I know these are pretty loaded questions, but that's why I'm in school for this, right?
I feel like the only solution I have seen play out in the school when a student isn't participating and is being disrespectful is to kick the student out of class. I'm not sure how much help that really is. Not only do they miss learning new content, but they also don't seem to be held accountable in any way. How do we as educators talk to them in a way that is encouraging and motivating instead of alienating?
Also, if the student is honestly bored with the material, how is it their fault that they're not interested? Isn't that somewhat the teacher's responsibility? And how do you divide that line? Is it all the teacher's responsibility? Or does the student have to put in some energy and effort too? I think it's clear that both have a role, but it is unclear to me how you enforce that responsibility on both sides.
Thoughts?
cassie, you are a great and thoughtful blogger! keep up the good work! :)
ReplyDeletewhat is the goal as a teacher you are trying to achieve? hopefully it is learning the math content as well as fostering student success! so, removal from the class doesnt really support the goal! continue your exploration and good luck-
ReplyDeletefrom karen, chantel's mom and experienced special ed teacher!
WOW Cassie..... Some great questions and love just hearing the frustration that you wanted to get out.... !!!
ReplyDeleteThe way I work with students is...
The RULES here I have made up are inspired by the author Richard Lovoie.
Play – Have fun, enjoy, enthuse and bring energy to the room.
“No-one ever achieved anything without enthusiasm” Emerson
Personal – School is about life.
• Indulge your students and listen to their stories.
• Indulge yourself – Share your stories with them… if it benefits them?
These are the first two of my nine rules - If you want to see the rest... Just click onto http://www.thebigpicture.eu.com/blog/ and look at 'kids don't come with batteries'...
Thanks Cassie - you got me thinking
Thank you all for reading my blog! I'm so glad people are interested.
ReplyDeleteKaren - I definitely agree that kicking students out of class is very unsuccessful. It is just the most commonly used method of dealing with issues at my school, and it's difficult for me as an intern to change how other teachers deal with these things. I also wish I could change how math is taught in my classroom, but I won't really be able to do that until second semester when I'm the teacher.
Keith - Thank you for sharing your blog with me, although I can't seem to find the 'kids don't come with batteries' section. I totally agree to both play and be personal. Creating relationships with students is more than half the battle, and I enjoy every day with them at school.
While kicking the student out of class certainly doesn't help the student, I don't think it's supposed to. I believe the idea behind removing a disruptive student from class is to prevent them from ruining the class for other students
ReplyDeleteIdeally, every student will be interested and engaged, and a great teacher should be able to get the vast majority involved. However, you're inevitably going to get a student whose disruptive behavior is intractable; they're not interested and never will be. However, many of the things we are required to do in life are not particularly interesting, and that does not serve as an excuse not to do them. When a student both refuses to engage and also detracts from the learning experience for other students, I think it's quite proper to have them leave. Focusing a disproportionate amount of your attention on the trouble-maker is unfair; it robs other students of a teacher's time and inidivual attention, essentially punishing them for their good behavior.
You are right in that the idea behind kicking out a student is to remove a disruption, and you're right that sometimes that is necessary in order to maintain a productive learning environment for the rest of the students.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I definitely disagree that a disruptive student never will be interested. Even if that were true, it doesn't really give a teacher an excuse to not try because that's our job as teachers. Students do need to learn that they will have to do uninteresting things in life, so then there needs to be some sort of follow-up with a student after they're kicked out of class. There has to be a way of bringing them back into the group after they've been alienated like that.
If teachers only teach to the students that inevitably do well academically, what's our real purpose anyway?