another during the school year 30-40% of moves are not caused by a change of residence Overcrowding Legislation regarding class size reduction Expulsion or other disciplinary action Legislation allowing parents to choose schools Research shows movement results in problems academically and behaviorally LLES: 303 new students enrolled in ; 175 students withdrawn to other schools

13 Patterns of Learner Development Pre-K and Kindergarten Learners Physically active Regular rest is needed Small muscle control is difficult Fine motor tasks are difficult – shoestrings, buttons Eye muscles not fully developed Teachers at this level must be patient and must show a lot of love and affection

14 Patterns of Learner Development Learners in Grades 1 to 3 Still physically active More confident with physical abilities Conflict occurs due to children needing activity and school requiring more in-seat work Nervous habits develop Handwriting is a challenge Eye development is not complete making textbooks difficult to read Teachers need to praise and recognize

15 Patterns of Learner Development Learners in Grades 4 to 6 Physical growth spurt – girls tend to be taller and heavier & some girls reach puberty Friendships divide along gender lines Fine motor skills developed – take on tasks to apply abilities with hands More independent – teachers need to motivate Students have high expectations and may deal with failures Look to peers for guidance rather than adults Behavior problems arise more often Teachers must be patient

16 Patterns of Learner Development Learners in Grades 7 to 9 Educators feel this is the most difficult to teach Variations in maturity levels Learners go back and forth between adult behaviors and childish behaviors Girls complete their growth spurt Both genders attain puberty by the end of this period Self conscious feelings Teachers need to be tolerant

17 Patterns of Learner Development Learners in Grades 10 to 12 Search for personal identity Experiment with behaviors to show the world their independence Want to be accepted Thinking is more sophisticated Teachers need to balance focus on psychological growth of students and academic growth of students

18 Developing a Sense of Efficacy Efficacy = a belief by a person that their existence matters Those preparing to enter the field of teaching need to develop their own sense of efficacy, and they need to determine how they will promote development of learners Writing Assignment Questions on page 103 Due