All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
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| ***Most kids in school |
"It remains possible (perhaps even common) for learners to leave school believing that they know a great deal yet unable to think for themselves, not seeing themselves as active, inquiring individuals" (Johnston, 2004, p. 10).
Isn't the whole point of school to inspire students to think??? 🤔While I'm sure schools and educators have good intentions, at the end of the day, they're failing their students if they're not encouraging them to think for themselves. Students are more likely to remember ideas and opinions that they come to on their own, naturally. I had an amazing high school history teacher, Mr. Boehm, who encouraged us to to be active participants in the class dialogue, regardless of whether or not our opinions were in sync with his. The knowledge that I obtained in that class, remains with me today, and extends beyond meaningless dates or facts. My senior year, we had another teacher, Ms. Simpson, teach us a unit on the Vietnam War. All I learned from her, was that she was a communist vehemently opposed to capitalism. The language and tone she used when speaking to us, was condescending and dismissive. Be like Boehm 👍, don't be like Simpson 👎.
These teachers represent two extremes. The Peter H. Johnston reading offers us examples of both positive and negative exchanges between teachers and students. I'd like to think that I'd be more like Boehm in my exchanges with my students yet, I've definitely spoken similarly to Carl. As a refresher Carl was the problematic example, not someone to emulate. Sometimes, I fear that in the midst of all of this self-reflection, I'm losing my natural instinct to just care for the student and speak to them in a way that I would have wanted to be spoken to when I was in school. Are you ever concerned that you're worrying so much about what the right thing to say is, that you don't say anything at all?
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| Continuing with my The Shining theme...
We've talked at length about the importance of students developing self-reflection on their own assessments/work however, we haven't discussed in detail, how this can aid them in areas outside of school work. As Chapter 3 in These Kids Are Out of Control, specifies, "effective instruction also encourages students to engage in consistent reflection about their identities, their participation in a particular class, their school community, and the community outside of the school" (Milner, Cunningham, Delale-O'Connor, Kestenberg, 2019, p. 67). This seems like common sense right? If communication between students and their teacher remains open, then perhaps we could reduce stress and misunderstandings in the classroom. The only way this can work though, is if the teacher acknowledges that the student's point of view is also valid. Today, while subbing for fourth grade, several of my girls had a disagreement. When I sat down to talk with them, I quickly discovered that they'd been labeled "bad girls" by their teacher. When asked what that meant, they responded that their teacher frequently punished them for "disrespectful" behavior ranging from needing to use the restroom to asking to work on an assignment (there were whole files on them!!! 😒). One of the girls had changed herself to accommodate the teacher's view of a good student. The disagreement stemmed from her no longer wanting to be associated with her former friends who didn't act the way the teacher wanted them to. I can safely say, I don't think I'd get along well with that teacher...
We wonder why kids don't like school. It might have something to do with the fact that we treat them like criminals. Every single act is viewed suspiciously. I say it's time we let them be kids, let them be a little playful! School shouldn't be prison-like, it should be a place of wonder and excitement.
I'll leave you with this video, of how not to speak to your students. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFxRbhpplp8. |
Addy, I very much enjoyed your post. The video at the end was pretty funny. I need to check out that show. I can say I am very nervous about my communication with my students. When you talked about your students having disagreements about what the teacher thinks about them is interesting and scary. This would be the last thing I would like to hear as a teacher and hope it doesn’t happen to me. In the article by Johnston, he mentions about Carl’s discursive pressure he is putting on Maya. This type of instruction is nothing new to me and has happened through most of my schooling. The majority of my teachers in the past have had this type of behavior. I can also associate my coaches in sports for applying pressure and hoping to get the best out of us. Johnston mentions, “Once these conversations become natural in the classroom—ways of talking and interacting that imply roles, relationships, positions, authority, agency, epistemology, topics of conversation, and expected identities—they also become part of children’s conversations.” (Johnston, 2004, pg.10) This resonates with me because I will be a part of my students lives almost daily. It has always been a concern of mine to be on the same page with my students when it comes to communication. I want them to be comfortable around me and not feel any pressure about what to say and when to say it. I want my students’ conversations to reflect the classroom environment positively. To answer your question Addy, I absolutely think I’ll adjust my tone to convey a positive narrative to my students. The hardest part for me is that it will take time and repetition. I know I will have to work hard and pay attention to the way I send messages for my instruction to be more effective.
ReplyDeleteDoug, it sounds like you’ve thought a lot about the best way to communicate with your students. I’m sure they’ll appreciate this when you interact with them on a daily basis! I think that student teaching should help with some of the nervousness we are feeling. Right now, we don't work with the same kids on a daily basis, and so it's hard to see the impact our words have on them. However, once we're in the same classroom, five days a week, I have a feeling it will become more apparent how our words effect our students. I don't think I'll have difficulty maintaining a positive narrative in regards to my students. Unfortunately, I'm discovering that this is harder when speaking about other teachers and school rules that I don't agree with. I've had other teachers reprimand my students, usually for something that is frankly quite stupid. In these situations, I struggle not to express my opinion. For example, the other day, one of my girls had to wear a sweatshirt over her adorable outfit because another teacher thought it was inappropriate. I don't want my students to get in trouble down the line, because I've told them that certain rules aren't worth following. It's sad that we have to teach our students to play by a certain game in order to succeed and not get into trouble.
DeleteAddy, first, thank you for introducing me to A.P. Bio. Now, onto the discussion...Being a child of the 80's and 90's, the goal of education was to teach us the 3 R's (reading, writing, and arithmetic) and, possibly, how to behave correctly (according to white middle-class standards). I wasn't taught to inquire or even to think for myself. Even through High School, most teachers told me what I was supposed to think. Now, I've heard our professors say on one occasion or another that most teachers teach as they have been taught...i.e. they repeat the practices of their own education. This thought frightens me! (Much like we are doomed to become our parents.) I want to be more for my students, and I want my practices (how I speak and act) to align with what I truly believe about them: that they are all capable and worthy of learning, inquiring, and participating in their education. However, I know it will be a constant battle to undo my educational experience and truly "inspire to think" and teach for understanding as we read & discussed in our UbD reading for Social Studies.
ReplyDeleteAs far as "How [I] might adjust your language or tone to convey a positive narrative to your students", I think it begins with a positive attitude, as simple as that may sound. I've noticed on the days that I sub and I don't get enough sleep or I am not feeling well, I have a more negative tone when speaking to the students. We need to be doing our part to keep our own minds in a positive space so that will overflow when speaking to our students.
You're welcome, I love A.P. Bio :). Isn't it funny that despite all the policy changes since the 80s/90s, our emphasis is still on reading, writing, and math. Yet, are our students doing any better in these subjects? It makes me sad to think that your teachers didn't care enough to stop and ask what your thoughts were. Based on how I've seen you interact with our third grade buddies, I'm sure you'll be the opposite of your teachers. If anything, I'd like to think that because we've been through this program, we're more aware of what not to do *fingers crossed.
DeleteYou make a great point about being mentally and physically prepared for teaching! I've also noticed that I'm less patient and positive if I'm tired or it's cold outside (going to need to work on this one). Sometimes we can't avoid going to school when we're not in the best mood. This is why, I loved Dr. Ardrey's check-ins for both the teacher and the students in the morning. This way, if I'm not having the greatest day, they'll know that it's not a reflection of how I'm feeling about them.
Thanks for your post, Addy! I really enjoyed reading it. I also picked out the quote you started with. It saddens me that this is the truth for some (many?) students after their graduation (or dropping out, etc.). As I think about it more, I think this may be a result of what Milner, Cunningham, Delale-O'Connor, and Kestenberg (2019) call "a pedagogy of poverty" (p. 58). When students' time at school is filled with following directions, doing worksheets and homework, writing papers, taking tests, and following classroom rules, they never have the chance to "think for themselves" or see "themselves as active, inquiring individuals" (Johnson, 2004, p. 10).
ReplyDeleteI really like your question about adjusting my language and/or tone to convey a positive narrative. I tend to be a naturally positive person, but I know there will be students and days and classes that test my patience and optimism. With our math one-on-one sessions, I tried to use positive framing when I thought the activities I planned were more challenging or complex than what my buddy had previously experienced. It was fairly easy with one student, who was already fairly confident in his math abilities. I'm sure it will be much more difficult with a whole class at various levels with varying confidence.
You asked if we ever stress out about investing deeply in our students and then having to let them go at the end of the year and what we could do to show them we still care even after they've left our classroom. As the end of the year approaches, lots of the teacher Instagrams I follow have been posting an end-of-year pen pals idea. The teacher passes out a paper with a short message saying how much they loved having the student in class as well as the teacher's address and a pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelope. Your email idea is similar (maybe more modern and accessible for some kids), but I think the paper and pencil pen pals might be easier for younger students who may not have an email of their own.
Isn't the term "pedagogy of poverty" so appropriate for what we're discussing? Why is it that teachers spend so much time forcing kids to do things they have no interest in doing? We claim it's in their best interest, yet, if they don't get anything out of it, how can it be. This may be a crazy idea, but maybe once in a while, we should ask them what they're interested in learning about.
DeleteLike you, I don't have as much difficulty being positive in one-on-one situations. However, when I have a whole class of students asking me questions and wanting me to look over their work, I find it harder to give quality and genuine responses. This one day when I was subbing, without realizing it, I had started commenting, "great job, go turn it in" to my students. When one of my students showed me his work and I didn't use this exact phrase, he looked hurt and asked, "didn't I do a great job?". Of course, I told him he did. However, I became worried about students who wouldn't ask and would instead internalize my not saying "great job" as a personal failure.
I love the idea of end-of-year pen pals, Rachel! Now, I'm off down the teacher instagram rabbit hole...
Rachel, I like how you related Addy’s question, “how do you think you might adjust your language or tone to convey a positive narrative to your students?” I also tend to be a positive person, but we all have bad days and I’m sure it will be a constant struggle to keep the upbeat vibe going. I also think we have to go a step further than just being positive. When Addy described her experience with her teacher who was condescending and dismissive, I immediately cringed, because there is nothing worse than having experiences with someone who talks down to you and doesn’t value you, your opinion, or your thoughts. As Peter H. Johnston said, “The more we help children build a sense of themselves as inquirers and problem-solvers, and the less they see boundaries between domains of inquiry, the more they are likely to transfer their learning into the world beyond school” (Johnson, 2004, p. 10). Knowing how important our interactions and relationships with our students are not only to their success in our classroom but also their experience outside of school and their future we have to make sure we’re continually encouraging them, challenging them academically, and respecting them as individuals with originally and worthy ideas and opinions. I had a teacher in high school named Mrs. Johnson and I will always remember how much I respected her because she set a standard for us that showed she valued and respected us as people and saw our potential to succeed.
DeleteAddy, A.P. Bio, I need to get this on my watching list.
ReplyDeleteI am concerned, worried, saying the wrong thing, All the time! As I sit in our cohort of 10 friends, I still feel judge after ten months, but that is because of the design of the course. If you do not question or side with a person's statements, then you are not participating. I struggle because there are so many different viewpoints we can all pull from the readings, that I sometimes wonder if I read the right articles for the day. Peter Johnson on page 3, shares teachers "interrupted successful readers less often and waited longer for them to figure words out, and their comments to them focused on making sense rather than on the details of print, on sustaining their efforts rather than on correcting them" is how teachers interact with successful readers. I want to walk out of each class feeling like a successful reader. What my take away, there are times that we are required to JAM curriculum into the schedule time frame sacrifices have to be made. As a teacher, I will worry every day that I made the right connection between the standards and the understanding by the students.
Addy, you said, "The only way this can work though, is if the teacher acknowledges that the student's point of view is also valid." While subbing in a 3rd-grade class, the assignment for the day was to complete all missing assignments in Unit 7. I had one student sit there and do nothing. So, I went over to him and inquired, "Do you have your worked book?" and "Is everything complete?" He replied, "This is stupid, we already completed the test on this Unit, why do we have to go back and redo this work?" I suggested to start with one page and left him alone. Now, I truly felt his pain. Did the teacher assign busy work for the day? What was the point of this assignment? I weighed my options for this student at 8:40 in the morning. I cannot agree with him, although I did silently. He has always done the assignments in the past, so, I spoke softly to him at the teachers' desk and said: "What will you do in Math class today?" He replied, "FINE, I will do a page, but this is still stupid." It was a negotiation, which we both were successful. I wish the teacher had just left a unique math game to play for the students instead of this busy work.
Jay, I think you bring up a great point. Even though our group has had seven classes together now, it can still be nerve-wracking to share our opinion. Even more so, if it's different from others around us. I hope that you feel like you can always share your opinion with me, even if you don't agree with me. To be honest, I don't think there's one right way to make connections between standards and student comprehension. I'd question anyone who told me there's a cookie cutter way to do this.
DeleteI've had the same experience subbing. I mentioned in my response to Doug, how much I struggle to not be honest with the student, when they complain about something that I also think is stupid. If something is a waste of time, why should they have to do it? I hadn't considered using negotiation here. I like that idea because you've given him choices. I'd like to think our students will resent us less if we give them these choices.
Addy, I love your blog post and so relate to what you are saying. In response to your question, “Are you ever concerned that you're worrying so much about what the right thing to say is, that you don't say anything at all?” I feel this way all of the time! There are so many things we need to remember to do and different strategies that are going to benefit our diverse group of students, but I become so overwhelmed trying keep it all straight when I haven’t had any real experience using these in real life. Caring about people and students and doing what’s best for them in interactions with them is something that tends to come very natural to me, but with the constant self-reflection and realization that I fall short in so many ways because I just don’t have the information terrifies me that I’m not going to do right by my students.
ReplyDeleteThen I read the finding from the Milner article that says, “teachers tend to teach through frames that make sense in their own cultural world and how they teach or have taught their own biological children, sometimes missing important features of student’s life world” (Milner, Cunningham, Delale-O'Connor, Kestenberg, 2019, p. 60). What does that mean for those of us teachers that don’t have biological children or children period? Does this go along with the idea that we’ll revert to teaching the way we were taught? What if we experienced a variety of different teaching styles? Since I grew up in a predominantly white middle-class suburban school district does that mean I need to disregard all of my positive schooling experiences? My brain is an incredibly overwhelming and sometimes self-defeating place these days, but I have to think that eventually when I start putting these things to practice it may begin to fall into place. I’m all about thinking positive until I know otherwise.
It's reassuring to read that I'm not the only one worrying about saying the right thing all the time. I'd like to think the first step is this process of self-reflection. So many teachers aren't self-aware and don't take the time to stop and consider if how they're speaking to their students is the best form of communication.
DeleteThat quote made me laugh, because, I have no children, but I consider my dog to be my son. I oftentimes speak to him like he's a real human child. Does that count? I think that quote goes back to the idea of teachers as nurturers. Parents and mothers are considered to be the quintessential nurturers, which is silly in my opinion. Anyone can be a good teacher, regardless of whether they had great parents, or are good parents. From everything you've said in class, it sounds like you had a great schooling experience. I would definitely value the positive experiences you had. No one way of teaching is going to work for all our students, but that doesn't mean you should completely disregard the aspects of your schooling that you enjoyed. I once read somewhere that teaching is the only profession when stealing other co-workers' ideas is encouraged. I will definitely be plagiarizing elements of my former teachers' teaching styles that I liked. Only time will tell how successful I am in incorporating my previous and current experiences into my teaching style.
Addy, I really liked your post! The quote from Johnston that you put at the top of your post and your first couple sentences are exactly how I feel. Ideally the point of school should be to get students to think for themselves. As we have learned, schools tend to be places of institutional racism and are more like prisons where students have little to no choice. This quote from Johnston that came right after your quote at the tope of the post, really stuck out to me. "The more we help children build a sense of themselves as inquirers and problem-solvers, and the less they see boundaries between domains of inquiry, the more they are likely to transfer their learning into the world beyond school." It seems that most people would agree that having schools and classrooms where students build a sense of themselves as inquirers and problem-solvers is the best thing to do, so why isn't it happening?!?!
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, "Does it ever stress you out to think that we'll only be with our students for one year before we have to say goodbye? I've considered leaving them with my email address at the end of the year, so that I know that they'll always have at least one teacher on their side, advocating for them, if they reach out. Have you ever thought about doing something similar?" I guess it's never stressed me out that I'll only be with my students for a year, but I have definitely thought about making sure my students know I will advocate for them while I'm with them and in the future. I've always imagined emphasizing to my students that they can talk to me about anything and making sure I create a safe environment in my classroom has always been important to me. I think leaving your email address is a great idea and you should definitely do it. Since you're going to be a great and welcoming teacher, you never know how important giving your students your email could be!
Addy, I definitely agree with everything you are saying! I'll pull something very important I think you touched on here; "We wonder why kids don't like school. It might have something to do with the fact that we treat them like criminals." I can't agree more, and I think some of us have talked in class about how this might have been how our schooling was as if it's something that has just happened in our past. But then I've walked past classrooms and heard how teachers speak to their students, or I've heard from teacher friends about how they refuse to eat in the teacher's lounge surrounded by all of the negative language about students, and can see how these deficit mentalities are still present today. Now I want to play devil's advocate here and also mention that I know there will always be tougher days than others and maybe I've heard these teachers on just a really bad day. I would like to think I will never have a bad day and show my tougher side, but I don't think that's possible, and it's honestly something I worry about all the time. "What if I just cannot find a connection with a child and they fight everything I do every step of the way? How can I make sure I never let something personal negatively affect my mood in the classroom? What if I can't hide the days when I just want to be at home, in bed?" These are some nagging things I've though about during this process, so I like the question you asked about how we will adjust our tone to convey a positive narrative, because that is definitely something I think about a lot. Having these concerns makes us human, though, and I think there should always be some form of reflection that happens where we remind ourselves why we are doing this, and then channel that energy back into our attitudes towards our students.
ReplyDeleteEngaging in positive framing "means that teachers demonstrate a belief that students are worth their time and attention, both during and outside of the classroom" (Milner et.al., 2019, pg. 82). When I think back on my most favorite teachers, they were definitely the kind of teachers that always made the time for us. Quiet work time still meant that our Algebra teacher was available for help and questions, free periods and lunch blocks could be spent in our Spanish teacher's classroom if he didn't have a class. These teachers were important because they wanted to make connections with us, they made strides to open lines of communication by keeping their doors and free time open. I love your idea about giving students your email address so they can keep in touch, because I think that is a great way to keep connections open with past students, and I think that kind of behavior has such a lasting effect that it might extend to other students who you haven't even had in your classroom. My Spanish teacher was friends and available for conversations with anyone that wanted it, if I had a friend who needed a mentor to ask about something, Mr. Henry was there, and I think that is something to aspire to be.
Also, I haven't seen A.P. Bio, but that clip makes my heart happy to know he's the same person he is on Sunny. :)
Addy, you bring up some great points! I have thought much about this: Sometimes, I fear that in the midst of all of this self-reflection, I'm losing my natural instinct to just care for the student and speak to them in a way that I would have wanted to be spoken to when I was in school. Are you ever concerned that you're worrying so much about what the right thing to say is, that you don't say anything at all?
ReplyDeleteOn many occasions I find myself worrying about what to say and how to say it that I put off saying anything. I think this is likely a natural step?? in “becoming more familiar with [my] privileges, issues, and experiences,” (Milner et al, 2018, p. 62) but I worry. At times I feel that I am not benefiting any party involved, rather I feel I am hindering advancement. Being self-aware and self-reflection is obviously extremely important! Since we began this program I have learned so much about myself and have become some much more aware – readjusted my “lens through which [I] perceive the people and world around [me]” (p. 62). But, again, there are those times that I worry that I am freezing or that I am so worried about saying the proper thing at the proper time I am losing (not utilizing) my natural instincts. I feel as though I am somewhat mechanical in my thinking, rather than organic/natural when working with students – which is more of my personality. I ask myself, ‘this will come with time, right?’ Specifically to your point about speaking to the students in a way I would have wanted to be spoken to – this is something, as a coach, I have prided myself on and fully committed to… in those moments, I put myself in the players shoes and think about what I would have wanted said to me in that moment, rather than perpetuating the cycle – “I hated when coach would do/say this to me so… I am going to do/say the same thing to my player(s)”. I react on instincts, but I keep the individual player’s needs and the situation/circumstances in perspective… so in that way, I believe instincts can play hand-in-hand with self-reflection. With that said… now with all the information we have and all the readings/discussions we have had… sometimes I think I think too much and my instincts never kick in or take over and I error on the side of caution and put off or don’t say anything…
Also, hilarious clip... AP Bio is such an incredible show!! LOL
DeleteSchools and teachers get so focused on the ‘right way to do things’ or the ‘standard’, however, as we have cover, discussed, read about, and read in Milner et al (2019) this standard is based on functionalist/traditionalist ideals, representing the dominant culture. Milner et al discusses the “pedagogy of poverty” where “teachers spend so much of their time trying to force students to do things they do not necessarily want to do, or perhaps most importantly, students are completing tasks that do not make sense to them,” (p. 58). In Johnston (2004), we can see a little bit of this effect in the student’s “cases” in Appendix B, when they are responding to questions. Mandy – “to help a classmate become a better reader, she would tell him or her to “stop fooling around because the more you fool around, the more you get your name on the board and checks… [and]… if he doesn’t know that word, if he doesn’t know how to sound it out or if he doesn’t know what it means, look it up in the dictionary.” This is problematic in many ways, but it demonstrates the exact classroom environment and culture that is bread from a pedagogy of poverty… What’s important? Acting the ‘right way’. How do you judge good reading and writing? Who acts the ‘right way’. I could go on for 20 pages on this, but this idea is toxic for students on many levels and in various ways…
ReplyDeleteAddy, the experience you shared, epitomizes this toxicity and devastating effects -- “One of the girls had changed herself to accommodate the teacher's view of a good student. The disagreement stemmed from her no longer wanting to be associated with her former friends who didn't act the way the teacher wanted them to.”
This is very upsetting and so sad – (1) because the student felt she could not be herself and felt she needed to change herself for the teacher and (2) because this is the sad reality of too many classrooms. When students don’t resist and buy into this idea to please their teacher they lose their identity, their individualism….. they lose what makes them unique. I can’t possibly say it better, “We wonder why kids don't like school. It might have something to do with the fact that we treat them like criminals. Every single act is viewed suspiciously. I say it's time we let them be kids, let them be a little playful! School shouldn't be prison-like, it should be a place of wonder and excitement“.