interaction and change
 : Ripeka
Approach: One to one
176k
Resources: Video: Ripeka is upset because her teacher and peers call her Rebecca - even when she asks them to pronounce it correctly. Then Ripeka carves her name on her desk. The teacher is cross and sends Ripeka to see the principal who decides they need to talk to her mother.
 Download the videoclip 1.1meg (requires QuickTime plug-in)

Questions / instructions:
We're going to start this activity by watching a video about what happened one day at one school.
Show video clip

  % responses
y4
y8

1. There is more than one problem here. What do you think the problems are?
I will write these down for you.
     Prompt: Why did Ripeka carve her name on the desk?

Mispronunciation: issue clearly identified
issue vaguely identified
staff should know children's names
42
40
3
60
34
10
Ripeka's response:
broke rule — damaged desk
should have chosen more appropriate reaction
66
9
71
14
Major discipline actions:
Ripeka in big trouble
staff need to listen to student
25
4
34
7

2. Which people are involved in these problems?

Ripeka
teacher
other students
principal
her mother
65
87
72
84
33
78
96
83
91
55

3. What do you think Ripeka and her teacher should do to try and solve these problems?

Who should do something?
Ripeka
teacher
other students
principal
her mother
45
62
10
7
8
63
73
19
4
8
4. What could be done so that problems like these don't happen?
Suggestions likely to be:
very helpful
moderately helpful
somewhat helpful
not helpful
5
19
38
38
15
37
28
20

Commentary:
The underlying issue in the story of Ripeka was the incorrect pronunciation of her name by her teacher. However, only 42 percent of year 4 students and 60 percent of year 8 students clearly identified mispronunciation as one of the key problems. While quite high numbers of students recognised those involved in the problems that stemmed from careless pronunciation of a child's name, considerably fewer were able to offer suggestions for remedying the underlying and consequent problems.

 
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