Classroom
Management Resource Page – Shindler – School Climate – PLSI – Teaching
- Workshops
by JVS
Chapter 17: The Transformative Classroom: Implementing a
One-Style Approach and Creating a Classroom Community
From Transformative Classroom Management. By John Shindler. ©2008
Reproduction is unlawful without
permission
Partial Chapter Text Only
In this Chapter
·
The 1-Style Classroom as
the “
·
Defining Community
·
Stages of Development for
the Transformative Classroom
o
Stage 1 - Foundation
§
Management Goals - Clarity
and Intention
§
Community Development Goals
– Safety and Belonging
o
Stage 2 – Transition
§
Management Goals - Shifting
Locus of Ownership and Cultivating Intrinsic Motivation
§
Community Development Goals
- Creating Identity and Group Accomplishment
o
Stage 3 - Encouragement
§
Management Goals – Facilitating
Vision and Self Direction
§
Community Development Goals
- Fostering a Cause Beyond Self and a Sense of Tribe
Maria is beginning
her second year of teaching. She has had high expectations for herself and her
class. She feels like by the end of the previous year she had developed a
workable set of routines and did not feel as overwhelming as she did at the
beginning of the year. She has worked hard at classroom management and overall
she has fewer problems than many of her colleagues. Maria has been clear about
rules and consequences. She gets a lot out of her students as they have
responded to her clear expectations. She has tried to stay away from
punishments and public shaming. And students feel pretty safe to talk to her.
They trust and like her. However, as she examines her class more closely, she
feels like it is too much about her. She feels the students are essentially
dependent on her direction and behave well (or not) because of what she does.
While she likes the level of order and sanity in the class, it is the long term
effects of her approach that concern her. It bothers her that the students
continuously ask her for confirmation that what they have done or are doing “is
OK.” Moreover, she feels that they act
tentatively when making decisions, and excessively rely on her to solve their
conflicts and problems, and it worries her when she hears the students make
comments such as, “Get back to work or Ms. Valdez is going to get mad at us.”
She appreciates that the students are aware of the consequences and are
interested in being on task, but she wishes that they would see the value for
why it is good to listen, be responsible, treat each other well and work hard
aside from being concerned about potential consequences from her. Maria sees
other teachers that allow students to make many of the classroom decisions and
use a lot of self-directed learning strategies, but she worries about losing
control. Some of the teachers that give over significant amounts of power to
their students seem to spend a lot of time disappointed in their students for
not being responsible. She does not want to spend all day lecturing her
students on how to act, or to descend into a 3-Style approach like the teacher
next door who gives her students a lot of freedom and all he seems to get is
chaos and kids taking advantage of him and the freedom he gives them. She has a
sense that she could be more empowering and have a more democratic classroom,
but she does not want to sacrifice order.
Chapter Reflection 17-a: Do you empathize with Maria? Why
of why not?
Like Maria
many teachers intuitively sense that that there is something more that their classroom
management could be accomplishing than merely obtaining obedience and order.
They recognize that a teacher-centered 2-Style of management or what Canter
(1986) refers to as “assertive discipline” is certainly preferable to taking an
authoritarian 4-Style approach (i.e., what Canter label as the “Hostile
teacher”). But they do not see a
teacher-centered approach leading to the kinds of growth and motivation that
they ultimately want to see from their students. They receive an endless supply
of advice for what “works” and for how to avoid ending up with a 3-Style
approach (i.e., which Canter terms “passive”). Yet they find that the majority
of advice that they are given either sounds to them too teacher-centered and
gimmicky, or too ill-defined and unrealistic.
The purpose of this chapter is to outline a
step-by-step process for creating a student-centered 1-Style classroom and a
functioning community i.e., the transformative classroom. This chapter offers
practical strategies for developing a more student-centered form of management,
as well as for promoting a collective sense of responsibility and community in
one’s class.
Chapter Reflection 17-b: Some readers opened up this book
having already possessing a commitment to a student-centered approach. Others may have been persuaded to adopt a
1-style approach after some reading. For
those readers this chapter should provide some practical ideas to further
develop their approach. Other readers
may find themselves attracted to aspects of the 1-style approach, yet remain
most comfortable with maintaining a 2-style approach. For those readers this
chapter should provide some academic interest.
However, there are likely a good number of readers who intend to
take a pragmatic approach to the management style they adopt. For those readers
this chapter will offer ideas for making the shift from a 2-style to a 1-style
management approach, as the opportunity presents itself.
1-Style Classroom - Returning to the
The
natural state of learning is one in which students feel intrinsically
motivated, a sense of belonging, excited to learn and use their learning to
make a difference in the group.
This
natural state is a transformative state. However, few students learn in
classrooms that promote this condition. In fact, over the course of their
education most students become increasingly removed from this state. The
1-Style classroom endeavors to promote a natural state of learning by using
management strategies that empower students, and create a needs satisfying
environment. Given that this natural
state is often rather foreign to many of our students, attempting to develop a
1-style classroom may require some patience as we will need to help our
students adjust to it and awaken aspects of themselves that may have become
dormant.
The
1-Style Classroom is possible at any grade level. I have seen fully functional,
self-directed classrooms full of 1st graders, and High School
Seniors, and all grades in between. I have seen 1-Style classrooms in all kinds
of schools. But we need to be realistic. Some students will take to this style
more readily than others. One the one hand, if we have been assigned a group of
students who have developed a deeply-entrenched failure psychology and a habit
of externalizing their responsibility, we have a project on our hands. On the
other hand, if we have been handed a group of students who is experienced at
being self-directed and is eager to take on responsibility, we will be able to
shape them into a 1-Style Community in a short period of time. Does one of
these groups need our efforts more than the other? Does one of these groups
deserve to learn in an empowering environment more than the other?
Chapter Reflection 17-c: Have you heard a teacher tell you that teaching
their students to be self-responsible will not work with their students? What
are they saying about their students’ future?
What is the 1-Style Classroom?
While
a “1-Style Classroom” management approach as defined in this book and a
“Classroom Community” are similar, each has its own distinct qualities (see
Figure 17.1). First let’s examine the qualities of the 1-Style Classroom.
·
Teacher as Facilitator/Leader. The
teacher in the 1-Style classroom is not the boss, the police, or the attendant.
She/he is a leader. The teacher’s role is to create the conditions for students
to achieve best. The 1-Style leader is neither permissive nor domineering.
He/she is intentional in their effort to promote a shared vision among the
members of the class and effectively facilitate and manage that vision.
·
Self-Responsible. Students in the 1-Style
Classroom act responsibly, because they recognize that it is to the benefit of
both the class and themselves. In contrast to a teacher-centered class in which
responsibility is defined by following directions, in the student-centered
class, responsibility is defined by making choices that are good for the group,
demonstrate accountability to the agreed upon group goals, and contribute to a
higher levels of learning and function.
·
Clear Implicit Expectations. In the
1-Style Classroom, expectations are shared and understood on a deep level.
Knowing the expectations is not simply about remembering them, it is about
understanding why they are valuable and why when we all buy into them, things
are better.
·
Learner-Centered Instruction. As
discussed in Chapter 13, curriculum that engages and empowers the learner will
help promote the goals of the 1-Style Classroom more readily than more teacher
centered methods. Giving students ownership of their learning and ownership
over their management of their class work synergistically to produce the most
transformative results.
·
Self-Directed. The goal of the 1-style
classroom is that students learn to self-govern and demonstrate
self-discipline. Students learn that the only true discipline is
self-discipline.
·
Intrinsic Forms of Motivation. The
1-Style class is structured to promote intrinsic versus extrinsic forms of
motivation. Bribes and gimmicks are not useful in this environment. Just as
students experience the needs satisfying effect of doing meaningful work, they
recognize that being responsible, thinking about the needs of others, being
given power over the decisions that affect them is needs satisfying as well.
·
Group Functions Collectively. As
opposed to the students responding to the will of the teacher, the group
considers the good of the collective when making choices. The 1-style class
works like a team with each member recognizing that he/she can only
achieve their potential working
cooperatively with the other members.
·
Intentional Promotion of Success Psychology. In the 1-Style classroom, the teacher maintains an
awareness of how his/her actions are contributing the success psychology of the
students. The each of three sub-factors, 1) internal locus of control, 2)
acceptance and belonging, and 3) mastery orientation provide a lens to guide
decision making and assess the classes’ progress toward greater collective
health.
·
Social Contract. The foundation of the
governance of the 1-Style Classroom is a well-established system of social
bonds, expectations, and rules. This “Social Contract” is explained in Chapters
9-11.
What is a Classroom Community?
A
classroom community will have many of the qualities of the 1-Style Classroom
however, it will also have the following distinct features.
·
Membership and Shared Identity. In a
community, members share a unique identity. This identity creates a sense of
belonging and membership. Each community has distinctive qualities that members
adopt as their own.
·
Common Purpose and Goals. On
some level, a community is working to accomplish something collectively. It has a purpose and a reason to be that
works to the benefit of its members.
·
Communal Bonds in addition to Social Bonds. In Chapter 9, we examined the differences between
social and communal bonds. While communities, like any functioning body,
require social bonds, what defines them as a community are their communal
bonds. Whereas Social bonds address such questions as “What is my
responsibility to the group?” and “What can I expect from others?” Communal
bonds answer such questions as “What can I do to make the community better?”
and “When I have needs who can I count on?” Social bonds deal with issues of
rights and responsibilities. Communal bonds deal with issues of relationship,
obligation, and the greater good.
·
Traditions, Rituals and History. Over
time, a community develops a history and a shared story. To mark this history,
a community will observe traditions and collectively remember their past.
Rituals and customs act to bond a community by creating a shared “socially
constructed reality,” and way of life.
As
one can see, the 1-Style Classroom and the Classroom Community will have their
own unique characteristics (see Figure 17.1). Communities do not always possess
efficiency and facilitative leadership, and one can create a 1-Style Classroom
without traditions, rituals and a strong collective identity. However, these
two types of entities share much in common. And for those teachers who desire
either one or the other, it will make a great deal of sense to create both
simultaneously as they operate synergistically.
For that reason this chapter will examine how to accomplish a classroom
that included the qualities of both.
Figure 17.1: Venn Diagram – Intersection of
the Qualities of Two Entities 1) Communities and 2) 1-Style Classrooms
|
Qualities of 1-Style Classrooms |
Qualities of both 1-classrooms and
Communities |
Qualities of Communities |
|
Self-Responsibility Culture of Listening Efficiency Clear Expectations Success Psychology Self-Directed Teacher as Facilitator Social Contract |
Communal Bonds Collective Purpose Group Accomplishments Shared Values Caring Leadership Sense of Belonging |
Traditions, Rituals and History Shared Identity Shared “Socially Constructed Reality” |
Chapter Reflection 17-d: As you examine Figure 17.1, which of the qualities do
you find the most compelling? What are you essential goals for your students?
What Will it Take to Create My 1-Style
Classroom Community?
To
achieve a 1-Style Classroom Community it will require the following basic
requirements?
·
Intention. To successfully lead a
1-Style Classroom Community we must have a vision of what they want to
accomplish. The intention of promoting self-responsible students needs to be
ever present in our minds and guide our actions. The requirement of the 1-Style
teacher to be purposeful in what they say and do is far greater than any of the
other three management styles.
·
Awareness. We need to be ever conscious of
both the covert and overt factors (discussed in Chapter 3) within the classroom
“socially constructed reality” that will undermine our success. The mental
games (especially the social Darwinism), the patterns within us that cause us
to get negative, and the students tendency to revert to “failure psychology”
thinking, all have the potential to hamstring our efforts, and therefore must
be given sufficient attention. Being present and aware generally will also be
critical. Being in tune with the state
of mind of the group is necessary.
·
Skills. Both this chapter and previous
chapters provide many strategies that will contribute to our success in this
effort. It will be necessary that we are familiar with the skills that the
students will need to obtain in the process of becoming more self-responsible.
As has been discussed many times in the book, it is important that we refrain
from certain dysfunctional practices in addition to incorporating more
effective practices.
·
Commitment. Creating a 1-Style
Classroom Community is difficult. If it was easy a greater number of teachers
would be doing it. But as we can see they are not. The 1-Style Classroom
requires commitment, patience and perseverance. The students will most likely
initially resist our efforts (they have grown accustomed being dependent and
dysfunctional) and we will likely experience a strong tendency to want to either
take over and adopt more of a 2-Style or give up and adopt more of a 3-Style.
We may find it necessary to give ourselves a “pep talk” once in a while and
remind ourselves why it is that we are taking the road that we are. Also, our
efforts will be more successful and less stressful if we are working
collaboratively with others who have similar goals for their classrooms.
Chapter Reflection 17-e: One of the disappointing realizations that many
idealistic and ambitious teachers make is that their efforts are not always
appreciated by their peers. In some schools this may take the form of a subtle
competitive attitude, whereas in some schools there may be open resentment
toward those that who are attempting to do something positive and ambitious.
The reasons why this occurs are complicated, but it is more common than most of
us expect when we enter the profession. Attempting to create a 1-Style
Classroom will likely engender resentment from some of your colleagues. It may
be helpful to find some colleagues that are supportive or your efforts and to
whom you can talk. Most teachers who head down the road of the 1-Style
classroom will need some emotional and technical support.
Assess the Receptiveness of Your Groups of
Students
Any
group of students can become a functioning 1-Style Classroom. Some groups will
just require more time and effort than others. For some groups of students, a
1-Style of management will feel familiar to other contexts in their life (i.e.,
home, previous classes, afterschool groups, etc). For these students, there
will be little remediation required. We will not be fighting against a failure
psychology and/or a hard mistrusting emotional shell. We will simply need to
develop the skills at each stage of the process. For other groups, a 1-Style
approach will seem as unfamiliar as if you were speaking a foreign language. I
have taught both kinds of groups. When faced with the more challenging task,
even the most ambitious among us will be tempted to give in and revert to a
style of teaching to which our students are accustomed, i.e., to use a 4-Style
with a group that is used to being treated that way. But there are a couple
reasons to maintain our intention to create a 1-Style approach with this group.
First, it is possible. There are not many who try it, but I have seen many
1-Style classrooms in schools where 95% of the other teachers in the school
assumed that the only thing that would work with the students was a 2 or
4-Style approach. It may take longer to accomplish. We may only succeed at
creating a foundation. But if we do, we have had a transformative effect far
beyond anything that we observe. We will only see the tip of the Iceberg of the
changes that we have made. Second, the students are worth it. We have the
choice to perpetuate the dysfunction or transform it. Do we want to be one more
link in the chain of failure, or do we want to be a catalyst for change?
Developmental Sequence
Creating
a 1-Style Classroom Community can only be accomplished in a developmental sequence.
We will need to lead our students through the following three stages of
development – 1) Formation, 2) Transition, and 3) Encouragement. Each stage
requires the foundation of the preceding stages to function successfully. We will need to develop a foundation of trust
and clarity, before we can be successful promoting self-directed behavior.
Likewise, our students will need to feel as sense of belonging and identity
before the class will begin to look anything like a community. In the remainder
of this chapter, we will examine the development of 1-Style Classroom Community
in relation to each of the three developmental stages.
Stage 1- Formation
Management Goals – Clarity and Intention
The
foundation of the 1-Style Classroom is built upon the clarity of the
expectations. A well-established cause and effect relationship needs to be
promoted in the minds of each student – when we do A, B will follow. Therefore,
as the facilitator of the process, we need to be intentional about taking
action and raising awareness that promote clarity of expectations. High
expectations are nice. But students cannot rise to a level of behavior that
they do not know (on a real and material level). Having high expectations is
just a start. We must teach our expectations and the skills required to
function self-responsibly. Therefore, we will need to be deliberate about
creating the following features within the class.
·
Social Contract and Social Bonds. Students need to understand that 1)
they are safe, and 2) that they need to be responsible to the others in the
class. In chapters 9-11, we outlined the process of creating a social contract
and defined by well established social bonds. A social contract exists to the
degree that it is understood and shared. Therefore, we will know that it is
working when we see students take ownership of the agreed upon principles of
the contract. The collective sense of safety and faith in the contract will
come mainly from the fact that we consistently take action and implement
consequences, both positive and negative.
·
Culture of
Listening and Respect. To function effectively, the students in the class
need to have an expectation that they must be attentive and can expect that
others will be attentive to them – in other words being part of a “culture of
listening.” A culture of listening and respect will be a prerequisite for many
of the more advanced stages in the development of the 1-Style Classroom.
Chapter 12 outlines a detailed process for creating this environment.
·
Social Frames. From the first day of class, students should
recognize that there are deliberate and conspicuous social frames operating in
the 1-Style Class. As discussed in Chapter 3, students should become
increasingly conscious of the relationships between freedom and responsibility,
success and recognition, and warmth and respect.
·
Operationalize Conceptual Expectations. Concepts like responsible, respectful, cooperative,
positive attitude, full-effort, risk taking, being creative are all
abstractions. They will remain abstractions until they are “operationalized”
and made real within the students’ experience. The burden is on us to make
these ideas concrete and personally meaningful to students. Typically, we make
the assumption that either student already know what it means to exhibit these
behaviors, or that they will grasp the concept as a result of a handful of
verbal comments that we make. In most cases, we greatly over estimate the
degree to which students have an operational working knowledge of the concepts
that we use to describe good behavior. I challenge you to survey they yourself,
I bet you will be surprised. There are many strategies for making conceptual
expectations concrete. First, we can use positive recognitions of behavior.
When we see behavior that defines high quality effort, for example, we can
publically recognize the practice action that we observed that characterized
the term. Second, as discussed in Chapter 14, we can ask students to publically
recognize one another’s positive behavior. Third, we can use an assessment
system such as that outlined in Chapter 22. This can be done formally or
informally. If we have been given a class that seems to lack both a conceptual
as well as a behavioral knowledge of how to act in a responsible and functional
manner, these kinds of systems can be the most effective means for promoting
this understanding and changing behavior. The community development section
that follows will offer additional ideas in this area.
·
Putting in Place Mechanisms for Effectively Facilitating Cooperative
Learning, Conflict Resolution and Class Meetings.
As early as possible, students should begin to practice cooperative learning
and conflict resolution. Strategies for doing so are outlined in detail in
Chapters 14 and 15. In this first stage, our primary focus should be on
teaching these skills rather than being too concerned with how effective each
appears. Therefore, avoid short cuts. For example, we need to maintain our
expectation that cooperative groups follow the protocols that we have set out
even if our students tell us that they do not want or need them. Once things
have devolved, it is difficult to reestablish the original expectations.
Class Meetings should be introduced when the group
is ready for them. When this is will need to be left to your judgment. A sound
freedom-respect frame and a culture of listening and respect need to be in
place before it is wise to attempt a class meeting of any substance. If the
idea of a class meeting is new to our students, we might initiate the idea of
democratic participation, by holding votes on various classroom matters. Also,
we might start with shorter less consequential topics for class meetings, such
as whether we like the shades open or closed.
In addition, the Social Contract development and evolution process can
act to introduce the class meeting protocol. In these early stages, we need to
keep class meetings short and efficient. Students need to recognize they have
an opportunity to be heard, but excessive complaining, bird walking, spurious
comments, or personal attacks are inappropriate. A more complete process for
facilitating class meetings is explained later in the chapter.
·
Establish Your Role and Vision.
Unless students have come from a class in which a 1-Style of management was
used, they will likely assign to you a role similar to those adopted by the
teachers that they have had in the past. It may be useful to tell them right up
front that “In this class, I am not going to get mad at you, lecture you, shame
you, wish you were different, play games with you, compare you to other
students, nor will I accept excuses, poor efforts, disrespect of others, or
selfishness. And soon you will not accept those things from yourself or the
other students in the class.” Expect students to question your resolve early in
the year. In so many words, they will ask you (and test you), “Do you really
mean what you say?” “A few put downs are OK, right?” “Making a mediocre effort
is OK once in a while, right?” At some point they will learn, mostly from our
actions, that we are absolute about some things. Next, it will be useful to
give them a sense of your vision. Where is this going? No matter the current
state of affairs or the self-image with which students enter the class,
students need to be sold the idea that soon, they will be respectful,
responsible, self-directed learners. And that you have no doubt that they are
capable of and will ultimately accomplish that goal. The vision will eventually
emerge from the collective, but at this stage it needs to come from us so that
we need can to set it out on in the right direction.
Chapter Reflection 17-f: It is tempting to resent our students early in the
year for trying to test us, assuming that we are okay with their self-destructive
behavior, or implying that we really do not mean what we say. But we need to
give them a break and realize that they are just responding to what they are
used to. As things get better, they will forget the way that they were. When that day comes, are we still going to be
holding it against them?
·
Development of Clear Expectations
As was discussed in chapter 6, expectations are
rooted in the law of cause and effect. Students know if . . ., then . . . For
example, if they listen they will know what is going on, and things happen
smoothly, and if they do not, they will not know what is going on. In addition, there may be other consequences
that the teacher implements as well. However, if we explain things repeatedly,
complain that there is too much talking, and are inconsistent with our
consequences or uses illogical punishments, no cause and effect relationship
will develop in the minds of the students, except that “when the teacher gets
mad, he/she complains, but does nothing of consequence.”
If we model and expect a type of
behavior – for example respectful interactions, the students will soon see that
there is an expectation for such behavior. But we must make the students aware
that there is a value to using the behavior and a consequence when it does not
happen. Lectures, guilt, preaching, chronicling failure seem like action, but
they are operationally useless. We must take action. Model the behavior deliberately. And over
time help the student recognize the value that behavior has to both themselves
and the class. No matter how repetitive it may feel, it is useful to promote
mantra-type language. For example, “in this class we all try our best.” Or
“this class has only responsible learners.” Or “the great thing about this
class is that we always listen to each other and expect to be listened to.”
The difference between 2-style and
1-style approach expectations relates to what the students are responding to.
In the 2-Style classroom the student is responding to clear and consistent consequences
and modeling. The student knows what is going to happen and the teacher follows
through. The cause and effect is created in a systematic manner and reinforced
each day. In the 1-Style classroom the
clarity is just as evident, but the cause and effect is located
(psychologically) in the students’ awareness of the purpose of the behavior.
For example, if we all listen to each other, we develop respect and learn more.
And it feels right on some intrinsic level. In most cases, both 1 and 2-Style approach
will need to begin with much the same set of strategies, but eventually the
teacher attempting a 1-Style approach will want to encourage a shift in
students’ thinking from the extrinsic consequences of an action to the
intrinsic value of an action.
Community Development Goals – Safety and
Belonging
When
we look out at that group on the first day, we may not see it, but the
pervasive emotion in the room will likely be one of insecurity. Students may not show it, but on some level most of
them feel some apprehension and alienation from the other members of the class.
Simply put, the other members are still very much “other.” This insecurity will
work against the development of community within the group. First and foremost,
community must be built within an
emotional climate of safety and belonging.
As
the teacher we are the only one in the equation that can help the students past
their insecurity and on the road to feeling bonded as a group. It will be
useful to keep in mind that each and every member of the class wants the same
thing deep down – the natural condition. In our core we all want to feel safe,
loved, valued, and connected. However, when we don’t get these basic needs met,
we compensate. Each students default compensation strategies will look a bit
different (e.g., acting like they are too cool, a know-it-all, apathetic,
overly accommodating, clowning, etc.) . But we need to maintain our awareness
of the fact that our students are not their compensation strategies. Moreover,
we need to avoid the trap of assuming that the existing dysfunctional group
dynamics (i.e., social Darwinism, casual abuse, drama, obsession with “their
thing,” etc) are natural. They may be normal, but they are not natural.
Chapter Reflection 17-g: Some readers may be wondering what I mean by
making a distinction between natural and normal. Natural is what is possible
and feels the most true to our nature.
In
Stage One of our process of community development we will therefore, need to
make an intentional effort to 1) create emotional safety, 2) promote the
individual membership and identity of each student, 3) cultivate social bonds
and a sense of fairness, and 4) make a connection with each student.
Emotional Safety, and Intolerance of Put
downs and Destructive Language.
Research
has shown that verbal abuse and bullying has increased in the past decade
(DeVoe, 2003). In nearly every school, including those considered the safest
and more affluent, our research has shown that students accept verbal abuse as
normal part of their experience during the school day (Shindler, Jones, Taylor,
Cadenas, 2003). While it may be common it is extremely harmful. We have all experienced the deadening effect
it has over time to the quality of life in a school.
This
is one of those areas where students need us to be absolute. We in our role of
classroom leader need to be absolutely intolerant of put downs, verbal abuse,
name calling, and bullying. If we are not, students will not feel safe.
Students need to see real enthusiasm for those things that you regard as
absolute. When there are acts of abuse, we need give consequences (see chapter
10), and send the message that “there will never be a time, when put downs are
okay.”
It
may be helpful to create an expectation in the class that “we only say things
that make us better.” We can call this anything that we like (e.g., life giving
language, positive language, constructive language, affirming language, etc).
But it will be a good place to use a mantra – e.g., “In this class we only use
affirming language.” Students will come to know that no matter what they hear
when they are outside the walls of our class, within our walls, they are safe
from abuse.
Chapter Reflection 17-h: Reflect on the common experience of a new HS
English teacher. Their goal was to create a student-centered class, as part of
this she wanted her students to share their writing with one another and become
a community of authors. After two months, she was a little disappointed. While
her students were learning to share with her and access their inner creativity,
did not feel comfortable sharing their work with one another. What would you
tell this teacher? What stage of the community development process would you
put this teacher’s class?
Individual Value, Membership and Identity
Many
students spend their time in school feeling misunderstood, alienated, and as
though they have no value. Many times groups of friends, sports, clubs, and
even gangs can fill the void that results from these unmet needs. Yet, before
our students can be expected to come out of their self-protective shell and
consider the needs of others, they need to feel like they are valued and
“someone” in the group.
In
this early developmental period in the classes’ life, we need to send the
message that every student is important and valued. Every student needs to feel
like they have a contribution to make. Some of the strategies that will support
this goal will include 1) giving students roles and responsibilities, 2)
finding out who the students are, and 3) beginning cooperative activities as
soon as possible.
If you are having difficulty
coming up with roles that students can take within your class it may be useful
to simply ask yourself the question, “Would a student be capable of leading or
managing ___ activity?” Good examples of situations that students are fully
capable of leading are classroom routines, calendar activities, dismissals and
recording simple data (i.e., milk counts, who has completed an activity,
etc.). However, do not put students in
situations that require them to make interpretations of value that effect other
students’ grades, social standing or dignity.
·
Allow Students to Share their Story. All
of us have a story, and no matter how shy we are, we want others to know us. We
want to be more than just a name and a physical appearance. We each have
interests and experiences and dreams. We are all unique.
There are many effective strategies for helping
students share more of who they are with the other members of the class. In
primary grades it can be a powerful experience for students to write a poem
about themselves (See example at the end of the chapter). For students who are
older, we can select a number of ways that they can put their mark on the room.
We can have them create a personal collage. We can have them write a paragraph
about themselves as a caption to a drawing or photo of themselves. If we want the
information from each student to be more uniform, we can give them all the same
prompts, for Example
o
My name is:
o
My family includes:
o
3 Things I like:
o
3 Things I don’t like:
o
Most people do not know this about me:
o
My Favorite Movies are:
o
My Favorite Foods are:
o