After three years out of the regular ed classroom I am having to apply a lot of new beliefs. I can tell you there is a huge difference between what I believe is right and what I may be able to pull off. This is one example of what I am thinking.
I really do believe learning is social and that the students learning and sharing together is a much more powerful model than the teacher lecturing or students reading quietly to themselves. I also know from experience that many students excel in this way. Unfortunately I realize to many students, this is a bit too much freedom. So many students have had teachers constantly nagging them to work that they don't now how to self start. As soon as they are 'turned loose' they are completely lost.
Now I am struggling with how to approach the students that are not working, not using their time wisely, and are not learning. I know that they will soon discover that they wasted their time and I know better than to put much weight on grades this early in the year, but still I struggle with allowing them the opportunity to fail. I don't want that, even though it may be the only good way to move them towards independence.
What have you done in the past when you have been in this situation? I would love your feedback.
Most of my students who failed the first unit they did with me, for exactly the reason above, have steadily improved and now do very well. I think it was a necessary part of the process, and required to motivate them to do better. But my subject (ICT) is very non-linear, so I could afford to do this without kids falling behind. @rossdotparker
ReplyDeleteThanks Ross, I know I need to do it too but it is sure painful. Teaching and learning is hard!
ReplyDeleteI will be trying flip-mastery this year, which means giving the students a lot of freedom. I, too, am struggling with what I know for sure will be a problem: too much freedom for some will mean goofing off and chatting with their friends for all of the unstructured time. For me, it's very okay if they fail early and self-correct, but I guess I have a fear that a few students may not self-correct for months. In addition to conversations with them and with their parents, I'm wondering what else I can do to motivate them while still allowing them appropriate freedom. Furthermore, how do I explain to the administration what I'm doing if my principal walks in and finds several students totally off-task. Somehow I doubt he'll like my answer that I'm letting them fail.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand that feeling. What I am wondering is how many of the kids that won't be successful in this environment would be successful if they were constantly being nagged. I also wonder who is being successful would not be by constantly being nagged. We don't want any students to fail, maybe we need to be more deliberate with where we place our students?
DeleteI struggle with students unmotivated or unpracticed at independent learning. I remind myself that I have to give these young people a chance to learn how to be successful. It calls for differentiation. Free the students who can work independently and have a sense of direction. Structure learning for the others. Give them something manageable they can be successful at. Organize their space if you need.
ReplyDeleteFor your response to Mark, my estimation is that you are correct. Ideally our classrooms should be flexible enough to allow students to elect an environment that suits them. Ideally they should be able to shift repeatedly. Independence does not suit them all the time. Perhaps they want to write quietly in isolation, but learn math collaboratively in a group. The same student who can independently work through a problem-based unit in science might prefer guided crafts in art. We have to become comfortable with diversity, differentiation in our small classrooms.
Of course I would love for my students to be cognizant of how they learn best and to be able to put themselves in situations where they can succeed. I also realize this is something they have to have opportunities in which they can learn these skills. It is just really hard.
DeleteI struggle with thinking some students would perform better in one of the other more traditional classes, but I also realize that I am probably not being honest with myself. It is much more important they learn how to cope and make good learning choices than it is they learn a bit more 6th grade curriculum. I just hope we are all up for the task.Thanks for the comment :)
Students learn from their failures and mistakes, even people like me. It's a necessity to not nag them, allow them to run their time. Even if it does mean they don't do well at first. If you feel the need to, ask if there's any questions or if they need help. Maybe they don't understand what their supposed to be doing.
ReplyDeleteIan
You are right, sometimes they just don't know what to do. I am implementing procedures for them to follow if they have problems like ask a partner. I am also hovering much more than I typically would. I guess it is kind of like having a crisis of faith. I know what is necessary, but I am not sure I want to go through it. Thanks for the comment, Ian :)
DeleteI've had to allow students to 'fail' as well, but once the students understand that you want them to take responsibility for their own learning and are helping them to figure out how to learn with and from each other, they get it!
ReplyDeleteWe do a lot of PBL group work and there have been students who have had issues with this freedom. Most of the students, exceed my expectations, which I feel are pretty high, on a regular basis. That is the beauty of giving them the freedom to work together, they take that responsibility and work longer and harder than I expect them to because it is their choice to do so.
You are right, students are often conditioned by many years of 'spoon feeding' by 6th/7th grade after years of the lecture-notes-test cycle (depending on the mix of teachers they've had), but I know the freedom I offer the students is respected and appreciated. It is amazing to see the change in attitude toward learning and growth throughout the year.
Note: Like Ross, I've taught nonlinear subjects: 6th social studies and 7th science, and therefore, didn't have to worry about students 'falling behind.'