Chapter 8 Podcast Response

Misti Neely
Ivy Tech Community College

Listening to Linda Ward talk about her experiences with her students, you can tell that
she is a genuine caring individual that loves her students. I agree with her that expulsion should
very seldom be the answer. However, I also dont think there should ever be a teacher thrown
from a building. I dont know how she ended up in this situation whether it was not paying
attention or being understaffed, but something should be investigated when it comes to the
teachers life being endangered.
Gaydon Carruth holds the opinion that students with disabilities need to be punished with
expulsion when they cause harm to others. I do not necessarily agree with this. Yes, the student
should be punished, demonstrating that their behaviors were wrong and that every action has an
effect. However, you cannot just kick every disabled student out because he or she had a bad day.
Yes, the classroom should be a safe place and there does have to be some balance in the rules and
regulations for all students, however, I feel that our school systems pull the expulsion card
excessively without deeper consideration of the emotional impact it has on a student. They like
to think out of sight, out of mind.
I feel that Sue Pratt knows what she is talking about. Any student whether disabled or not will
continue to display a behavior if they are getting a desired result. By removing students from the
classroom when they act up you are rewarding their negative behaviors. Its just like giving a
two-year-old candy for smacking someone. The two-year-old will continue the behavior because
they are receiving an award.
Growing up with a disabled sister I know that students with special needs are not desired in most
school systems, therefore, I disagree with the person who said that it is not the desire for the
school system to remove special needs students from their systems. I am sure there are a few
school systems that honestly do care; however, from my experience, children with special needs

give others who are not use to them uncomfortable feelings. No one posts a sign outside the
school saying, We desire exceptional needs students. Sue made a good point stating how
special needs students echo other students and are normally not serious about their threats.
Threats are taken very seriously and they should be, however, show me one student who hasnt
been so mad at one point or the other that they havent said, I wish you would just die or I
hate you. This is especially common in teenagers who have issues with not only controlling
their emotions but also controlling their mouths. Now, imagine a special needs student whose
feelings are amplified, being bullied and telling someone they are going to kill them. Its called,
talk to the parents! The steps that should be taken are talking to the student letting them know
they cannot make threats, calling the parents letting them know, and keeping an extra close eye
on the student. We live in a world where bullies walk away free and the victims are being
punished for standing up for themselves. If I were a 16-year-old girl being bullied every day of
my life by particular students, I would wish the worst of fates on them as well. Most of the
special needs students pick up sayings from other students and repeat them not knowing the full
weight of their words.
It is important for students with disabilities to have the protection of educational access, so they
are not cast aside, seen as someone elses problem. As figure 8.1 in our book suggests, students
attending school regularly and becoming involved in extracurricular activities actually increases
prosocial behaviors. In the early years of school children with EBD (Emotional and Behavioral
Disorders), need to be nurtured and supported by parents and teachers. It is also important for
them to observe prosocial behavior and positive attitudes towards an education and schooling.
(Hallahan, Kauffman, & Pullen, 2015) Therefore, by kicking students out of school for negative
actions their behaviors will continue to feed the cycle of EBD just angering the child more and

keeping them from getting that prosocial support needed. Children need to be in a safe
environment where they can develop emotionally, socially, and mentally. This is why it is
important to protect the rights of these children to continue their education within the public
school system. However, it is just as important that while these students are in the school system,
teachers maintain good classroom management skills and make sure all students are treated with
respect instead of battling negative interactions. Creating a positive, accepting, and welcoming
environment is exactly what these students need. They have already had enough doors slammed
in their faces.

References
Hallahan, D. P., Kauffman, J. M., & Pullen, P. C. (2015). Factors that heighten or lower risk at
various stages of development and may lead to EBD or prosocial behavior. In
Exceptional Learners An Introduction to Special Education (p. 187). Pearson. Retrieved
July 07, 2015
Ward, L. A., Carruth, G., & Pratt, S. (2003). Special Ed Bill Sparks Discipline Debate [Recorded
by L. Abramson]. Retrieved July 07, 2015, from
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1389867