Design Question 9: What Will I Do to Communicate High Expectations for All Students?
Module 23: Changing Behavior Toward Low-Expectancy Students (pgs. 279-285)
1) Activity Box p. 283: What are some things you can do to ensure that low-expectancy students are asked difficult questions?
2) As we learned in Teach Like a Champion, we should expect complete, correct responses from all students. What can you do to help students who have given incorrect or incomplete responses to questions and tasks? (see pgs. 283-284)
Question 9-Module 23
ReplyDeleteI hope I communicate to all students that they are valued and respected. I try to use humor to reinforce learning. I often make myself the target of the humor.
I am aware of the frequency of my questions from student to student. Occasionally I keep a list in my hand and tally mark who I have questioned throughout the day. If students make an error with a question, I try not to ask another student for a response. I restate the question in a different way. The student may have a learning gap and I can help fill it. We also discuss being respectful when someone makes an error. No negative comments of this sort are tolerated.
When I was in the classroom, I used pop cycle sticks. I drew a name out and asks the same question to students no matter what their level. The more challenge we give students, the more they will engage and the more they will want to please you by accepting the challenge. However, if we do not show respect and show them we value them this is all done in vain. Every child is a human that deserves to be valued. They need to know they are just as important as the child sitting next to them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Val--I hope my students know that they are valued and respected! Just by smiling more at the low-expectancy students and making eye contact, I can improve their motivation and engagement.
ReplyDeleteOn p. 283 I was struck by a statement that it's a national phenomenon that many boys transitioning from 3rd to 4th grade show a decrease in academic achievement. Is this true? Is it something that we see happening at Irving? If so, what can we do to help these students?
I use sticks as well when calling and students and their name goes back in my can so they can't answer a question and zone out for the rest of the discussion. I set the precedent that we are here to learn and learning means making mistakes. If only perfect answers were allowed in my room, I wouldn't be able to come in myself. They love that I admit to my mistakes too or when they find them before I do. It makes me seem more human/normal to them. We accept all answers and I actually like wrong answers more, because that gives me a true assessment of where their understanding took a wrong turn or what part of the process they don't understand.
ReplyDeleteTo help all my students, not just my strugglers, we use sentence starters. I give them the start to the sentence they need to answer with. This way they don't have to worry about having the answer and responding correctly. They have a start to the response and only have to add their response.