Monday, September 23, 2013

Day 20: A Deal, Valuable Information and Connecting With Students

After I spent the entire class on Friday talking about physics and not geometry, I made a deal with the students.  I told that I was deeply moved by their interest and that I wanted to foster their curiosity, but we also had several topics that we have to cover during the year.  The deal was that if they work hard for me 4 days a week, I'll do my best to answer whatever (appropriate) questions they have on the 5th.  They seemed VERY interested in this, so now I have to follow through and create some sort of suggestions box.  I have a giant dry-erase board in my room that I could hang up and have them write their questions on.

In class, we went over the next two sections of guided notes.  I've been trying to do the flipped classroom model by asking them to fill out the notes at home and we'll go over them quickly in class before moving on.  Today, I had them work in small groups on the next section and then we went over it.  For the most part, this worked very well, but it shed some light on a misconception that I've been carrying.

I was under the impression that these kids were brilliant savants who would pick up everything I said on the first try.  In reality, it turns out that they are students.  Smart and motivated students, but still students.  I need to do a much better job of understanding their individual needs, abilities and limitations.  I've been relying on them to ask me questions when they don't understand something, but I have left a few kids behind so I need to be more careful about it.

I think tomorrow, I'll have them put homework problems on the board and explain them to each other.  Also, I've done an awful job with having them write reflective entries in their journals.  I get easily distracted and too quickly fall back into my old ways of teaching.  I need to come to grips with the fact that I'm not failing at this, but that it will take lots of time to break old habits and create something new and wonderful.

I've been making a conscious effort in my classes to meet my students halfway with their cultural identity.

I re-wrote the paragraph that went here several times before deleting it entirely.  No matter how I phrased it, it seemed culturally insensitive so I gave up.

I come from a very different background than most of my students.  I don't understand their lives or struggles in ways that would be beneficial.  All I can do is listen and try to be understanding of who they are and where they come from.  Cultural identity plays a HUGE role in this population and if a teacher doesn't take it into consideration, they will never truly be able to connect with the students.  I think that it comes off as understanding and not tragic...

It's hard to do it and NOT feel like Shrek.

Listen, Artie, eh, if you think this whole mad scene ain't dope, I feel you, dude. I mean, I'm not trying to get up in your grill, or raise your roof or whatever. But what I am screaming is, "Yo! Check out this kazing thazing, bazaby!" I mean, if it doesn't groove, or what I'm saying ain't straight tripping, just say, "Oh, no, you didn't! You know, you're getting on my last nerve." And then, I'll know it's...then I'll, I'll know it's whack!

Edit: I spent more time hunting for the appropriate video or image than I did actually writing this post...


  1. Man, I really feel you on this: "All I can do is listen and try to be understanding of who they are and where they come from." Personally (true confessions time!) I find it extra hard as a white-guy math teacher to feel comfortable... I'm afraid kids, especially non-white kids, will think I'm irremediably uncool, and it makes it hard to be myself. And I think me worrying about being seen as a nerd (which is totally who I am!) makes it harder to be myself and listen to & understand the kids! I really appreciate you writing about this, I don't think we talk about teaching & race & class enough... and I don't think we talk about being a math teacher & feeling uncool enough (not that that's what you're talking about. You're cool. It's what I'm talking about!)

    1. To be completely honest, I go back on forth on this issue. There are many days when I think "2 + 2 = 4 regardless of your racial, ethnic or cultural background. One of the things I love about math is that it stays the same no matter who you are or where you come from. It is an equalizer! (haha)"

      Then I think that it's not just about the math, especially at the middle school level. It's about school as a whole and creating a culture of learning and scholarship. In order for me to help the students get to the point where I want them to be, I NEED to know where they come from. You can't start a journey without knowing where you are starting. When someone asks for directions, my first questions is ALWAYS "Where are you coming from?" So why can't do I do this as an educator?

      On the other front, I don't worry about the kids thinking I'm cool. I know that I'm not. I tell them at the beginning of the year that I don't care if they find me funny. I'm there to educate them, but I'm there to entertain me. If they are entertained, great! If not, then I feel sorry for them. :-) I am super goofy in class and the more fun I have, the better the kids respond, regardless of whether or not they want to.

      In addition to that, middle school is a crappy time for everyone. They are desperately trying to find themselves and where they fit in. If I am goofy, then it gives them permission to be goofy as well, even if only for a little bit. It lets them be someone fun and not worry about what people think because there is someone even weirder in the room.

      In the 9 years that I've been working in education, I've made countless mistakes. Being goofy has never been one of them. It reaches even the most hardened "thugs" in my group.

  2. I love this: "If I am goofy, then it gives them permission to be goofy as well". When I work with college students who are going to mentor other students it's one thing I notice -- they try to be cool and then end up colluding with the students against doing the work because they're so worried about their students being grouchy. So they play down anything fun or interesting or that requires effort. No good! I shall strive to be the goofiest one in the room from now on, to give others space to be goofy (and nerdy and interested and care about stuff).

    It seems like you're balancing being accountable to math and being accountable to the community (to borrow from the Accountable Talk folks) -- both being authentic about math and that it deserves respect as a relatively coherent, stable thing, and being authentic to and valuing students' ways of knowing about math and being in math class. Like requiring that 2+2 = 4 and that kids make sense of that, but respecting that kids might know and care about that in all kinds of different ways!


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...