ABSTRACT
I usually do not like to use case studies to talk about dealing with classroom or other professional problems. I think case studies give you a false sense of preparedness. In the abstract, it is much easier to be reasonable in a case study because you have little at stake. In the classroom, dealing with real people and under the pressure of making decisions on the spur of the moment, it is much more diffi cult. Your feelings, and those of the other people involved, tend to get in the way. Responses to case studies can lend themselves to scripted conversations and, in my experience, the situations that arise in classrooms are anything but scripted. More important than having a script are your ideas, your goals, and your concern for students. Every situation is unique and every student needs to be treated as an individual. As with clothing and shoes, one size never fits all.
