Back to Thoughts

Thoughts on Educating

Please contact the author, Jennifer Morrison (j.morrison@artofeducating.com), with questions, comments, or requests to reproduce this material.  

6/19/2008 - Plans for Building Student Relationships in 2008-09

I always like to get to know my students at the beginning of the year.  Even just asking students about themselves seems to be a plus, but it’s difficult and time-consuming to wade through and analyze questionnaire data.  Next year, inspired by Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students, I want to ask all my kids three questions that will tell me a great deal. 

Describe something you do well.

Chart out a typical school day’s schedule from 6 am to 12 pm.

Let’s assume all the assigned homework will be useful and relevant to your learning.  Let’s also assume that taking a zero for homework isn’t an option.  If you don’t turn something in, what should I do to make sure you get it done?

The students of What Kids Can Do, Inc. write that there are several things they want to know on the first day (p. 25). 

What will we be studying or doing during this course?
What can we expect for pop quizzes, tests, essays, or projects?
Do you give a lot of homework?
What is your grading system?
Is this class going to be fun? If not, what will make it interesting?
Will you be available to help outside of class?

I also need to be sure and address food and drink, speaking out, language, lateness, homework, classroom housekeeping, and sleeping, always keeping student learning as the top priority and reason for all rules.  I need to be clear about the agreement – what they need to do and what I will do.  Students also listed some questions they wish teachers would ask them (p. 32). 

Would you like extra credit?
Will you be able to do homework over the weekend?
How would you like to make up your homework/projects?
How are you feeling – do you want to do your work right now, or for homework?
Do you need a ride to and from school?
Do you have lunch money?
What could I be doing to help you learn better?

These mostly have to do with listening to what students think and caring about what’s going on with them – in other words, having empathy.  They also made a couple good suggestions for getting students to have empathy for the teacher – writing about how they would teach a particular lesson if they were the teacher and planning lessons (p. 33).  Even though I believe in it, I need to be clear that I recognize that much of students’ learning happens outside of school, especially for upper classmen with jobs and internships, and support those opportunities for learning by increasing their contact with outside experts, by steering students toward worthy enrichment programs, and by providing structure and time for reflection on what they are already doing.

Of course, even with all this relationship-building, it will be tough.  The student co-authors of Fires describe several types of adolescents in a typical classroom: the eye-roller, the wallflower, the hand-waver, the dreamer, the con artist (Daniel B. was a good example), the goof-off, and the workhorse (pp. 85-86).  I know all of these; I think they were all in my 3A class.  Thinking of Thomas B., I would also add the blocker as a type, someone for whom nothing is right and who disagrees and blocks at every turn.  On a given day, I’m working with all types and working doubly hard not to take students’ reactions and personalities personally. 

I need to remind students why they are in school.  Fires’ students give a good list (p. 102) and I would add to get your diploma (the third important piece of paper in one’s life; the first is one’s birth certificate and the second is one’s social security card, proving citizenship) as well as to find opportunities and network. 

To ward off ignorance.
To teach others.
To be social.
To see others’ points of view.
To understand history so history isn’t repeated.
To become well rounded.
To be well represented; to have a voice.
To learn to survive in society.
To find a career path and a well-paying job.
To know information so you’re not stuck in “duh” stages, even if things may not seem useful now.
Well, what else are you gonna do in the day that’s productive?

I also need to get a little better at helping students work together in their groups.  While most of my students last year liked working in groups, there were some stand out non-group people and I sometimes didn’t like how some groups ran.  Next year, I would like to start the year by having students brainstorm roles needed in any group, then describe the qualities of a person needs to do each role well (Examples: Leader = good listener, organized, inspiring; Recorder = fast writer, good speller, organized, clear note-taker; Worker = follows instructions well, attention to detail, motivated), then create some standards or a rubric for students’ daily group work.  I need to have them reflect more on their group work.  There are several possible questions given in Fires (p. 96).

Which role are you currently best suited for? What evidence do you have for that in your previous experience?

Which role are you currently least suited for? What evidence do you have for that in your previous experience?

How might you change that by learning from what others do?

What other roles do you think you could do well, and why? 

I’ve been thinking a lot about grades, and even though I don’t believe in them as good indicators of student learning, I know grades are a huge issue for students and parents.  At best, I feel I can try and make grades as fair and transparent (in terms of the process I use to arrive at them) as possible.  I know grades can be self-fulfilling – kids who generally make A’s will keep making A’s and kids who make D’s will generally keeping making D’s both on individual assignments and in their grades overall.  I am not sure why this is, but I know a student’s first quarter grade is a good indicator of his/her grade second, third, and fourth quarters.  I’m not sure how to change that, but Fires provides an interesting worksheet to help.  Students in Fires also give a nice list of questions teachers can ask before and after report cards (p. 164).

Before the grading period ends, ask…

How do you feel about how you are doing so far?
What things didn’t you understand?
What should I have done differently?
What kinds of things helped you out this semester?
How can I help you now?

After the report card arrives, ask…

How did this marking period go for you?
Do you think that’s the grade you deserve? If not, why?
What can you do to improve next time?
What can I as a teacher do better to help you?

Cushman, Kathleen, and the students of What Kids Can Do, Inc.  (2003).
Fires in the bathroom: Advice for teachers from high school students.  New York NY: The New Press.
   

Back to Thoughts