Book Club: Troublemakers
I have just finished reading Troublemakers by Carla Shalaby, and I am a bit all over the place with my thoughts.
From a personal standpoint, I don’t think I agree with the style of the book. I appreciate that this presents new insight on developing meaningful relationships with more than one type of student, however I believe that if you are going to present a series of problems of such high magnitudes you should also be prepared to offer solutions to those problems. I agree that the main concepts in Troublemakers are ones which require careful thought and consideration, however I think there should be more direction paired with the criticism in this novel.
With that being said, I do believe that Troublemakers has a lot of important takeaways, including the need to change the belief system surrounding teaching. The idea that there are some teachers out there who believe that students who are “more still, more compliant, more conforming…” are the most prepared to face the world is outrageous. The importance of factoring in the developmental aspects of adolescents of this age while problem-solving is paramount.
Young adolescents are only just beginning to form the skills to think in an abstract way as they reach 10-12 years of age. It is no wonder that these kids who are so young and eager to get outside and expend their energy are having trouble acting in a “socially acceptable way” in the classroom. As a future educator, it is my responsibility to foster the minds of my students in such a way that allows them to grow into individual people.
As I take more education classes, I am starting to realize that my education philosophy is one that will change as the world does so I can offer my students the most authentic version of myself as possible. I want to embody the various principles of life that I think my future students would benefit from, and I am coming to believe that those principles are not fixed. As my students grow, they will need different values at the multiple stages of their life, and hopefully I will be able to emulate as many of those values as possible.
Although I find myself at odds with Carla Shalaby’s main presentation of this novel, I do believe that there are important aspects the educational mindset which all teachers can benefit from.
Hey, Sarah! I also felt scattered after finishing Shalaby's text, and I completely agree that the author's presentation of her material is unsatisfying and even anxiety-inducing. It started out like an evaluation of a case study, but quickly became a sort of exposé that tried to make big statements with little resolution. However, I appreciate your reflection on Troublemaker's challenge to question popular beliefs about teaching. We are entering a profession that yields major rewards but places high demands on teachers and students alike. It's time for education to be looked at in regards to educators and students as whole people, not just as teachers and pupils.
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DeleteHi, Sarah! I appreciate your perspective of the book's structure. I agree that the incorporation of solutions would have positively impacted the book. I understand Shalaby's decision to remove herself from the authority figure of providing solutions in order to best give voice to the students depicted. However, I believe that the students would have benefitted from solutions since teachers would know how to engage them. I also love the explanation you gave for having an educational philosophy that changes with the world to be "the most authentic version of" you for your students. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! I agree with your point that the book does highlight some important takeaways, but it doesn't offer many solutions to the problems that are raked up. I believe Shalaby was trying to get the reader to brainstorm solutions themselves, but that can be hard when you're alone reading a book. Insightful post!
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