Chapters 10 and 11
Chapter 10
Perception is everything, right? Perception is our reality. When it comes to our willingness to learn and our confidence in ourselves, we will work harder when we believe we can achieve and that we have the support of those around us.
Students are the same way. Of all the goals I have for myself, as a teacher, relationships are at the very top. I hope that every student in my room perceives my support and belief in them. The best way I can show them that I care for them is to take the time to get to know them-- not just academically, but all the way around. I spend time asking them about their lives and give them plenty of opportunities to share what life is like for them away from school. I communicate with their parents in multiple settings so that I can understand what the children are like off campus. A teacher can have an amazing window into a student's life just by listening to what others say about them, and how they interact with others in unstructured moments.
Now, although, that is my plan.... how do I know if that is actually what is happening? Well, I guess that comes back to relationships. I have to foster a climate of mutual respect and trust so that my kids feel comfortable giving ME feedback. I have to be willing to ask those difficult questions and accept whatever answers come up.
If students are not successful and unwilling to learn and grow, that would be a warning sign that my students are not "hearing" me and I need to be doing something different. Teachers have to be open to the possibility that we may not be doing something well, and that we must make changes.
I hope, if I have done nothing else, I have gotten to know my students, each one, individually - by name and need.
Chapter 11
I felt like chapters 10 and 11 went hand in hand. To me, they both come down to the same thing - RELATIONSHIPS. How do you create "buy-in" in any situation if there is not a relationship?
Since I talked about that previously, some actual strategies to keep students on track would be much more helpful. First of all, beyond the every day check in and climate of warmth and trust, we must teach students how to set goals and reflect on them. Helping students set reasonable, personal goals, is a huge step into assisting them into taking ownership in their education-- that, of course, gives them the self-efficacy and self confidence that we know they need to be successful. It is not enough just to set goals, however. We need to have a plan on how to reach the goal, revisit it, and evaluate its effectiveness. Maybe new goals need to be set -- that is part of the process.
Another way to keep students focused, engaged, and on track, is to provide choice in the classroom. We cannot have the mindset that each student is to be treated the same - those days are long gone - actually, they never should have been. When students have choice in their learning, they gain confidence and will strive to succeed. Choice can be offered not only in the actual content, but also in the demonstration of the learning. Technology makes this very "user friendly" and should be a consistent part of any unit.
Not only will I most likely have one of these students in my room this coming year, I have had several in my room for most of my time at Lakeview. This is a great question-- how to work with parents of these students. Partnerships with parents, in my opinion, is key to the success for any student, especially these kiddos. In the past, it has always worked best to ask parents about how things work at home. The more questions I ask, the more support I have. 9 out of 10 times, the parents see the same behaviors at home. I ask them what they do in the house to target these behaviors. Most of the time, the parents are at a loss, frustrated, and looking for whatever suggestions I have. This is how we build a relationship, and create "buy-in" with the parents. From there, we work out a plan, all of us together, with the student present, that we can all agree and live with. We set goals that can be easily met with the support of our "team." We also discuss plans of action, should things not work out-- again, having the support of the parents plays a huge role here, as well.
Perception is everything, right? Perception is our reality. When it comes to our willingness to learn and our confidence in ourselves, we will work harder when we believe we can achieve and that we have the support of those around us.
Students are the same way. Of all the goals I have for myself, as a teacher, relationships are at the very top. I hope that every student in my room perceives my support and belief in them. The best way I can show them that I care for them is to take the time to get to know them-- not just academically, but all the way around. I spend time asking them about their lives and give them plenty of opportunities to share what life is like for them away from school. I communicate with their parents in multiple settings so that I can understand what the children are like off campus. A teacher can have an amazing window into a student's life just by listening to what others say about them, and how they interact with others in unstructured moments.
Now, although, that is my plan.... how do I know if that is actually what is happening? Well, I guess that comes back to relationships. I have to foster a climate of mutual respect and trust so that my kids feel comfortable giving ME feedback. I have to be willing to ask those difficult questions and accept whatever answers come up.
If students are not successful and unwilling to learn and grow, that would be a warning sign that my students are not "hearing" me and I need to be doing something different. Teachers have to be open to the possibility that we may not be doing something well, and that we must make changes.
I hope, if I have done nothing else, I have gotten to know my students, each one, individually - by name and need.
Chapter 11
I felt like chapters 10 and 11 went hand in hand. To me, they both come down to the same thing - RELATIONSHIPS. How do you create "buy-in" in any situation if there is not a relationship?
Since I talked about that previously, some actual strategies to keep students on track would be much more helpful. First of all, beyond the every day check in and climate of warmth and trust, we must teach students how to set goals and reflect on them. Helping students set reasonable, personal goals, is a huge step into assisting them into taking ownership in their education-- that, of course, gives them the self-efficacy and self confidence that we know they need to be successful. It is not enough just to set goals, however. We need to have a plan on how to reach the goal, revisit it, and evaluate its effectiveness. Maybe new goals need to be set -- that is part of the process.
Another way to keep students focused, engaged, and on track, is to provide choice in the classroom. We cannot have the mindset that each student is to be treated the same - those days are long gone - actually, they never should have been. When students have choice in their learning, they gain confidence and will strive to succeed. Choice can be offered not only in the actual content, but also in the demonstration of the learning. Technology makes this very "user friendly" and should be a consistent part of any unit.
Not only will I most likely have one of these students in my room this coming year, I have had several in my room for most of my time at Lakeview. This is a great question-- how to work with parents of these students. Partnerships with parents, in my opinion, is key to the success for any student, especially these kiddos. In the past, it has always worked best to ask parents about how things work at home. The more questions I ask, the more support I have. 9 out of 10 times, the parents see the same behaviors at home. I ask them what they do in the house to target these behaviors. Most of the time, the parents are at a loss, frustrated, and looking for whatever suggestions I have. This is how we build a relationship, and create "buy-in" with the parents. From there, we work out a plan, all of us together, with the student present, that we can all agree and live with. We set goals that can be easily met with the support of our "team." We also discuss plans of action, should things not work out-- again, having the support of the parents plays a huge role here, as well.
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