Inclusion

My next big assignment is on 'inclusion'. Think I might enjoy this one alot more then the last one. I've started it early to after much reluctance I resisted the temptation of loitering around in the sunshine with my fair lady and headed for the library...all the way in Didsbury!

I've decided to look into how I would include EAL children and children with behavioral problems, boys in particular, into my lessons. As I can relate these issues directly to my placement and they are both issues I am genuinely interested in.

For background research for the behavioral problems I started reading a book called 'What about the boys - Issues of masculinity in schools' (Wayne Martino and Bob Meyenn) the chapter I read was on 'Cussing matches' which are 1 on 1 challenges where each boy takes it in turn to insult the others 'momma' the first one to make the other crumble in to tears or lash out is the winner. Alot of this is normally done during playtime and dinnertime but sometimes it can spill over into the classroom.

According to the book its a way for boys to show their heterosexual masculinity and is normally shown by the more boisterous boys who are normally a part of a group. This was the case in my class however after one incident of it spilling over in my class they never tried the cussing matches.

There were afew boys who weren't a part of the group this was because they had been left out because of language barriers or learning needs (boys can be just as nasty as girls) so when during a spare few minutes before playtime the children were telling me what they had been up to one of the boys who is just learning english put up his hand. Me thinking it was a good chance to include him in the conversation got the rest of class to quieted down as he spoke:

Shyboy: Miss I have joke
Me: Go on then (beaming to myself at his confidence in speaking in front of the class)
Shyboy: Yo mamma's so fat I eat my corn fleks in her belly button