Helping Bilingual Students Succeed: Overcoming Teacher Pessimism

Name: Psychology 3302 – Spring 2022 – Exam 1, Chapters 1, 2, 3 Exam 1 is due Wednesday, February 23, at midnight, and must be typed. Please download this document and type your name above and answer the questions, re-save the document with just your last name as the filename and send it back to me by the due date. Remember that your answers should reflect research-based solutions. You shouldn’t have to search beyond the text, but if you do, be sure to cite your sources. Part 1: Short answer questions: the answers to these questions may require a few sentences or a paragraph or two. Six questions at 12 points each. Javier emigrated from Mexico with his family and is starting third grade with minimal ability to speak English. His teacher, a recent graduate from an urban state university, is not optimistic about Javier’s chances for success. The school offers few resources for bilingual education and the principal tells her “Just do the best you can.” How should the teacher approach this situation? How will her pessimistic attitude impact Javier’s experience? What would you do if you were the teacher? Answer: It is imperative for teachers to express optimism towards their students regardless of the situation. In our case scenario, it is open that the teacher has very negative attitude towards Javier’s success in an English fluent environment. To change such a negative perception, the teacher must focus on Javier’s specific needs “bilingual inabilities” without judging her potentials. The need to encourage and remain supportive towards Javier is essential in enhancing her success in adapting to her new environment. The teachers’ pessimism may make Javier feel useless and not fit for the new environment and fear approaching such a teacher. An effective teacher establishes positive relationship with students which prove a powerful force in solving student’s problems thus the best remedy for Javier’s case. A teacher is conducting a study in his classroom. He wants to determine whether students perform better on a concepts test afte