B
eginning
T
eacher
S
upport &
A
ssessment
May, 2015
Guests
 Dr. Shawn Wirth
 Officer Rick Gramer, SRO
Role & Responsibilities
Scenario 1
A student is chronically absent and has missed over 15
days in the semester, often on test days. She's falling
further and further behind. When you send make up work
home, it is almost never returned; when you arrange for
make-up tests, she often doesn't show and when she does,
her lack of preparation/understanding makes it difficult
for her to earn an acceptable grade. What measures can
you as a teacher take to remedy the situation?
Parental Behavior
According to custody papers, a middle school
student is to stay with her father when her
mother is away on business trips. The mother made arrangements for
the student to stay with her maternal grandfather instead. The father
tells his daughter “you will be in my car after school by 3:05 or I will
call the police.” The student has told all of her teachers, counselor,
and classmates that she doesn’t want to go. Everyone is concerned for
her safety. After school, the father is in the parking lots accompanied
by two Irvine police officers. The grandfather is also there. The girl
does not want to go with her father. What is the school to do? What
rights does the student have to not go?
Scenario 4
A student reports to you that her father had
slapped her during an argument, and she wanted
to have him arrested on child abuse charges. The
dilemma here is about
when the "abuse" is
actual abuse or when it
is the action of an angry
child?
Scenario 6
One of your eighth grade students
informs you that his parents have
gone to visit family in France for four
weeks, leaving him home to take care
of himself. They have left behind a
full refrigerator and $500 to use for
extra expenses. He has been staying in
his house by himself. What are your
responsibilities in this case?
Scenario 9
A couple of students approach you after class and make
claims that one of their friends is doing inappropriate
“stuff” with a teacher, who has been a long-time friend
and colleague. Students say it is consensual. Careers and
reputations are at stake, but where do you draw the line?
Cause for alarm? What do you do?
Scenario 5
A student brings a knife to school and shows it
to you at the beginning of class. He opens the
knife which has a retractable blade about 4
inches long. Several students in the class see him
open it and show you the knife. The student
tells you he took it out of his Mom's purse this
morning because he's afraid his Mom is going to
hurt herself or him. How do you handle this?
Scenario 2
A little boy constantly uses pencils, rulers, or even
his fingers as a "gun," pointing at students and
teachers to "shoot" them. He often speaks about
his dad's many guns at home, and about hunting
and target shooting on the weekends. He seems
completely obsessed with firearms. Cause for
alarm? What do you do?
Scenario 3
During a persuasive speech unit, one
student has elected to write on the
"Holocaust Hoax." He wants to
convince other students that the
Holocaust never happened, that it
was nothing more than a giant
hoax created by the Jews to garner
sympathy. This viewpoint, by the
way, is shared by his parents. How
do you handle this "free speech"
issue?
Scenario 7
An upper grade elementary student tells you there
are students on Facebook calling her a “fugly
slut”, along with other mean and derogatory slurs.
She has printed out the conversations and shares
them with you. Should you be concerned? Do
you need to do anything about it?
Scenario 8
A group of 6th grade girls report to you that they
have received some mean messages from one
particular student. The students were obviously
really upset. One of the victims in the group sent
a message to the original sender telling off the bad
person, being then considered a hero by the
group. How do you handle this?
Scenario 10
A student has returned to class after missing two days of
school and said he was out sick. You notice he has
bruises and redness on the back of his neck running
under his t-shirt. When asked privately about the marks,
the student tells you his mom did it. Cause for alarm?
What do you do?
Scenario 11
When doing a September 11 remembrance day, a student
asked if he could include the ‘Freedom Fighters who fought
and died so bravely that day’, meaning the terrorists who
took over the planes and caused the tragedy. We were
making a quilt of cards and he also wanted to include them
in the quilt as well as in our bulletin board of
remembrances. The mom complained in a note and asked
that we stop referring to them as ‘terrorists’. What should we
do?
Scenario 12
A girl in my 8th grade class has been rumored to
have performed oral sex on her 8th grade
boyfriend! Do 8th grade girls do this very
often? What should I do about it?
Scenario 13
I have a girl in my 7th grade science class whose
parents have written to ask that she be released
from any instruction regarding evolution of the
earth or of life on earth because it conflicts with
their religious views. What should I do? Is this
OK?
Scenario 14
A student in my hands-on class has been using the materials
inappropriately and dangerously too. He stuck an exacto blade into
a book and pretended to stab another student. I sent this student
to the office and asked the principal to change his elective to
something else because I am afraid of what he’ll do. The principal
sent him back and said she is afraid the parents might take it to the
school board if we remove him and that I must keep him in my
class. I am now expected to write separate plans for this one
student that is not hands-on and grade it etc. He must remain in
my classroom too. Do I have any say in who remains in my class
or gets moved?
Scenario 15
Following an email from me regarding the
inappropriate and disruptive behavior of a boy in my class, the
mother wrote back accusing me of being prejudiced, unfair and
hateful. The principal says the student must remain in my math
class. How do I continue working with a student whose mother
has been so awful to me and I know she is just waiting for an
opportunity to find fault in what I do? How do I work with a
student who knows his mother has sent this terrible email and yet
I’m still supposed to teach and discipline him? He continues to be
rude, not follow class expectations and bother other students. I’m
sort of afraid of him and his mother now. I’m a 1st year
teacher. What should I do?
Irvine Police
Department Presentation
Thank you…
 Dr. Shawn Wirth
 Officer Rick Gramer
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