Discussion Blog
as part of the Book Study
provided by
www.TransformYourClassroom.net
Friday, March 3, 2017
Blog Post 6:
Adora Svitak, in her TED talk, discusses so-called “childish” thinking. Describe one way you can show your students you are
willing to learn from them.
One way I can show my students I am willing to learn from them is by including them in how to present their learning. There is a multitude of ways to present knowledge and kids always surprise us with the best ones. Also, kids tend to be the ones who come up with the most creative ways that may be new to teachers.
A way that I can show students that I am willing to learn from them is when they suggest different ways to solve a problem, encourage them. Or be open to listening when they tell you new things. Being a listener to your students is HUGE.
As a high school teacher, my students often have big projects, big tests, or homework dumps from other classes that affect their academic performance in my classroom. I try to stay aware of what they have going on so if we need to slow down a little bit, or even occasionally take a "work day" (to work/study on other classes) we are able to do that. That's also why I don't like specific due dates, but due weeks (test is due this week, anytime during the week).
Having a flexible schedule, and flexible teaching (some classes like direct instruction, some classes like flipped, some classes like group work, etc) allows students to feel like the class is customized for them and gives them more autonomy within the classroom.
One way I can show my students I am willing to learn from them is by listening to what they are already comfortable using, and being willing to adjust my teaching because of it. Coming into the year, I assumed we would spend most of our time in the more traditional programs like Google Docs and Sheets. We still work on those skills, but I quickly realized a lot of my students were not very familiar with them yet. What they did know was Canva.
As I moved from first quarter into second quarter, I shifted part of my curriculum to include more Canva and go deeper into what it can do. That change happened because of my students. They showed me what they were using, and I decided it made more sense to build on that and help them grow from there.
Adora Svitak, in her TED talk, discusses so-called “childish” thinking. Describe one way you can show your students you are willing to learn from them.
One way that I show my students that I’m willing to learn from them is that if I make a mistake, I let them know. It’s a good point to make to students to show that even though I’m an adult, I still make mistakes and learning. This can teach students that I’m still learning, but also that I make mistakes and I’m stilling trying after I make a mistake.
When I first started teaching I felt like I was pretty up-to-date on all the things the kids would talk about. As the years continue to pass, especially being out of the classroom the last couple years I have noticed how much I truly don't know what they are saying or talking about. One of the biggest things I do is just listen to them and show them that I am interested (most time I have no interest in the topic) but show them that I do care. Even when it comes to sports, I make a point to look up some of the kid's favorite teams and just make a small comment like "hey, I saw your Timberwolves won last night!". This seems to make a huge difference in the relationship with the students. Another thing I have noticed with students is when they find even a new game or app to play on with their Ipads, they enjoy showing me and telling me about it. It is fun to see how proud they are of small things. For some students, we are their only person who they can have those conversations with in a day and who actually show interest in things they are saying or showing us.
So often in my classroom, I have students with autism who have very specific interests. I am able to dive deep into their interests to help them to understand that I get them and where they are coming from. My students have built up the confidence to speak and ask for things that they haven't been able to do in their life. One of my previous students loved Titanic, presidents, and musicals. She also had some difficulties with regulating her behavior appropriately. In order to help her to regulate that behavior, she was able to name certain presidents or Titanic characters from the movie to name her feelings. Ex: President Washington: proud, hard-working. Cal: sneaky, mean, etc. We would create those visuals and she was able to name her feelings by the characters. To this day, she will check in with me labeling those feelings with the characters.
One way that I show students that I respect their opinions is by asking them questions about recommendations for my own son! My son is just getting to the age of enjoying more complicated pursuits and the middle school students I teach are full of information of what is a good use of his time and what is not very interesting. I value their opinion and it does help me make decisions! It is also a great way to get a conversation started up with them.
I learned my first year of teaching that students can teach us many things. Back then, it would be a humbling moment when a student would point out an error on a math problem, turns out I had taught it incorrectly. Currently, my student teach me all the things about technology. I had no idea what a promethan board was. Let me tell you, how much they have taught me this year, after being out of the classroom for 9 years. LOL. On a deeper level though. Kids are our ultimate teachers, aren't they? They teach us unconditional love, life lessons and so many more. It is a beautiful thing we as teachers get to embark on with our students.
I think an easy way to learn from them is by giving choice in classroom activities. I've offered lessons where students have choices of which assignments, labs, or activities they will choose to complete. Although each student is doing the same work they feel more empowered with choice. Another easy way is to just give every student basic respect right away each year. They have my respect until they trash it, but they can always get the respect back as they continue to grow and learn from mistakes.
One thing this reminds me of is in math instructions sometimes a student will come up with a way of solving a problem which may be different from the traditional method, if it works; I encourage it. Also, I encourage them to use a method that makes the most sense to them, if possible. Students have unique ways of looking at problems that adults have forgotten about. Encouraging students to show their understanding in their own ways may lead to deeper understanding of a new method that maybe that hadn't been exposed to.
In her TED Talk, Adora Svitak challenges adults to value “childish” thinking—imagination, curiosity, and bold ideas. As an Early Childhood Special Education teacher, one way I can show my students I am willing to learn from them is by following their lead during play and genuinely incorporating their ideas into our lessons. For example, if a child becomes fascinated with trains or animals, I can adapt activities and IEP goals around that interest rather than strictly following my original plan. I can also model being a learner by asking questions like, “Can you show me how you did that?” or “What do you think we should try next?” This communicates that their ideas matter and that learning is collaborative. By valuing their creativity and perspectives, I create a classroom culture where both teacher and students grow together.
Maybe this is why I love teaching so much. I love to let the kids know how smart, and creative they are and how much I love to learn and know all about them. I think it is a given we will always learn from our students especially, those gifted ones;) they keep us on our toes. I always talk with them about their interests, hobbies etc. it helps to build that connection and mutual respect. In the end kids just want to be heard and know that you care about what they are saying. For example when I am teaching Bible class, the kids really do often know more about it than I do as I am just recently a Christian. So when I am unsure about an answer and a student answers it, I just really emphasize "Oh, my goodness, YOU just taught Mrs. Smith that?" etc.
One way you can show students you are willing to learn from them is by asking them questions and truly listening to them. There are many instances where students talk but adults are really paying attention to what they are saying. This makes students feel as if teachers don't care about what they have to say. When students feel heard, they are more likely to open up and do some of their own teaching. There is so much for everyone to learn!
Adora Svitak, in her TED talk, discusses so-called “childish” thinking. Describe one way you can show your students you are willing to learn from them.
As mentioned in an earlier post I am constantly reminding my students that we are all human, we make mistakes, and don't know everything, with that I try to correct mistakes or learn things with them. As an "old" teacher I have come to realize that what once was relatable to students now maybe doesn't resonate with them like it did in the past as I often get blank stares referencing older movies, songs, or video games. In an effort to be more "up-to-date" I frequently ask kids about their interest, movies, shows, music, hobbies, and even slang/language- no cap. If students can't make meaningful connections with what I am trying to relay to them, they more than likely will not retain it or be able to ably it on a meaningful level.
The most recent story I would like to share is not about my classroom but about an experience that I had with my own children. I can tell you one way that I have learned from my children in the past is we had an incident where we had snapping turtles lay eggs in our gravel driveway and instead of discarding the eggs, my husband and I had our children research how to incubate the eggs and research how to properly care for the eggs for the duration of the incubation stage and until the turtles were ready to be release back into nature. I can tell you that I had never been a part of an experiment as such. The kids blew us away and learn far more in their research than the few stages we challenged them to find out about. Many facts and stories were shared along the way that I did not know, and the best part is that this experience was led by the kids. They did great and took complete ownership and pride in this family project. At the end of the experience, we actually put together a slideshow, and the kids took the newborn turtles to school and explained this experience with their classmates. It was really cool!
Adora Svitak, in her TED talk, discusses so-called “childish” thinking. Describe one way you can show your students you are willing to learn from them.
I think for me one way I show my students I'm willing to learn from them is when I show them a strategy to solve a math problem, I ask if there are others ways to solve the problem. This gives them a way to share with me and sometimes I have learned new ways of looking at a problem through their eyes and most of the time it's an easier way!
Working with kindergarteners is always fun to see how they understand things. I like to ask them how they figured out a problem or ask them if they think there is another way we can figure it out. Every year I am impressed with how a 5 year old can figure out a problem and to see the lighbulb go off when they figure something out for themselves. I tell them how proud I am when they accomplish it on their own.
Adora Svitak, in her TED talk, discusses so-called “childish” thinking. Describe one way you can show your students you are willing to learn from them.
Adora Svitak encourages adults to take children's ideas seriously and be willing to learn from them. She explains that "childish" thinking is not negative but something adults can learn from. One way that I can show my student that I am willing to learn from them is by asking them questions and listening to their responses. In doing so, I would be showing them that their ideas and feedback matter. For example, after completing a project, I could ask them what could be done differently next time to help them in their learning. By implementing their suggestions, I would be showing them that they are helping me become a better teacher. I can also see how this would create an environment of trust and show students that they can have an impact on instruction and their own learning.
One way I can show my students I am willing to learn from them is by including them in how to present their learning. There is a multitude of ways to present knowledge and kids always surprise us with the best ones. Also, kids tend to be the ones who come up with the most creative ways that may be new to teachers.
ReplyDeleteA way that I can show students that I am willing to learn from them is when they suggest different ways to solve a problem, encourage them. Or be open to listening when they tell you new things. Being a listener to your students is HUGE.
ReplyDeleteAs a high school teacher, my students often have big projects, big tests, or homework dumps from other classes that affect their academic performance in my classroom. I try to stay aware of what they have going on so if we need to slow down a little bit, or even occasionally take a "work day" (to work/study on other classes) we are able to do that. That's also why I don't like specific due dates, but due weeks (test is due this week, anytime during the week).
ReplyDeleteHaving a flexible schedule, and flexible teaching (some classes like direct instruction, some classes like flipped, some classes like group work, etc) allows students to feel like the class is customized for them and gives them more autonomy within the classroom.
One way I can show my students I am willing to learn from them is by listening to what they are already comfortable using, and being willing to adjust my teaching because of it. Coming into the year, I assumed we would spend most of our time in the more traditional programs like Google Docs and Sheets. We still work on those skills, but I quickly realized a lot of my students were not very familiar with them yet. What they did know was Canva.
ReplyDeleteAs I moved from first quarter into second quarter, I shifted part of my curriculum to include more Canva and go deeper into what it can do. That change happened because of my students. They showed me what they were using, and I decided it made more sense to build on that and help them grow from there.
Adora Svitak, in her TED talk, discusses so-called “childish” thinking. Describe one way you can show your students you are willing to learn from them.
ReplyDeleteOne way that I show my students that I’m willing to learn from them is that if I make a mistake, I let them know. It’s a good point to make to students to show that even though I’m an adult, I still make mistakes and learning. This can teach students that I’m still learning, but also that I make mistakes and I’m stilling trying after I make a mistake.
When I first started teaching I felt like I was pretty up-to-date on all the things the kids would talk about. As the years continue to pass, especially being out of the classroom the last couple years I have noticed how much I truly don't know what they are saying or talking about. One of the biggest things I do is just listen to them and show them that I am interested (most time I have no interest in the topic) but show them that I do care. Even when it comes to sports, I make a point to look up some of the kid's favorite teams and just make a small comment like "hey, I saw your Timberwolves won last night!". This seems to make a huge difference in the relationship with the students. Another thing I have noticed with students is when they find even a new game or app to play on with their Ipads, they enjoy showing me and telling me about it. It is fun to see how proud they are of small things. For some students, we are their only person who they can have those conversations with in a day and who actually show interest in things they are saying or showing us.
ReplyDeleteSo often in my classroom, I have students with autism who have very specific interests. I am able to dive deep into their interests to help them to understand that I get them and where they are coming from. My students have built up the confidence to speak and ask for things that they haven't been able to do in their life.
ReplyDeleteOne of my previous students loved Titanic, presidents, and musicals. She also had some difficulties with regulating her behavior appropriately. In order to help her to regulate that behavior, she was able to name certain presidents or Titanic characters from the movie to name her feelings. Ex: President Washington: proud, hard-working. Cal: sneaky, mean, etc. We would create those visuals and she was able to name her feelings by the characters. To this day, she will check in with me labeling those feelings with the characters.
One way that I show students that I respect their opinions is by asking them questions about recommendations for my own son! My son is just getting to the age of enjoying more complicated pursuits and the middle school students I teach are full of information of what is a good use of his time and what is not very interesting. I value their opinion and it does help me make decisions! It is also a great way to get a conversation started up with them.
ReplyDeleteI learned my first year of teaching that students can teach us many things. Back then, it would be a humbling moment when a student would point out an error on a math problem, turns out I had taught it incorrectly.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, my student teach me all the things about technology. I had no idea what a promethan board was. Let me tell you, how much they have taught me this year, after being out of the classroom for 9 years. LOL.
On a deeper level though. Kids are our ultimate teachers, aren't they? They teach us unconditional love, life lessons and so many more. It is a beautiful thing we as teachers get to embark on with our students.
I think an easy way to learn from them is by giving choice in classroom activities. I've offered lessons where students have choices of which assignments, labs, or activities they will choose to complete. Although each student is doing the same work they feel more empowered with choice. Another easy way is to just give every student basic respect right away each year. They have my respect until they trash it, but they can always get the respect back as they continue to grow and learn from mistakes.
ReplyDeleteOne thing this reminds me of is in math instructions sometimes a student will come up with a way of solving a problem which may be different from the traditional method, if it works; I encourage it. Also, I encourage them to use a method that makes the most sense to them, if possible. Students have unique ways of looking at problems that adults have forgotten about. Encouraging students to show their understanding in their own ways may lead to deeper understanding of a new method that maybe that hadn't been exposed to.
ReplyDeleteIn her TED Talk, Adora Svitak challenges adults to value “childish” thinking—imagination, curiosity, and bold ideas. As an Early Childhood Special Education teacher, one way I can show my students I am willing to learn from them is by following their lead during play and genuinely incorporating their ideas into our lessons. For example, if a child becomes fascinated with trains or animals, I can adapt activities and IEP goals around that interest rather than strictly following my original plan. I can also model being a learner by asking questions like, “Can you show me how you did that?” or “What do you think we should try next?” This communicates that their ideas matter and that learning is collaborative. By valuing their creativity and perspectives, I create a classroom culture where both teacher and students grow together.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this is why I love teaching so much. I love to let the kids know how smart, and creative they are and how much I love to learn and know all about them. I think it is a given we will always learn from our students especially, those gifted ones;) they keep us on our toes.
ReplyDeleteI always talk with them about their interests, hobbies etc. it helps to build that connection and mutual respect. In the end kids just want to be heard and know that you care about what they are saying. For example when I am teaching Bible class, the kids really do often know more about it than I do as I am just recently a Christian. So when I am unsure about an answer and a student answers it, I just really emphasize "Oh, my goodness, YOU just taught Mrs. Smith that?" etc.
One way you can show students you are willing to learn from them is by asking them questions and truly listening to them. There are many instances where students talk but adults are really paying attention to what they are saying. This makes students feel as if teachers don't care about what they have to say. When students feel heard, they are more likely to open up and do some of their own teaching. There is so much for everyone to learn!
ReplyDeleteAdora Svitak, in her TED talk, discusses so-called “childish” thinking. Describe one way you can show your students you are willing to learn from them.
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned in an earlier post I am constantly reminding my students that we are all human, we make mistakes, and don't know everything, with that I try to correct mistakes or learn things with them. As an "old" teacher I have come to realize that what once was relatable to students now maybe doesn't resonate with them like it did in the past as I often get blank stares referencing older movies, songs, or video games. In an effort to be more "up-to-date" I frequently ask kids about their interest, movies, shows, music, hobbies, and even slang/language- no cap. If students can't make meaningful connections with what I am trying to relay to them, they more than likely will not retain it or be able to ably it on a meaningful level.
The most recent story I would like to share is not about my classroom but about an experience that I had with my own children. I can tell you one way that I have learned from my children in the past is we had an incident where we had snapping turtles lay eggs in our gravel driveway and instead of discarding the eggs, my husband and I had our children research how to incubate the eggs and research how to properly care for the eggs for the duration of the incubation stage and until the turtles were ready to be release back into nature. I can tell you that I had never been a part of an experiment as such. The kids blew us away and learn far more in their research than the few stages we challenged them to find out about. Many facts and stories were shared along the way that I did not know, and the best part is that this experience was led by the kids. They did great and took complete ownership and pride in this family project. At the end of the experience, we actually put together a slideshow, and the kids took the newborn turtles to school and explained this experience with their classmates. It was really cool!
ReplyDeleteAdora Svitak, in her TED talk, discusses so-called “childish” thinking. Describe one way you can show your students you are willing to learn from them.
ReplyDeleteI think for me one way I show my students I'm willing to learn from them is when I show them a strategy to solve a math problem, I ask if there are others ways to solve the problem. This gives them a way to share with me and sometimes I have learned new ways of looking at a problem through their eyes and most of the time it's an easier way!
Working with kindergarteners is always fun to see how they understand things. I like to ask them how they figured out a problem or ask them if they think there is another way we can figure it out. Every year I am impressed with how a 5 year old can figure out a problem and to see the lighbulb go off when they figure something out for themselves. I tell them how proud I am when they accomplish it on their own.
ReplyDeleteAdora Svitak, in her TED talk, discusses so-called “childish” thinking. Describe one way you can show your students you are willing to learn from them.
ReplyDeleteAdora Svitak encourages adults to take children's ideas seriously and be willing to learn from them. She explains that "childish" thinking is not negative but something adults can learn from. One way that I can show my student that I am willing to learn from them is by asking them questions and listening to their responses. In doing so, I would be showing them that their ideas and feedback matter. For example, after completing a project, I could ask them what could be done differently next time to help them in their learning. By implementing their suggestions, I would be showing them that they are helping me become a better teacher. I can also see how this would create an environment of trust and show students that they can have an impact on instruction and their own learning.