This chapter was the perfect read for me this week. The
honeymoon phase is definitely over for this teacher as I daily struggle to bring
my perfectly written lesson plans to life while a host of hurdles are thrown in
my way. As I looked back on my reflections for the week, I realized nearly
every single one of them contained something regarding behaviors. Whether it be
overall classroom control or individual students who seem to want to derail my patience
and sanity, I have found real teaching begins more in the realm of
understanding student behavior than understanding content.
As I opened Classroom
Confidential to chapter three and began to read on how all of behavior is motivated
by seeking pleasure or avoiding pain, my honest first reaction was ‘wonderful,
a bunch of information, detached from real life experience, on the psychology
of why students in general are the way they are’. Thankfully I kept reading. As
I moved on in the reading, I began thinking back to my own experience as a
student. I started identifying my student-self in the different examples
provided. Specifically in the realm of self-accommodations, I recalled how I
often drew in class to focus. I have always been highly visual and kinesthetic
in the way I learn. Literally, panic still comes over me when I am given a set
of verbal instructions, praying that somehow I’ll remember and decipher what’s
being required of me. Schmidt continues to explain the roles students
camouflage themselves with to try to hide in abilities to make it through an unpleasant
process. Reading about such ploys as the class clown, frequent flyer, and
charmer, I started identifying them with my own students. Perhaps the greatest
way this chapter influenced me, however, was by reminding me: it’s not the
students; it’s you. No student comes into school thinking ‘I can’t wait to
figure out all the ways I can totally screw up and fail today’. The factors
that contribute to this appearance can be caused by anything from a past trauma
to poor support at home. Every day I need to choose to find the kink in their
armor, slowly building trust with humor, encouragement, and genuine care.
I think chapter made me think back to one
student in particular. Philip always seems to be doing the wrong things at the
wrong times and has been completely disruptive throughout each of the classes I’ve
had with him. Without even formally realizing I was doing it, I began to us the
cheerleader strategy to get through this boy’s defenses last week. He was
clearly caught off guard by my persistent encouragement and praise. This week,
although caught off task many times, Philip seemed to be a very different
student around me. It’s as if that initial interaction, let him know I am on
his side. When I ask him to do things now, he responds in what I can only
imagine as trust. Schmidt makes a point about extraordinary teaching having a
three part formula- “order, challenge, and support”. I couldn’t agree more and
have now experience firsthand what industrial strength support can do.
No comments:
Post a Comment