All last week I read Choice Words in the morning before I start teaching for the day. I’m glad I started my day off with it because it’s a reminder of how vital every conversation I have with my students is in their development as critical thinkers, readers, and writers. I’ve used a lot of these techniques before without really having a way to name them. It’s true that most of them are geared towards elementary students. I recognize that I was trained to speak with students in this manner when I worked with AmeriCorps in South Austin. However, I find them really helpful with my secondary students as well. Asking students how they came to write about what they did or what was their thought process for finding a solution to a difficult question makes them think about their position as an engaged learner who has control over their education.
As we talked about last class my class has been erm…a little more scripted, shall we say? We assigned our juniors to write a narrative about death. For some reason the powers above enforce that we have to have all of our writing on those cursed 26 lines. Yes, even for juniors who don’t have to take the test. So that was pretty lame but I tried to make the most of it. I walked around and conferenced with some students and read their essays with them when they were finished. Then I tried out a few of these quips in Choice Words. I don’t know if it was the way I was asking these questions or if they’re just not used to being questioned in this manner but most of my students thought that I was questioning them because they were wrong and they needed to change what they were writing. I realized I had to preface our conversation with a reassurance I was asking them about their writing because I wanted to know how they thought of their story and why they wrote it that way because I am honestly interested and eager to help them become passionate writers. One of my challenge students who doesn't like to read and always seems to dislike what we’re doing in class turned in his essay to me and I sat down with him and immediately read it. After words I was so enthusiastic because he really did set a great scene incorporating his upbringing in Jamaica and I told him so. I gave him specific examples of what I liked about his writing and he seemed genuinely surprised and happy. It seemed like he wasn’t used to being praised for his reading and I’m hoping that our conversation will help him to continue writing. especially about Jamaica.
I don’t think a lot of these students are used to being asked to reflect on why they write a certain way or how they came to their decisions. The questions usually stop after a correct answer is supplied. Does anyone else feel this way too?
That's the whole problem with asking questions: students think that whenever teachers ask a question, they are looking for the "right" answer. And they also think that whenever they ask a question, it means they don't know any better and they need the teacher to help--an admission of ignorance. So the whole enterprise of asking questions--the central activity of learning in my opinion--is being shut down by our expectations of objective knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI think it's hard to value subjectivity and nuance when the larger structures that often dictate curriculum are always telling us there is a right answer. Even if we build this appreciation for subjectivity in our classes, it will always be undermined by accountability and testing measures which seek to quantify and label kids as passing or failing. So, to me, it seems like as urban teachers we're constantly talking out both sides of our mouth. It's a difficult spot to be in.