Deck 4: What Social Problems Affect Todays Students

Question 1

Over 60 percent of all children live in homes where the only parent or both parents work. What significance does this have for teachers?

A) Teachers need to assume the parent role.
B) Teachers should not try to involve parents in the school as much as they used to.
C) Parents are now generally expecting teachers to monitor children much more closely than they will.
D) Parents' work schedules may make participation in the school more difficult, and teachers may have difficulty contacting them.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Mrs. Wasserberg is the principal of Kenmont High School, located in an urban area. She has managed to develop ways for all staff members to have positive and productive interactions with students, while maintaining order. Such an atmosphere in a school, according to research, helps reduce which of the following problems?

A) Teenage pregnancy
B) Child abuse
C) Violence and vandalism in schools
D) Teen-age suicide

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The two ethnic groups with highest dropout rates in the United States are

A) African American and Hispanic.
B) Native American and Hispanic.
C) Asian American and Native American.
D) Hispanic and Pacific Islander.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Pick one of the issues regarding sexuality discussed in the text. Describe the issue and the teacher's role in response.

Question 5

Jenna is seventeen years old, the mother of an infant, and a full-time employee at a local manufacturing company. Which of the following is also likely true about Jenna's life?

A) She is advancing in her company.
B) She lives below the poverty line.
C) She is enrolled part-time in college.
D) She and her child are physically healthy.

Question 6

Ryan and Cooper refer to bullying conducted using electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, or tablets as

A) e-intimidation.
B) online victimizing.
C) social strong-arming.
D) cyberbullying.

Question 7

Consider the following quote by Neil Postman: "If you heap upon the school all of the problems that the family, the church, the political system, and the economy cannot solve, the school becomes a kind of well-financed garbage dump, from which very little can be expected except the unsweet odor of failure." To what degree does this statement represent public schools? What do you see as the role of the public school in solving or ameliorating social problems?

Question 8

A teacher notices that Victor, a student in her class, has been acting differently. He has quit the hockey team and stopped spending time with his friends. When she asks Victor about it, he withdraws. The teacher feels that she has seen a happy, popular, attractive boy become a disheveled-looking loner. She raises the issue with a guidance counselor, who thinks Victor may have a drug or alcohol problem. Given Victor's behavior, the guidance counselor and teacher should also consider that he

A) may be contemplating suicide.
B) has abused a child.
C) may just be going through a stage of adolescent development.
D) has joined a gang.

Question 9

It is the third week of September, and you are just beginning to know your first-grade students. One child, Marcus, stands out in your mind. He has not made friends with any playmates so far, and he rarely talks to the other children. Yesterday, during playtime, he stomped on a cardboard puzzle after playing with it for several minutes.  Later, he told you he got mad at it because "it wasn't all fitting in." During the past several days, he has had several such outbursts, usually when things get busy in the class, such as when lining up for lunch or recess, or marching to music. Given his behavior, you think he may

A) have dyslexia.
B) have a low IQ.
C) be suffering from abuse.
D) be homeless.

Question 10

To minimize the influence of gangs, educators can

A) hire more security personnel.
B) ignore minor activity.
C) establish programs that stress positive youth involvement.
D) implement the use of metal detectors and dogs.

Question 11

Singleton is a divorced mother of two children who works at a local shipping company. If she is representative of most divorced mothers, what is the most significant problem she is facing?

A) Deep feelings of depression after her marriage ended
B) The relocation of her family, including finding a new home and a new school for her children
C) The financial strain of supporting her family on limited income
D) Harassment from her ex-husband

Question 12

Youths tend to join gangs

A) to belong to and identify with a group.
B) for protection.
C) because they feel ignored.
D) for all of the above reasons.

Question 13

Which of the following is uppermost among a teacher's responsibilities toward a child who is disadvantaged, neglected, or abused?

A) Giving the child lots of attention and affection
B) Offering the haven of a well-run, orderly classroom
C) Maintaining a cool but fair approach to help the child learn independence and feel a sense of accomplishment when he or she completes work
D) Showing the child that you care, perhaps by buying the child a toy or an ice-cream cone

Question 14

Darla LeMan suspects that her student, Sheila, is being abused at home. After she reports her suspicion to the principal, how can Darla best serve Sheila's needs?

A) Offer Sheila extra attention by spending time with her after school.
B) Informally stop by Sheila's home to visit with Sheila and her family.
C) Provide a stable class environment to foster student learning.
D) Uphold very high standards for Sheila and her work so that Sheila knows that Darla believes in her.

Question 15

Relief from a high incidence of school violence and vandalism seems to come directly from programs that

A) strictly enforce rules and punish offenders.
B) establish a firm, fair, and consistent system.
C) generously and publicly reward compliant student behavior.
D) do all of these.

Question 16

A teacher has serious concerns that a student's behavior signals he is contemplating suicide, and one day the student admits that the thought has occurred to him. The teacher should

A) have a long talk with the student, telling him why he should want to live.
B) tell the student that he or she will always be available if the student needs to talk.
C) call the student's parents.
D) contact the school psychologist or guidance counselor and explain the situation.