1)After reading this chapter what should we be doing differently in our classrooms and schools. What ways would you suggest we start making changes needed if we are too meet the needs of all students.
2) In what ways might you translate the principles presented in the chapter into practical, everyday useful methods of teaching.
3) If you were to plan your next steps for making your curriculum more brain compatible what would I be seeing you do differently in your classes.
3 comments:
1) This chapter reminded me of the fears students have and the defensive behaviors that may follow depending on the situation. Fear itself has so many meanings. Schools were forced to look at their plans for safety and begin to train staff and students for "lock down" situations. Many older schools have had to redo their front offices so visitors can only come in one door. To make sure the needs of all students are being meet, the district needs to look at their test scores and their budget. With the No Child Left Behind law our district is continuously evaluating what is being taught and how it is being taught. At my school there are over 900 students. We have Math and Reading support teachers and for the first time a teacher to work with the EEL students. We are also fortunate to have a gifted and talented teacher. As departments, we have monthly meetings to discuss our goal of student achievement. We have assessments and success indicators that all students need to master. I think our school is on the right track. It really helps to have an administrator who is very proactive. Our principal won the honor for the best principal of the year in the state and was second for the nation. So, needless to say, there are high expectations and accountability on teachers to make sure we are meeting the students needs.
2&3) In this chapter it mentioned that teachers need to help students learn about what causes them stress and how to manage it. Since all our students are new to the middle school we try to put all of their fears into perspective and teach them some of the healthy coping skills. When it came time to do a speech we told them it was ok to be nervous. My partner taught the students special breathing techniques that we all did to calm everyones nerves. We try to create a calm environment by dimming the lights and have soft music playing. Organization and time management is something we work on daily. The next steps would be to continually reduce the reflex response. The ultimate goal would be to find the flow in learning. The idea that if the student does not have anxiety or worries, the lesson or activity will take on more meaning is something that should be happening every day. I need to make sure that I remember this as I get stress with all that we need to cover and the time that we have to do it. Sometimes we are so content driven that I forget my actions or comments could be causing my students stress.
1 - I think so many schools focus on output, output, output. How can we raise our test scores, will we meet the quotas for state standards this year, etc. Because we are pressured from the school board and administration, we as teachers often carry that stress into our classrooms. As a special educator we get bombarded from all directions (teachers, parents, administrators) that many burn out after 5 - 10 years. I think education has changed so much and so quickly in the past 10-20 years that many of us are left not really knowing how to fix the many problems we face. A school needs to be physically and emotionally safe on so many different levels, it can be very overwhelming trying to decide where to start. I can't imagine having to walk through a metal detector to enter my high school! I think many schools have become proactive in addressing the emotional safety as well. Social workers are much more prevalent in the schools, are going into the classrooms to teach and have begun school wide tolerance programs. While I am sure not all schools are on the same page, I feel many schools are at least starting to address these new problems.
2/3 - I truly believe a student will perform better in a classroom in which they feel safe, comfortable and secure. Thinking back to those wonderful grade school days we can all remember a teacher or two that scared the creepers out of us or was just plain mean. I knew a 3rd grade teacher that dumped my friend's desk out in front of the whole class because she (the teacher) did not like how she had it organized. Talk about feeling terrified in your classroom. Everyone worried about having that happen to them the rest of the year and my friend still remembers, to this day, how she felt when that happened. I try to make my room comfortable and inviting so my students are excited to come down to see me. I also use a lot of positive encouragement and have begun to use peer acknowledgment this year. I see a huge difference when Johnny tells Suzie she did a nice job them when they just hear it from me. I also think it begins to teach the children about compassion and others feelings, something many aren't getting at home anymore. And of course the most important - I try and take time for me. If I am stressed and frazzled, nothing productive will be accomplished that day.
Hi Julie and Irishcat..glad to see you are both on..I will send some comments your way after about 3 chapters..Great job on chap 1...Barney
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