Ethical Dilemma case study: Promoting Peer Acceptance

1. Ethical Dilemma case study: Promoting Peer Acceptance Group Members: Laurel Goldberg, LilianMasocha, Preston Paris, Heather Bell, Lauren Bowne Dr. Joy Bell Fall 2011

2. Location of Study: Lindley Sixth Grade Academy • Lindley Sixth Grade Academy is located near South Cobb Drive in Mableton, Georgia.

3. Socioeconomic Profile • The socioeconomic profile of Lindley Sixth Grade Academy is staggering: • According to the Georgia Department of Education, approximately eighty-seven percent of students are on free or reduced lunch. • Lindley Sixth Grade Academy is a Title 1 School. • 9% of the school population qualifies for special education, meaning awareness is limited.

4. Lindley 6th Grade Academy Demographics The Georgia Department of Education breaks down ethnicity for Lindley in its annual school report card. According to the DOE, the school is made up of sixty-eight percent Black, twenty-six percent Hispanic, five percent White, and one percent Asian.

5. Case Study: Peer Acceptance Mr. Grey is a 6th grade History and Social Studies teacher at Lindley 6th Grade Academy. His teaching experience is fairly extensive at eight years and counting. The particular class we will be looking at is one in which there are four students with disabilities: two who are wheelchair dependent, one visually impaired, and one with MRDD. In Mr. Grey’s years of teaching experience, he had witnessed and dealt with student bullying around the school on numerous occasions. More recently, he had noticed subtle bullying perpetrated by one of his older 6th grade boys in the hallway: John. Out of concern for his students who could not easily defend themselves, Mr. Grey felt compelled to address this issue.

6. Mr. Grey asked John, "Have you ever felt like someone was not pleased with you?" This question prompted John to verbalize a memory in which he had broken his mother’s favorite vase. John said that he understood that his mother felt that he could have been more careful with her vase; however, he understood that his mom still loved him very much. He felt ashamed for his clumsy behavior, which seemed to be a habit for him. Now that Mr. Grey had related a very common situation to his students that they could all understand, he continued, "Now class, how would you feel if someone laughed at you for unwillingly drooling in class? You want to look just like everyone else but you have this stuff coming out of your mouth and you are completely unable to control it." Mr. Grey hoped to level with his students in a way that would incite empathy for those different from themselves.

7. His students’ looked downcast as he pushed his point across. He called the following students by name asking them where they went to elementary school: Emily, Timothy, Jude and Greta. He knew that they had all been to different schools. Mr. Grey’s inquiry was followed by an explanation of the term “peer acceptance.” “It means accepting that we have all been created differently. As such, we need to accept that we come from different backgrounds, are born into different situations, have different opinions and outlooks, etc. However, when it comes down to it, we are all inherently equal and the same.

8. "The human thing to do is to help those who are in need, and that is going to start in this class. In case of an emergency, who would be willing to push Emily's wheelchair down the hallway to safety? John scanned the class as he slowly raised his hand. Thanks John, I’m proud of you. The next time we do a drill, John will assist Emily in exiting the building safely.”

9. Stakeholders • Mr. grey is a key player in this scenario because he is the one who will teach his students about peer acceptance. • Boys in the six grade class are key players in this scenario because they need to understand they cannot bully someone who may be different from them. Mr. Grey hopes to teach them peer acceptance. • John is a key player in this scenario because he is being bullied by his peers. He just wants to be accepted by his peers and possibly make friends.

10. Ethical Questions 1. If the bullying continues even after the teacher addresses it, what is the next step?2. How far can a teacher go in asking other students to help other students with physical disabilities without taking away from their learning time?3. How much is too much inclusion when it comes to taking on heaps of responsibility for the classroom teacher?

11. Possible Resolutions 1. Contact the administration about concerns. Hopefully, the parents of the students involved will also be contacted.2. The teacher may limit student-student assistance to only a by need-basis. For example, in the case of an emergency in which the need to evacuate the classroom arises.3. We suggest no more than 5 inclusion students per class, depending on the availability of teacher aides so that the teacher's time may be equally balanced between all the students

12. References • "Ethical Dilemmas - Moral Dilemmas - Classroom Discussion." Character Education - Free Resources, Materials, Lesson Plans. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://www.goodcharacter.com/dilemma/dilemma.html>. • "Lindley 6th Grade Academy: Report Card." Georgia Department of Education. http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx? PageReq=101&SchoolID=37400&PID=63&PTID=214&T=0&FY=2011 (accessed November 28, 2011). • Mastropieri, M.A., & Scruggs, T. E. (2000). The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for EffectiveInstruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.