Scenario for Role Play 14
Teacher role
Candy is a nine-year-old fourth grader and an above-average student who has been most cooperative in class. She is from a poverty-level family and is on a free lunch program. Recently, Candy has been involved in a series of commotions after lunch. You have wondered what was going on for a couple of days but could not find anything concrete. Today you happen to be a little more discrete and catch Jon selling Reesses Peanut buttercups to Candy. After you talk to both students you decide to talk to Candy longer.
Considerations
- Possible background information
- Behavioral causes
- Possible solutions
- Consider theories, models, or other information used to help guide your decision making
- Create a script for talking with Candy.
Student role - Candy
You are a nine-year-old average fourth grader who has always been cooperative in class. Your mother works full time and has always provided you with food and clothes. You know it is difficult for her because she always says she wishes she had more to give to you but she can’t get a better job with only a high school education. Somehow one of the kids at lunch found out you receive a free lunch and teased you about being poor. Then Jon brought some candy to school and was selling it to other kids and when you wanted to buy some he said, "You can’t afford lunch how can you buy candy?" You were so mad you took the dollar from your pocket, that your grandmother gave you, and bought some candy. You don’t want to buy candy from Jon any more but you don’t want him to call you poor, so you keep bringing money to school to buy candy. You have gotten so desperate for money you stole a dollar from your mother this morning while she was in the shower.
Teacher - Suggestions
Suggestions to encourage change from self-limiting behaviors to mastery oriented behaviors. See Conversations to change behavior
and possible verbal interactions and interventions.
Short term
- Speak with student to find what the student needs are and then try to meet them.
- Speak with the student to find out if the student would like to stop the behavior. If the student wants the behavior to cease, then discuss strategies for the student to not buy candy and reduce student’s teasing.
- The teacher could talk to the student about the source of the money.
- Could inform the principal and let the principal handle the problem.
Long term
- Teach socialization skills and strategies.
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