Saturday, December 11, 2010
Holy Shift
This post was inspired by a question posed on the PLP Ning. A fellow PLPeep is finding herself grieving the shift that is happening in her teaching. I can relate. I have a theater background, so at the beginning of my teaching career I loved to have the rapt attention of my students as I disseminated information in a highly entertaining way. I loved the way they asked questions of me- the bearer of all truth. It felt so good to be "on stage" in my classroom, glowing in the approval of my audience. As I have begun to shift, the spotlight has been warming my students, not me. I miss the laughter after a well-timed joke and the earnest conversation that would continue during the break as I explained a concept further to one of my "disciples". The fact is, I haven't gotten the high I used to get after a terrific lesson. What defines terrific these days has very little to do with me. In fact, today one of my students literally took the dry erase marker out of my hand and began to teach her peers. I stood to the side as this morphed in to 25 minutes of students sharing their own methods of remembering the information- songs broke out, there was a dance, and I clapped along at the end, an observer of the learning that was happening. Sigh. . . But as I type this, I realize I'll gladly give up the high in exchange for the looks of joy and satisfaction I saw on all of their faces. Shifting is simply the right thing to do.
Revenge of the Introvert
October 24, 2010
My husband asked me to read an article about the difference between introverts and extroverts. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201008/revenge-the-introvert A friend of his (an introvert) had brought it to his attention knowing he would relate. I read enthusiastically, always on the hunt for ways to better understand by better half. Wow- talk about opposites attracting. Extremely introverted people may seem to lack social skills and extreme extroverts can be at a complete loss with introspection, but most folks fall somewhere in a less drastic place on the spectrum. Nevertheless (is that really a word?), the number of people on either side is around 50%. As an extrovert I have always felt slightly superior to introverts and this article helped me to understand why. American culture glorifies the extrovert and marginalizes those who prefer an evening at home with close friends to a party. This article helped me to realize that half ofthe students in my class prefer to work independently, want time to formulate answers before sharing in a group and gain energy by spending time on their own. I owe it to them to take this in to account when I design instruction and assessments. And I owe it to my husband to schedule time to be a homebody!
My husband asked me to read an article about the difference between introverts and extroverts. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201008/revenge-the-introvert A friend of his (an introvert) had brought it to his attention knowing he would relate. I read enthusiastically, always on the hunt for ways to better understand by better half. Wow- talk about opposites attracting. Extremely introverted people may seem to lack social skills and extreme extroverts can be at a complete loss with introspection, but most folks fall somewhere in a less drastic place on the spectrum. Nevertheless (is that really a word?), the number of people on either side is around 50%. As an extrovert I have always felt slightly superior to introverts and this article helped me to understand why. American culture glorifies the extrovert and marginalizes those who prefer an evening at home with close friends to a party. This article helped me to realize that half ofthe students in my class prefer to work independently, want time to formulate answers before sharing in a group and gain energy by spending time on their own. I owe it to them to take this in to account when I design instruction and assessments. And I owe it to my husband to schedule time to be a homebody!
I Will Bother to Shift
September 30, 2010
“. . . there are three predictable effects when students are led to focus on bringing home better report cards: They tend to become less interested in the learning itself, to think in a more superficial fashion, and to prefer the easiest possible task. But who is going to bother rethinking the value of rating students with letters or numbers – or the value of the specific tasks involved, like memorizing facts for a test or filling out worksheets, that determine who gets which grades — if the goal is just “success,” and that’s equated with getting an A?” - Alfie Kohn
I apologized to several students this week for training them to care about the grade and not the learning. We’ve set them up- we SAY we want them to be intrinsically motivated yet insist on measuring them based on how many facts, words, details, they can cram in to their brains (often stored in short term memory) and spit out for us in a contrived, disconnected way. We’ve made the lowest order thinking skill our highest priority. The fact is, if knowledge is the goal, we’re out of a job. They can get knowledge sitting at home in their pajamas.
“. . . there are three predictable effects when students are led to focus on bringing home better report cards: They tend to become less interested in the learning itself, to think in a more superficial fashion, and to prefer the easiest possible task. But who is going to bother rethinking the value of rating students with letters or numbers – or the value of the specific tasks involved, like memorizing facts for a test or filling out worksheets, that determine who gets which grades — if the goal is just “success,” and that’s equated with getting an A?” - Alfie Kohn
I apologized to several students this week for training them to care about the grade and not the learning. We’ve set them up- we SAY we want them to be intrinsically motivated yet insist on measuring them based on how many facts, words, details, they can cram in to their brains (often stored in short term memory) and spit out for us in a contrived, disconnected way. We’ve made the lowest order thinking skill our highest priority. The fact is, if knowledge is the goal, we’re out of a job. They can get knowledge sitting at home in their pajamas.
Googling "Rachel Herlein"
September 30, 2010 No real surprises- mostly education related links from my school and summer camps. It was fun to see a link to an article from the Baltimore Sun where I was interviewed as a second year teacher for a story on the last day of school around the county. The girl I talk about in the article recently found me on facebook and told me she became a teacher because of her 4th grade year with me. Really, really special moment. . .
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1997-06-07/news/1997158004_1_teacher-middlesex-fifth-graders
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1997-06-07/news/1997158004_1_teacher-middlesex-fifth-graders
Not a Gamer, but I'm Game
September 30, 2010
Just read an article sent my way from a colleague (thanks Beth) and felt the need to process it here. It talked about a middle school using video games in the classroom to develop digital literacy and problem solving skills. Since I’m not a gamer, I honestly didn’t know much of the lingo being used, but this statement got me nodding my head: “. . .there is a way to make learning feel simultaneously more relevant to students and more connected to the world beyond school.” I decided to look at my upcoming lesson plans through this lens. I realized that as an Academic Resource Teacher I am constantly striving to make my lessons relevant, but only to what the girls need to be successful in school. That’s my job, right? Get those “struggling students” to “keep up”?
I need to strive for a higher purpose in my teaching. I’m missing that REALLY vital ingredient of making what they do in my classroom relevant to THEIR WORLD outside of this building. If what they learn from me merely focuses on school achievement, I haven’t done my job. Furthermore, I have perpetuated the faulty message that learning is limited to these four walls in order to be “successful” according to the standards of the institution. I want more from my students and they deserve more from me.
Just read an article sent my way from a colleague (thanks Beth) and felt the need to process it here. It talked about a middle school using video games in the classroom to develop digital literacy and problem solving skills. Since I’m not a gamer, I honestly didn’t know much of the lingo being used, but this statement got me nodding my head: “. . .there is a way to make learning feel simultaneously more relevant to students and more connected to the world beyond school.” I decided to look at my upcoming lesson plans through this lens. I realized that as an Academic Resource Teacher I am constantly striving to make my lessons relevant, but only to what the girls need to be successful in school. That’s my job, right? Get those “struggling students” to “keep up”?
I need to strive for a higher purpose in my teaching. I’m missing that REALLY vital ingredient of making what they do in my classroom relevant to THEIR WORLD outside of this building. If what they learn from me merely focuses on school achievement, I haven’t done my job. Furthermore, I have perpetuated the faulty message that learning is limited to these four walls in order to be “successful” according to the standards of the institution. I want more from my students and they deserve more from me.
Another First
September 12, 2010
Haven’t blogged before but love to write. Glad to be be 37 and still having firsts. Hoping to come back Monday night enlightened. How does web 2.0 advance learning?
Haven’t blogged before but love to write. Glad to be be 37 and still having firsts. Hoping to come back Monday night enlightened. How does web 2.0 advance learning?
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