Additional Topics
Critical Incident Report - Bipolar Teachers
she were a whole different person. Although I do not
blame her for her awkward behaviour, especially since she had very
little control over it, it would have been best for her to take the
semester off rather than come to work feeling miserable. This incident
was significant to me because I did not know what to expect every time I
showed up to her class. I constantly shied away from asking simple
questions to clarify challenging subjects because I feared the response
I would receive. Although I did fairly well that semester, I did not
reach my full potential nor did I succeed to the level I had planned,
especially when she was not performing to her fullest potential either.
Furthermore, she showed very little etiquette in the classroom,
something I had never been exposed to prior to that course.
According to the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession, the
teacher showed a lack of Commitment to Students and Student Learning,
Leadership in Learning Communities, and Professional Practice. By
showing a lack of Commitment to Students and Student Learning, none of
the students could reach their full learning potential. Students were
constantly confused regarding the teacher’s overall expectations when
handing in an assignment or the length an answer had to be in an
essay-style test question. One student even failed the course because
there was no moral or academic support to aide their personal issue.
Usually when a teacher lacks to fulfill this particular Standard of
Practice, they are lacking heart. If I were in this teacher’s position,
I would not allow my personal life to dictate how I treat my students.
To help aid the student who had undergone surgery, I would have first
called home to get a notion of their overall health or condition. If
they were too ill to continue with the course, I would recommend that
they safely drop the course before any deadline and receive no credit
rather than a failing credit, which is typically recorded onto one’s
transcript for future prospect. However, if the student chose to
continue, I would make a set of class notes which the student could take
home, read through, remain on task, and not fall behind. Thirdly, I
would accommodate the student by allotting extra time to hand in
assignments and tests. In fact, to make matters easier on the parents, I
would email the student’s assignments; that way they would not have to
take time off their busy schedules.
Furthermore, since those inflicted with bipolar disorder have a hard
time maintaining a constant mood, I would suggest having students work
in small groups rather than individually when performing a science
experiment. Conducting classes in this fashion would allow the students
to discuss matters amongst themselves and solve problems collectively
without constantly disturbing the teacher, especially when the teacher
has a low tolerance to disturbances. Allowing students to work in groups
promotes Leadership in Learning Communities because it creates a
collaborative, safe, and supportive learning environment within the
classroom. In fact, it further elevates the teacher’s status within the
classroom as it distinguishes them as a moderator. This mode of handling
the class is important to me because it allows students to be more
independent, self-reliant, and self-motivated – three skills that are
central to learning. Finally, to deal with the inconsistency issue
regarding the way students were assessed and evaluated would be to
create a rubric for each assignment; rubrics often help clarify the
expectations for an assignment. In fact, it serves as a useful guide
that describes what excellent work entails and allows the student to set
concrete targets for achievement. Therefore, when a mark is returned,
students will be less confused regarding the mark received, and in turn,
fewer questions will be asked based on the marking scheme.
As an aspiring teacher and a current student, I know how vital it is to
have a teacher who is consistent in their attitude towards each student
and the way they assess and evaluate academic achievement. If I knew of
a student who was being treated unfairly due to their teacher’s medical
condition, the first thing I would suggest to the afflicted student
would be to remain warm and friendly rather than overreact and provoke
the teacher all the more. If I were the teacher, I would not tell my
students of my medical condition, but rather take a leave of absence
until I properly tweaked the amount of medication needed to control the
condition. This way, any side effects experienced would be manageable,
rather than come as a surprise while teaching or on duty.
