BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL) conducted the 21st Journal Club Session on September 13, 2017, at the BBS Conference Room of BRAC University. Ms. Beth Trudell, Consultant at BIL, presented and facilitated a discussion around the article titled “The Case for the Rebel” written by Ashley Lamb Sinclair.
In the article, the author attempts to make a case for rebellious and disruptive students by saying that these very ‘difficult’ students grow up to be academic over-achievers and high-earning, successful adults. The author further highlights the opinion of experts who suggest that procrastination, tardiness, and defiance towards authority figures are actually important characteristics for original thinkers who help change the world positively. Therefore, the author suggests that even though handling disruptive students in the classroom is not easy, teachers can nurture these students by creating “strengths-focused classrooms” which provide opportunities for them to showcase their natural talents and innate behaviors.
A lively discussion ensued at the session in which teachers shared different tactics to engage intelligent and creative, yet disruptive, students. Some of the tips shared included having one-on-one discussions with the student to take a personalized approach, creating a supportive classroom environment, initiating challenging tasks to push the students to take an active role in the classroom, etc. Overall, the controversial article generated an animated discussion with the help of all the faculty members from BIL.