ABQ Senior Social Science

1. Teacher Scruples

2. Scruple 1
 As a new teacher, you constantly try to
find new ways of engaging your
students’ attention in the material you
teach. In spite of all your efforts, you
are finding that a good number of
students are text messaging or
hanging out on Facebook, MySpace or
Twitter.
 You really need students to
concentrate on the material in your
next lecture – what do you do?

3.  You decide that you will ask the students to
close or put away their laptops so that they can
better concentrate on the material you are
teaching.
 Oops! As you make this decision, you recall that
some students use laptops for disability-related
reasons.
 How can you follow through with your decision
while respecting these students’ accessibility
needs?

4. What would you do?
A) Tell yourself that any students with
disabilities in your class can forgo their use
of laptops for this one lecture.
B) Prepare and distribute hard copies of your
lecture notes at the beginning of class.
C) When asking the students to put away their
laptops, tell them you have posted your
lecture notes on the course website and
that they can access them after class.

5. The Answer is…
 C
 While option B may seem reasonable, only option C,
which makes the notes available electronically,
recognizes the fact that some students with
disabilities may use a laptop for a variety of disability-
related reasons, including the use of screen-reading
software.
 It is important to recognize that in certain
circumstances students may absolutely require the
use of a laptop for disability-related reasons.

6. Scruple 2
 One of your students is deaf and has a sign
language interpreter accompanying your
student to class.
 Coincidently, you attend the same gym as does
Raul, the sign language interpreter. The two of
you have gotten to know each other fairly well
over the past couple of months.
 Before the start of class, you go over to Raul as
he’s standing next to your student and ask Raul
about his weekend and whether or not he is
attending the staff party. How do you think
Raul should respond?

7. A) Interpret your question to your
student in sign language and answer
the question both in voice and using
sign language.
C) Reply to your question in voice.
E) Signal to you that he will catch up
with you later.

8. The correct answer is…
 A
 As part of their professional code of conduct, sign
language interpreters are required to interpret
everything during the time they are providing access
for persons who are deaf. This includes conversations
that are typically not seen as a part of the official EA-
student relationship
 This is why interpreters ask hearing persons to avoid
engaging them in “side” conversations not intended
for the person who is deaf.

9. Scruple 3
 A new student arrives at your school
in clothing that is traditional to
her/his heritage or country. People
start teasing, making mean
comments, and excluding the new
student. What do you do?

10. Scruple 4
 You were away and your class has a
supply teacher. When you return, you
overhear the students talking and
laughing about the teacher’s accent.
They are making rude comments.
What do you do?

11. Scruple 5
 You are picking up a chocolate bar at
the cafeteria and you hear a negative
comment about a particular group of
people (for example, a religious
group, an ethnic group, etc). What do
you do?

12. Scruple 6
 Your colleague uses language that
perpetuates racism and discrimination
— for example, they keep talking
about stereotypical images, even
when referring to themselves (“I’m
having such a ‘blond’ day today”).
What do you do?