Troublemakers Carla Shalaby

     Carla Shalaby describes the experiences of four students from various backgrounds in Troublemakers. By demonstrating that many loving parents put out great effort to assist their children in the face of difficulties, she refutes the notion that low-income families don't value education. Shalaby also criticizes the way the educational system handles kids who are categorized as "troublemakers". According to Shalaby, kids who exhibit difficult behaviors are punished for not being well behaved students. Teachers sometimes try to fit children into a certain mold, and rather than taking a more comprehensive approach to the educational system, they blame the students or use a more passive aggressive approach. She also discusses how schools deal with misbehavior from students, especially from younger children who may face expulsion for misbehaving. Shalaby says it's critical to comprehend the reasons behind students' actions rather than only punishing them. Teachers can better handle problems by developing good relationships with their students. Shalaby suggests that rather than blaming the students for the difficulties in the school system, we should concentrate on resolving the deeper issues that "troublemakers" represent.

I can personally relate to being punished instead of understood when dealing with conflict in school. I respect those who give me respect as well, and am a true believer of ‘treat those how you want to be treated’. When bringing situations up to certain administrations it was always dismissed, overlooked, or twisted. Not one staff member would take the time of day to really listen and understand, and when it came to a situation with a teacher the student was wrong immediately regardless of their experience and explanation, making it feel like an abuse of authority. In my personal experience that I can draw a connection to, a situation occurred in my school where a teacher used a racial slur towards the class. Many students were offended and brought it up to administration multiple times, the teacher was not fired nor was the situation addressed. Every student’s concern was just dismissed, and their voices were ignored. How is it that some educators can choose to silence and/or dismiss a child’s voice? What do you think that does to the child?