Random aside before we began, please tell me I'm not the only one who automatically finishes the authors' names as "Smokey and the Bandit" and not "Smokey and Zemelman".
All right, back to work.
I really, really enjoyed Chapter 6. We spend so much time agonizing over the 'right' textbook, but what do we do with it once we have it? Now that's a question that needs answering. D&Z don't give any 'concrete' answers to the question, and they acknowledge that different teachers have different extenuating circumstances. Probably my favorite thing about this chapter was the exploration of different textbook options, and how a textbook can be divvied up depending on how the teacher makes use of it--divide it into smaller readings? Make reading a community task? Focus on the vocabulary? Jigsaw it? They're all valid options, and as I was reading I was imaging myself in my own classroom, putting the different activities to work (in my head, of course, all my students were eager learners...but that's a discussion for further down).
There's also the option of not using the textbook at all, as Jeff James did. Although, I have to wonder how he got away with, and what he'll do if new regulations force the textbook on him. In addition, every writer has their own biases--does James have someone editing his notes for him? Perhaps it doesn't seem all that necessary in a more objective field like science or math, but if you were to try something like this in history, you would have to be very careful about what information you are imparting onto your students. I, for one, would not be very kind to Thomas Jefferson.
In addition, getting your hands on a 'better' textbook isn't as easy as Smokey and the Bandit are making it out to be. I know that the main idea of that section was to be selective and attentive to what textbooks you're using, but Smokey and the Bandit make it sound like you can waltz into your classroom with 30+ copies of new textbooks at the ready.
Regarding Chapter 7...
"In schools where teachers explicitly taught social skills of small-group interaction...the students gained an average of 11 percent on both their course grades and the high-stakes standardized tests given in their state..." In other news, water is wet!
I know I shouldn't be so disparaging, and it's nice to have factual confirmation, but I think every middle-, high-school, and college student could have told you that for free. It's something I experienced first-hand at both the secondary and college level of schooling...teachers who empathize with their students, who make their classrooms safe environments and who share their own learning experiences with students, were always the teachers who had the most engaged students, and when students are engaged, they're more eager to learn.
You'd think it'd be a matter of common sense, but then again, perhaps sense isn't all that common.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I laughed out loud when I read that in your head/imagination, all of your students were eager to learn. I think the same way... we all must haha! That was great... Anyway, I agree with your statement about being biased. However, I think he was using factual knowledge from books and other sources in order to create his own notes. He must have learned it somewhere, right? After all, we answered that question the first class meeting. Learning is not innate, things we learn are taught.
As far as your response to chapter 7, I had some of the same experiences. The teachers who had the most engaged students were those who created safe environment, shared their experiences (etc).
There are a couple of questions I still have. I'm curious... how would you ensure that you become that teacher? What types of strategies would you use to create a welcoming and safe classroom environment?
Emily, I always enjoy reading what you write because of how animated you are. I am not quite sure that the creation of a community within a classroom raising grades was common sense. When you think of all the teachers that say you shouldn't smile in front of the students until December, we can see a lot of people don'the realize the importance of the demonstration of humanity of teachers.
ReplyDeleteI also think that this component of our classroom is taken for granted. As we towards a greater presence of technology in the classroom, we need to make sure that we keep the students engaged with one another and with us. I have heard from a few teachers that the social aspect of the classroom is disappearing due to the implementation of chromebooks in the classroom, so I think it is very important that we don't take the community aspect of classroom for granted.
Emily, I always enjoy reading what you write because of how animated you are. I am not quite sure that the creation of a community within a classroom raising grades was common sense. When you think of all the teachers that say you shouldn't smile in front of the students until December, we can see a lot of people don'the realize the importance of the demonstration of humanity of teachers.
ReplyDeleteI also think that this component of our classroom is taken for granted. As we towards a greater presence of technology in the classroom, we need to make sure that we keep the students engaged with one another and with us. I have heard from a few teachers that the social aspect of the classroom is disappearing due to the implementation of chromebooks in the classroom, so I think it is very important that we don't take the community aspect of classroom for granted.
Hi Emily,
ReplyDeleteI do agree that Chapter 7 repeated an idea that all of us were already familiar with, I wholly agree with your statement: "teachers who empathize with their students, who make their classrooms safe environments and who share their own learning experiences with students, were always the teachers who had the most engaged students, and when students are engaged, they're more eager to learn."
But I do think that there are some teachers who believe that communication skills are innate and do not need to teach this. There are some classes in high school I took that had very little focused on group activities, and I found that unfortunate because it made the class boring. A lot of the chapter made me think of possible students that I may encounter in the future, particularly those who may be introverts. And how we need to teach the value and importance of respectful communication. No teacher would overtly tell you this, but I do think when there is a "quiet" student they succumb to the belief that it is just simply their personality and don't expect much vocal input from that student. That's where the empathy comes in, you had mentioned this, when a teacher empathizes and lets a student know that they understand where their coming from. Maybe this will assist a student in "opening up their shell." Sometimes we too easily give up on students who may not have a personality that we understand, and this obviously very wrong.