When is lying appropriate in a classroom? When is it okay to tell people things that just blatantly isn't true? Should a teacher admit when they don't know something, or is that just going to make them look stupid?
In a classroom setting, a teacher is viewed as the higher power, the larger order. Because of this, this gives them a certain degree of authority over students. By showing that one is weak and not all-knowing, this could cause a teacher to worry about that they don't know what they're talking about, or they don't understand what they're doing. This doesn't help establish respect however, and doesn't allow students to think of the teacher any higher.
A large aspect of being authentic is the idea that someone, a teacher for example is keeping it real. If a student can't trust their teacher to keep it real, and stick to the truth, why should they ever bother listening to them? Even if the truth maybe be tough and hard to handle, lying to them isn't going to create a sense of respect between the teacher and the student. The only way that sense of respect is going to be established is if a mutual trust, and understanding is reached. If a teacher is not authentic and accurate with a student, why should the student feel any motivation to be authentic with the teacher?
If a teacher is seen as being fake, then they are going to lose some of the authority in the classroom. Not that a teacher needs to be a supreme dictator over everything that happens, but they do need to maintain certain aspects of authority, particularly in the realm of trust. I mean honestly, if you know your teacher isn't being straight with you, it's not going to motivate you to do anything, it's not going to inspire you to want to find out more about a subject, it's just going to turn into that dull class that no one wants to here about or cares about.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
English Class, Three times around.
In high school I was hardly a stellar student. Actually I was a somewhat nightmare of a student. I was a reasonably smart kid who just refused to do the work. I never saw the point of it. If I could get 95% on the tests having never opened the textbook, I figured I should never waste my time and actually open it. This skill of mine got me by until about 10th grade. And when I say getting by, it was much more by the skin of my teeth than, looking back on it, I should have allowed. The way I'm setting this up, it's starting to sound like I did all these things, and then suddenly out of the blue, this external influence came into my life and I sorted everything out. Not exactly.
The teacher that probably had one of the most profound effects on my life was the english teacher I had for three years in high school. She was someone who I very much had a love hate relationship with. I would be lying if I said she wasn't a good teacher. She very much was, I just wasn't always willing to accept that. The first class I had her for, my freshman year of high school I hated. Not because of her though. The students in that class were mostly the over-achieving crowd, the ones who always want to know how many points it's going to be worth, how it's going to be graded, and what they can do to get extra credit. Frankly, those people disgust me. I understand that they have been forced into this mindset, but many of them couldn't care less about what they learned in high school. Most of them probably don't remember most of it, at least not the details. I digress. In summary, I didn't like that class because of my peers, and didn't do very well in it.
Sophmore year, I took what was considered to be a slacker english class, that just happened to be taught by the same teacher. I hadn't really intended for that to happen, it just did. I enjoyed her class more having her an additional time, however I didn't work any harder in it. I skidded by, barely in it, doing slightly more than the bare minimum (though that point could be argued). It wasn't that I didn't like the teacher particularly. Well okay, I had days where I didn't like her. But I can't say it was entirely her fault.
One thing that you should be aware of about me is that I love attention. I love to be a part of what's going on. I hate the idea of sitting by watching. In high school, one of the easiest ways to get attention was to not do your work, particularly if you were "smart." It drove many a teacher completely bonkers
when they get a really smart kid that just has no motivation to do anything. So they give that student more and more attention. Which causes said student (me as the case may be) to just continue doing it, because they get the attention they want, and the satisfaction that they have the power to drive someone nuts. I would be lying if I said it wasn't fun to have that sort of power.
Alas, back to English class. My first year, she gave me a moderate amount of attention when I didn't do work. The class was large enough, and their were more than a few students that had my tendencies. I was one in a group, the slacker group. Now sophmore year comes along, and she'd had me before. She knew what I was like, she knew my habits. We both knew I wasn't about to do any work for her. And yet, she didn't go crazy when I missed that first assignment, (or if she did, she didn't let me know it). She passively ignored it. No, perhaps ignore isn't quite the right word. She didn't give me any extra attention, just more acknowledging that I hadn't done it. This, whether either of us was aware of it, I don't know, was a subtle act of compassion. I would have loved to get that attention, get chewed out at (which often brought good moments to talk back, another one of my "strengths"), and not encourage me to ever do anything. She didn't do that though. She didn't give me what I wanted, she gave me what I needed. I needed someone to show me that I wasn't some special smart kid that was too good for work. That if I wanted to do stuff ever, I had better at least try to somewhat conform to the system. It was a tough lesson of life that I needed to learn.
This teacher did even get to reap the rewards of her work, (though again, she may not even have been aware she was doing it - it took me years to figure out that the reason I didn't want to do my work was an attention based thing). I had her again my senior year of high school, where I did better. My grades were by no means perfect, but at least I was applying myself, and have continued to improve since those days in 10th grade. Still, the talking back issue is something I have yet to be cured of. Perhaps another day.
The teacher that probably had one of the most profound effects on my life was the english teacher I had for three years in high school. She was someone who I very much had a love hate relationship with. I would be lying if I said she wasn't a good teacher. She very much was, I just wasn't always willing to accept that. The first class I had her for, my freshman year of high school I hated. Not because of her though. The students in that class were mostly the over-achieving crowd, the ones who always want to know how many points it's going to be worth, how it's going to be graded, and what they can do to get extra credit. Frankly, those people disgust me. I understand that they have been forced into this mindset, but many of them couldn't care less about what they learned in high school. Most of them probably don't remember most of it, at least not the details. I digress. In summary, I didn't like that class because of my peers, and didn't do very well in it.
Sophmore year, I took what was considered to be a slacker english class, that just happened to be taught by the same teacher. I hadn't really intended for that to happen, it just did. I enjoyed her class more having her an additional time, however I didn't work any harder in it. I skidded by, barely in it, doing slightly more than the bare minimum (though that point could be argued). It wasn't that I didn't like the teacher particularly. Well okay, I had days where I didn't like her. But I can't say it was entirely her fault.
One thing that you should be aware of about me is that I love attention. I love to be a part of what's going on. I hate the idea of sitting by watching. In high school, one of the easiest ways to get attention was to not do your work, particularly if you were "smart." It drove many a teacher completely bonkers
when they get a really smart kid that just has no motivation to do anything. So they give that student more and more attention. Which causes said student (me as the case may be) to just continue doing it, because they get the attention they want, and the satisfaction that they have the power to drive someone nuts. I would be lying if I said it wasn't fun to have that sort of power.
Alas, back to English class. My first year, she gave me a moderate amount of attention when I didn't do work. The class was large enough, and their were more than a few students that had my tendencies. I was one in a group, the slacker group. Now sophmore year comes along, and she'd had me before. She knew what I was like, she knew my habits. We both knew I wasn't about to do any work for her. And yet, she didn't go crazy when I missed that first assignment, (or if she did, she didn't let me know it). She passively ignored it. No, perhaps ignore isn't quite the right word. She didn't give me any extra attention, just more acknowledging that I hadn't done it. This, whether either of us was aware of it, I don't know, was a subtle act of compassion. I would have loved to get that attention, get chewed out at (which often brought good moments to talk back, another one of my "strengths"), and not encourage me to ever do anything. She didn't do that though. She didn't give me what I wanted, she gave me what I needed. I needed someone to show me that I wasn't some special smart kid that was too good for work. That if I wanted to do stuff ever, I had better at least try to somewhat conform to the system. It was a tough lesson of life that I needed to learn.
This teacher did even get to reap the rewards of her work, (though again, she may not even have been aware she was doing it - it took me years to figure out that the reason I didn't want to do my work was an attention based thing). I had her again my senior year of high school, where I did better. My grades were by no means perfect, but at least I was applying myself, and have continued to improve since those days in 10th grade. Still, the talking back issue is something I have yet to be cured of. Perhaps another day.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Ain't got no respect?
In society today, often a lack of respect is present. This lack of respect could be for material objects, ideas, or other people. The world in many areas is turning things into a giant free for all, without even the courtesy to let other people believe what they want to.
Something we're taught from very early on in the education system is respect. But what is it? When thinking back to my elementary years, what immediately comes to mind is "the Golden Rule: Treat others how you'd like to be treated." Not really that hard of a concept. But then you also need to consider treating other peoples things how you'd like people to treat your things, or your ideas. Then things start getting trickier because what some people view as being acceptable, others think crosses lines. In my own words, I think of respect as attempting to understand all parties involved, and then treating other people based on how the common interest group wants to be treated, not just how one (potentially self-centered or biased) person thinks.
In the classroom, this starts at a very early age, in understanding that it's not okay to simply rip your neighbor's color crayons out of their hands. If someone else is talking, don't interrupt because you wouldn't like it if they interrupted you. As one progresses throughout school, and the writing implements advance beyond the more colorful stage (generally), interrupting other people or talking their ideas down becomes a lot more prominent. Telling someone else that their idea is stupid is rude, and has no place in the classroom. Allowing that sort of rude interruptions take place in the classroom can quickly degenerate the order of the class, and chaos can ensue.
When a classroom is a respectful atmosphere, in general everyone is going to feel more comfortable, and more confident. If someone is constantly getting shot down for anything they do or say by everyone else in the class, that person is going to bring a more negative attitude to the class, which in turn will make everyone else more unhappy. However, if everyone in the class is able to have a positive attitude, then it will be a more enjoyable experience, and a more creative experience.
Now their isn't one way to create respect in a classroom. It definitely needs to happen at the very beginning, starting perhaps with the teacher catering to the specific age group of the students (and remembering how old they are - treating 10th grades like 6 year olds isn't going to earn the teacher any respect, nor would doing the reverse, treating 6 year olds like 10th graders). If the teacher doesn't show some respect for the students, then the students will likely not show any respect back to them. Respect is something that is really only successful when it goes both directions. The teacher won't respect students who have no respect for them either. Always being angry is not a way to earn respect, it is useful to smile, and seem like you're enjoying what you're doing, though that isn't necessarily to earn respect, but simply so the students don't all think you're a prick.
That's all for now.
Something we're taught from very early on in the education system is respect. But what is it? When thinking back to my elementary years, what immediately comes to mind is "the Golden Rule: Treat others how you'd like to be treated." Not really that hard of a concept. But then you also need to consider treating other peoples things how you'd like people to treat your things, or your ideas. Then things start getting trickier because what some people view as being acceptable, others think crosses lines. In my own words, I think of respect as attempting to understand all parties involved, and then treating other people based on how the common interest group wants to be treated, not just how one (potentially self-centered or biased) person thinks.
In the classroom, this starts at a very early age, in understanding that it's not okay to simply rip your neighbor's color crayons out of their hands. If someone else is talking, don't interrupt because you wouldn't like it if they interrupted you. As one progresses throughout school, and the writing implements advance beyond the more colorful stage (generally), interrupting other people or talking their ideas down becomes a lot more prominent. Telling someone else that their idea is stupid is rude, and has no place in the classroom. Allowing that sort of rude interruptions take place in the classroom can quickly degenerate the order of the class, and chaos can ensue.
When a classroom is a respectful atmosphere, in general everyone is going to feel more comfortable, and more confident. If someone is constantly getting shot down for anything they do or say by everyone else in the class, that person is going to bring a more negative attitude to the class, which in turn will make everyone else more unhappy. However, if everyone in the class is able to have a positive attitude, then it will be a more enjoyable experience, and a more creative experience.
Now their isn't one way to create respect in a classroom. It definitely needs to happen at the very beginning, starting perhaps with the teacher catering to the specific age group of the students (and remembering how old they are - treating 10th grades like 6 year olds isn't going to earn the teacher any respect, nor would doing the reverse, treating 6 year olds like 10th graders). If the teacher doesn't show some respect for the students, then the students will likely not show any respect back to them. Respect is something that is really only successful when it goes both directions. The teacher won't respect students who have no respect for them either. Always being angry is not a way to earn respect, it is useful to smile, and seem like you're enjoying what you're doing, though that isn't necessarily to earn respect, but simply so the students don't all think you're a prick.
That's all for now.
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