Collective subject discourse

Situation 1

1

I would not be worried. The disabled student feels insecure alone and the fact that Natalia helps him does not mean that she is doing the work for him. Knowledge is built up together and it’s easier that way. I would guide Natalia not to do things for him, but to help him, monitoring their activities closely. Actually, I think it’s laudable that a student would want to help and would do activities with a disabled classmate, because in most cases students refuse to do activities with such students, claiming that they don’t make any contribution.

2

I would never worry about this. I would take a very relaxed position because working in pairs shows amazing results! Besides Natalia helping Mauricio, social interaction is taking place between the students. This interaction between them, the partnership, the collaboration benefits both! I think the socialization and interaction of a person with a disability are more important than their answers. For me, being together is more important than doing the activity, because most of the time the help from classmates improves academic results and performance, and very often a teacher does not manage to reach all students. This way, the students would have the opportunity to work with other classmates, developing their autonomy. If the student manages to relate with a classmate during activities, in my view that’s a good start.

3

I wouldn’t be worried. Perhaps the student is helping her classmate with his problems. But, through activities and over time, that student might come not to need his classmate’s help. We have limitations and it would be good if the teacher, could help the student by using activities, changing his routine, using other resources so that he can develop his knowledge. I believe that a student with a disability is also a capable student. Vagner, the teacher, should worry more about getting to know Mauricio better so as to learn what he is capable of and what his problems are, believing that anything is possible and that everyone is intelligent and competent. The aim is that both learn, even from differences. If I noticed any hold-up in the activity, I would spend more time on explaining the question.

4

Yes, I would be concerned. The teacher should observe if the student really is doing the activities for him. He can be helped and guided but a classmate should never do the work for him because Natalia thinks she is helping Mauricio, who cannot learn because of his disability. And Mauricio could also be a little uncomfortable with the situation, and Vagner should talk to Natalia and clarify the ways of helping. If she does the work for him, this stops him thinking, trying, learning. His learning would be jeopardized. So, he feels complacent, apathetic, and this will jeopardize him, because he is being carried by the others, who feel sorry for him and so do the activity for him.

5

Oh I would be worried, because Mauricio would be evolving very little if his friend Natalia did activities for him, because this impedes his academic performance and he wouldn’t know if he was managing to keep up with the class. Mauricio needs to find his own way, feeling self-confident, to conquer his fears to walk on his own two feet, facing and accepting his difficulties, because in this way he will be able to walk more confidently to overcome his difficulties and feed his self-esteem. By separating them, I will know how to identify the development and ability of each student while doing the activity and when it’s a question of a disabled student, the teacher should accompany him according to his needs. He should give different activities, alternating between individual, pair and group activities so that it will be clear how much the student has advanced and what still needs to be improved.

6

Yes, I would be worried, mainly if the student were more advanced in the level of learning. After a “diagnostic evaluation” with a professional, I would check the different forms of interaction between the children and the result of the diagnosis. Special students need to have their own school. They disturb our classes and don’t allow the others to learn. The disabled student is not equipped to study with others and I think the government is putting these disabled students in with the others because if they don’t pass, the others carry them.