I learned a great deal of
valuable information in these last few chapters. I found the section in Chapter 12, Strategies
That Support and Undermine Motivation in the Classroom, to be the most
relatable (p. 496-497). As I was reading
the different types of strategies, I started laughing out loud to myself. Not because I found the material humorous by
any means. It was as if I was reading an
entry about an observation that someone had made about the school that I work
at. What really stuck with me was the
strategies that do not support motivation to learn. I have to say that all eight of the examples
in the textbook are all strategies that I have seen used in different
classrooms. I actually witnessed a teacher using one of these strategies in her classroom just yesterday morning. She used public punishment to single out
students who had failed to return a note she gave them earlier in the
week.
It was a note to parents
discussing holiday events she had planned for next Thursday. She had all the students who
did return the form, stand up, while
the other students, which was exactly half of her class, stay seated and await
a lecture from their teacher. It is so
fascinating to read about these strategies because they never work. What is even
more interesting, is that so many teachers continue to utilize these negative
strategies in their classroom, expecting positive results (p. 496-497). Responding to student answers made me think
of certain situations I have been in (p. 571-572). I have
witnessed teachers respond effectively to a wide range of student
responses. For the most part, they are
positive and promote group discussions and encourage participation in their
classrooms. “Hattie and Timperley argue that feedback about process and
self-regulation is the most powerful because it helps students move toward deep
understanding, mastery, and self-direction in learning” (p. 572). Other times, I have seen students give well-thought responses to questions in class, only to be told, “Oh, ok. Good” by the
teacher.
There is usually no follow up to their
responses, nor any further probing that would promote new perspectives, further discussions,
or even encourage others to participate who typically do not feel comfortable
doing so. There are so many missed
opportunities. Standardized tests are
always a constant headache for most teachers.
At least for many of the teachers that I work with. Most of the teachers typically dread standardized
testing (p. 615). Tensions run much
higher during testing seasons. I think
for the most part the frustration many teachers have with standardized testing
is all the problems that go along with the actual administering of the
tests. As much preparation goes into
standardized testing, I always notice how many technical issues teachers
inevitably have during these tests. Standardized
tests come with a great deal of organization and homework for the teachers. Two of the more “important” tests that are
administered to our students are the P.A.R.C.C. and N.W.E.A. tests.
David, I also find it fascinating that some teachers will expect positive results from implementing a strategy that is so authoritarian. Growing up, I had a teacher in high school who would also use some of these methods as a way to enforce classroom rules and inflict punishment upon us. As an example, I got in trouble for forgetting my textbook in my locker once. I was punished by not being allowed to share a book with my classmates, and had to sit at my desk without a book while all the students around me completed an in class assignment using their textbooks. Accidents happen, we're human. And punishing me and my classmates in this way didn't teach us a lesson. It just made us feel extremely fearful of this teacher.
ReplyDeleteBeyond public punishment, there was also a lot of competition in the classroom. To be honest, I never really realized how negatively that could impact a classroom until I read about this while doing research for my paper, and reflected upon my own experiences. In this same class, the only "fun" activities we got to participate in was competitions. The class was divided in two, and there was always some sort of punishment for the students that lost. If I remember correctly, it was in the form of extra homework. It's this type of unhealthy competition that is more harmful to students than it is encouraging. It teaches students that winning is the only way to be successful rather than the importance of working together, helping each other, and learning to understand one another.
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteIt is sad that so many teachers still use negative strategies in their classrooms. When growing up I recall many of my teachers using these types of strategies. I feel that the public punishment hurts students self-esteem which most children struggle with already. I had one teacher that would always comment "Almost everyone in this class are great writers" (and we all knew who he was referring to) or he would state "Oh you actually got a good grade" when handing back tests to certain students. Everyone dreaded going to his class. I thought that with all the information we now have we would not see these types of negative strategies in the classroom anymore.