Educators work with families from diverse backgrounds. In order to develop an in-depth
appreciation for the differences among the families of our students, it is important to consider
how we might respond to real-life situations. Case studies provide opportunities to analyze and
address difficult situations outside of the classroom in order to prepare educators for the realities
and challenges of teaching.
For this assignment, you will review an assigned case study and write a 400-500-word essay in
current APA format that contains three sections, which address the following components:
1. Identify the key issue or issues in the case study.
2. Recommend a plan for developing and/or maintaining a positive working relationship
with the parent featured in the case study, and supporting the child of that parent, who is
a student in your class or school.
3. Provide a rationale for the plan you have chosen.
You must include at least one citation from your textbook and at least one citation from another
scholarly resource in this assignment. Resources should be listed on the reference page in current
APA format.
Discipline-Practices Case Study
You are nearing the end of your summer vacation and you have just received your class list for
the upcoming school year. You go to your school to start making preparations, and another
teacher tells you the following story about the parent of one of the students you will be teaching
in the upcoming school year.
Toni arrived at her son’s middle school, belt in hand, and demanded a private room in
which to whip the boy for not attending school. In her judgment, this reaction was
supported by her views of the importance of education and what her actions must be to
ensure that her children receive at least a high school diploma. She recounts the school’s
reaction to her desire to discipline her son this way: I proceeded to go up there and they
said, well Mrs. Howard, you can’t do this. And I said, I can to, because it will be a cold
day in hell before the cops brought my child in here (i.e., the school) on two good healthy
legs for skipping school! (-Toni, a low-income single mother), (Tutwiler, 2017, p.64).
– Case 6A: Discipline Practices. This case study was extracted from the course textbook,
Teachers as Collaborative Partners