tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post7732272216401702463..comments2024-01-06T06:09:29.140-05:00Comments on An Urban Teacher's Education: Paradigm Shiftjames boutinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-24825894491778906412011-10-26T23:29:59.767-04:002011-10-26T23:29:59.767-04:00James, I have found that when my students have the...James, I have found that when my students have the opportunity to have a voice in determining or amending class policies, they usually make good decisions. Have you ever held regular class meetings? I've found them to be a great way to have focused discussions on class issues. If something isn't working for me or for them, it goes on the next meeting agenda.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01743142200325416751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-33179544252260964222011-10-25T11:25:20.021-04:002011-10-25T11:25:20.021-04:00I like.
You know about the Sudbury Valley School ...I like.<br /><br />You know about the Sudbury Valley School model, I suppose.<br /><br />So, the question that comes to mind is how to work with the students who don't want to learn what you're asking them to learn. Do you think that your instruction becomes coercion on your part? Do you think it's simply a matter of majority rule? Just curious about your thoughts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-28324944438892447822011-10-23T16:27:30.512-04:002011-10-23T16:27:30.512-04:00allie701: Because I believe my students were attem...allie701: Because I believe my students were attempting to engage in a real discussion with me - yes, I think I would have. I would have continued to document fallacies in their argument and given them more and more proof that the five minutes of talk was a waste of time until it was too much for anyone to argue with.<br /><br />If the majority of my students were acting like the handful who would have argued in favor of time to talk no matter what evidence was given against their position, I may have used a different strategy.<br /><br />But I honestly don't think I've ever taught a classroom of students in which a majority did not care about their learning. I think that if you can find ways to bring out the voices of all students and provide an environment in which they feel they can be successful, it's unlikely you'd run into that problem.<br /><br />There's a great quote from a phenomenal documentary called Precious Knowledge in which a community member says something like, "I've never met a student who had a dysfunctional relationship with learning. Our students have dysfunctional relationships with school."<br /><br />I think this is about helping students develop functional relationships with school so that they can learn the academic curriculum.james boutinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09625944306253098621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-6879255768518187772011-10-22T23:04:41.232-04:002011-10-22T23:04:41.232-04:00So would you have continued the free time if the s...So would you have continued the free time if the students had concluded the experiment had worked, even if you didn't agree with them?allie701https://www.blogger.com/profile/05405298079606965053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113479300897983388.post-78214705662217880172011-10-21T08:26:00.400-04:002011-10-21T08:26:00.400-04:00I shared this with my network. I've been going...I shared this with my network. I've been going through a similar paradigm shift in my second year of teaching (thanks in large part to reflections from bloggers like you and authors of books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) and you've so wonderfully articulated that shift! Thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com