Word.

Our readings this week have focused on classroom management and interaction with our students.  From Curan, to Ramsey, to Alsup & Bush, and on to Flannery’s article on the NEA website, we read about how to talk to students, their parents, and how to manage our classrooms effectively.  Some of these points were wonderful; I enjoyed the chapters from Ramsey, and saw interactions I have had with my own students in the advice offered.  The skills we are building as students of education will help us to effectively educate students.  I particularly liked the observation that “the golden rule still works” (Ramsey).
I have struggled with my students this semester, particularly with the older students.  While I completely understand their need to rebel against authority (been there, done that), I have tried to defuse situations as best as I can by trying to be as straight-forward with the students as possible.  I haven’t dissembled from the basic fact that language gives them power, and that effectively using language allows them to have their voices be heard; however, I have tried not to let those students with the facility to use language well run the classroom.  I want my students to be critical thinkers, question facts and assumptions, and ask questions.  There are times when the questions asked seem to be raised as a method for deferring further work, rather than enhancing understanding of the matter at hand; I have begun attempting to redirect these kinds of questions into “how” and “why” arenas that relate back to the original subject, or guide the students on to the next point in the inference chain.  This seems to help matters immensely.
It was refreshing to read about giving instructions, particularly the pointers on how to give clear instructions.  This is something that I have been working on; I cannot assume that verbal repetition and written directions will make it through to my students.  I have found that I need to refresh their memories every couple of days, writing deadlines on the board, reiterating what they need to do and how to do it.  Some of the accepted formats for dissemination of information at my school have proven themselves to be flawed; if 90% of the students who receive a resource do not use it correctly or are unable to understand the information delivered, then the resource is at fault, and not the students.  I have recast information, broken my assignments into smaller pieces, and made certain that the “deliverables” desired are clearly understood by the students in my classes.  This makes me feel better about my teaching skills, and helps the students feel that the work they have to do is manageable…  Giving students the project a bit at a time, rather than having it due all at once, also seems to help with the management of workload and allows me to better monitor progress toward the class goals.  How do you manage large projects in your classrooms?

This week we needed to read approximately a hundred pages of Rex Gibson’s Teaching Shakespeare, which I have found to be a well-written and insightful examination of both Shakespeare and creative education methods.  As I read the chapters on the literary devices and tricks of language that Shakespeare used, I am struck by the importance of the thorough grounding Shakespeare received from his classical education.  The history, the solid basis in language and the grammars of the time, and the facility with language combined to allow Shakespeare to write plays in new and exciting ways, retelling stories that were well known to jaded audiences and enrapturing them regardless of their familiarity with the stories.
It is obvious to me that this is why we still read Shakespeare today, and why it is imperative that we introduce students to Shakespeare’s writings.  He was a master of all the tricks they see today on the silver screen and on the glass teat; it behooves us to point out a truly cunning linguist when we can…

Making students accountable for test scores works well on a bumper sticker and it allows many politicians to look good by saying that they will not tolerate failure. But it represents a hollow promise. Far from improving education, high- stakes testing marks a major retreat from fairness, from accuracy, from quality, and from equity.

- Sen. Paul Wellstone (1944-2002)

Pondering thoughtful curriculum and the conversation of learning…

When I employ the Socratic method in the classroom, I know that I have an agenda. I have a plan, expectations, and anticipated paths the inquiry into a subject will take; what do we do, as educators, when the answer to our question is unexpected and turns the inquiry in a new direction? If we fail to acknowledge the unexpected thought, we shut off a potential avenue for discussion. Don’t we want the students to speak up if they have questions? This kind of thoughtfulness is exactly the kind of behavior we profess to encourage, yet too often it is sacrificed in the interest of “covering the material” or making sure that we are “prepared for the test.”

Applebee points out that if we embrace a constructivist viewpoint in which the student’s experience shapes the knowledge, rather than consider knowledge as something that can be memorized by rote, the goal of successful instruction is the engagement of the student in an exchange of ideas, a conversation leading naturally from discussion and interconnected course materials (1997). The goal of the successful instructor is to encourage students to make the connections between materials themselves, and to provide the environment in which this process can successfully happen.

I tend to teach literature from a historical perspective, trying to frame individual works based on the events in society and the lives of the writers. This has the benefit of a built-in context and implied connectivity between the various pieces of literature. I have found, however, that students need to have the conversation guided to relevant current explanations or examples that connect their life experiences to those of past authors. This helps with Applebee’s concept of relatedness in curriculum, but what do we do about quantity and quality?

I found the idea of quality and its relationship to curriculum very interesting. So much of what we teach is part of the traditional view of the literary canon. In embracing diversity and displaying sensitivity and awareness for the differences in society, we have added material to the lists that we need to consider, without regard for time constraints or fallout. Depending on the cultural mores of our communities, there will be varied reactions to the addition of various works to the curriculum. I feel that if the addition furthers the inquiry and adds to the conversation, it is beneficial. When we give students the opportunity for free exchange of ideas, they sometimes squander the chance; however, there are those occasions that seem to light a fire under them, and drive them to further exploration and inquiry. Quality material enhances these interactions, and provides students with grist for the inquisition mill. Context seems to be a driving factor for my students. If I can show them a vignette, paint them a picture, or guide them to a kernel of information that enhances their understanding of a work, then I have succeeded. If the qualities of a text can provide fodder for discussion, moving their inquiry forward, then we have made real progress, and helped to shape their envisionment of the literary canon. This canon has a form, true, but how they react to that canon can make or break the student’s academic career. Without quality, an openness to inquiry and interpretation, and patience, thoughtful curriculum cannot grow.

Applebee, A.N. (1997). Toward thoughtful curriculum: Fostering discipline-based conversation in the English language arts classroom (Report No. 1.10). Albany, NY: National Research Center on Literature Teaching and Learning.

In response to high-stakes testing…

The narrative in Alsup and Bush on high-stake testing was very interesting, and raised questions that I have been concerned about during my practicum.  High-stake testing has been forced on schools in an effort by politicians to mandate accountability; ultimately, the judgement will be passed on whether the teacher has “done their job,” based on whether their students succeed in a testing environment.

How are we supposed to view this situation?  I assign work to my students, and frequently they do not complete their assignments.  If I cannot trust them to read their books, how can I trust them to prepare for tests?  There is a disconnect for students between their perception of what their work load should be and what is necessary for them to be prepared to take the EOCTs and the state-mandated graduation tests.

The administration at my school has determined that we need to “get the students ready for the test” by having them do practice tests online and complete workbooks.  These processes are tedious for the students who do well in the class, and daunting for those who struggle.  Couple the onerous task of test preparation with students who insist that they “can pass the test.  Everyone passes the test” and you have a recipe for disaster.  Even when confronted with failing grades on the practice test, students insist that “that’s not what the test is really like.  It won’t be like that.”  Is this an example of the “faith-based reality” I have heard so much about?  How can I reach students who are so unwilling to put forth the effort needed to pass the class, let alone prepare for tests that, whether they like it or not, will alter the course of their lives?  The narrative in Alsup and Bush advocates preparation performed “carefully and systematically” (Alsup and Bush, 2003, p. 159).  Even the most careful, systematic preparation can be derailed if the student refuses to perform the work.  How do we motivate the student who thinks they are too smart for “busy work?”  What do you do if a student tells you that they “beat your practice test” because they took a 45-question test in less than two minutes?  Grades that reflect their effort seem to be ineffective.  I hesitate to stoop to scare tactics, but I am reaching that point.  What would YOU do?