Parents.
First, I'd like to reflect on my very first interaction with a concerned parent. (Ohmygoodness.)
I can confidently say that interactions with parents of students would rank at the top of the list of most student teachers' Ten Most Terrifying Things to Deal With. It's certainly on mine. Parents wield a great deal of influence - as they should - but the idea of being accused that you are doing something wrong is particularly scary. So far, I have made an effort to do activities that are helpful for students in terms of broadening their understanding of the text, interesting to them personally, and engaging. I have tried my best to keep all possibilities in mind and the best way to present the activity so that all students can participate fully.
About a week ago, I presented an activity that, in general, was a huge hit; I copied a template from a blank Facebook newsfeed page and then had the students create the page for a specific character from the text. The point, of course, was for the students to do a sort of character analysis and apply what they know about social networking to the character (i.e. what is that characters interests? Are they in a relationship? What music do they listen to? If they went to HS who would they be friends with?). I made it a point to stress those questions instead of insisting that they follow the template precisely, knowing that there would be some student unfamiliar with the medium.
However, when a parent approached me yesterday afternoon and said that her son was incredibly stressed by the activity and concerned, it completely threw me. I can't say that I was particularly prepared for a parent to approach me about an activity worth two points towards their overall grade! Luckily, I recovered from the stress-induced seizure quickly enough to explain to the parent the purpose of the activity, my methods in delivering it, and thanking her for coming to me with her concerns. All said and done, I think we both walked away reassured, happy, and relieved that the interaction had gone well.
Whew. That being said, I was thrilled with the results, and I was glad that my gut instincts had served me well (explain reasoning, express genuine concerns, address students needs, and establish lines of communication). In that sense, I think parents like the one that approached me can be an enormous resource that I am going to focus on tapping into in the next few weeks. I am strongly considering sending positive notes home to students who are probably not praised enough for their efforts and contacting parents of students whose performance concerns me. Too often, parents wind up fearing teachers because a call home is negative thing; instead of asking parents to work like law enforcement, I would like to think of it as asking for help from the experts. Who (theoretically) would know a child better than the parents?
Motivation.
Now that I have began to enter grades into the grade book, I can really see the differences in motivation from class to class. (Most of the grades taken thus far have been participation points; up until this week I haven't assigned too much outside work or assignments that are heavy on the points.) Naturally, the most obvious differences in motivation are from my Honors to my General classes, and those differences I feel I have discussed extensively in my coursework up to this point.
However, the "real world" consequences of these differences in motivation is extremely scary for me. Since my Honors students are so motivated by grades, assigning homework is simple and usually reflects the ability levels of the student or their level of comprehension (as it should). In my General classes, they are mostly motivated to "get through" the class and this week that translated into having about 1/3-1/2 of the students turn in an assignment that mathematically equates to about a third of their grade (although that will change in the next few weeks). Still, seeing the majority of my students failing my class because they didn't turn in an assignment that I extended the deadline for by 4 days is depressing at best.
So here is the conundrum: what can I do about it? I refuse to think that the General students aren't capable of the quality of work I expect from my Honors and that I should therefore "dumb it down", give less homework (I've barely given any!), and/or give more time in class for completing assignments (I gave them time in class that they could have chosen to use to work on it).
I have tried my best to take a relatively uninteresting novel, which I had no choice but to use, and expand it so that it could intersect student interests. Granted, I had anticipated that not all my activities would work and that some might fall completely flat, but to have so few students take interest in doing the work I require is disheartening.
Usually, I have been good at problem-solving and identifying potential solutions; academia was a sort of heaven for me. When applied to real-world problems with murky solutions (if there are any solutions), everything seems tougher. It's easier if I write about it, but even now it isn't yielding any solutions, so I will leave it so any readers that might have suggestions.
Problem:
3/4 of the students in all General sections are failing due to a lack of desire to participate in classroom activities or complete few-and-far-between assignments. This is partly due to widespread apathy for the content of the novel and also to a very chatty classroom climate. Thus far, activities have been difficult but not impossible to engage students; some have been successful, but many students are falling to the wayside. Since the students do not want to do the work, a significant amount of work is dedicated to classroom management, even after restructuring activities. You cannot be everywhere at once during class, so while one student is being helped the other 23 are actively making trouble. The unit is almost over; a major assignment is due soon and a there will be a test at the end.
What do you do?
Getting Help.
This also ties into the idea of motivation, but it more applies to myself. Most of my focus thus far has been student-centered, but I'd like to take the time to briefly analyze the experience's effects on me. Because I spend so much time absorbed in observing, analyzing, and attempting to solve my students' problems, I often lose sight of my own stake in the thing. I am always trying to devise strategies to deliver lessons so that more and more students are involved and interested, but I can occasionally get so hung up on the student end of it that I forget how much I can change myself.
At this point, especially given the situation described above, I need help. I cannot do this alone. Never in my life have I felt so strongly that I have no idea what I am doing or what I can do to help myself.
Despite a concerted effort to implement strategies discussed in previous classes that are grounded in solid pedagogy, my classes are still not engaged, motivated, or even passing. So where do I go for help? Yes, "venting" here helps; I can organize my thoughts and sort of debrief after a long week, but at some point I am supposed to come up with my epiphany of the week and include it.
Q: What have you learned this week that will help you to become a better teacher, Mrs. Johnson?
I don't know. I feel stuck, frustrated, and helpless. I read English Journal articles for help; I look online for resources; I briefly discuss issues with other teachers; I try to keep my brain engaged by working through my own problems.
Q: What will you do to change that?
I don't know. I know that there are no easy answers, but I need to find a forum of sorts where I can discuss possible strategies, or at least be able to commiserate with people who understand. I feel as though Mr. "Smith" is unavailable or disinterested, and although it may be wrong I tend not to approach him for suggestions.
Q: And how does that make you feel?
Terrible. I am isolated for six hours a day where my only interactions are with the same people that are my "problem". They also happen to be fourteen.
Q: So what is your next move?
This week I plan on focusing more on praising positive behavior so that students see I appreciate their hard work; I want to read several articles that address student motivation and performance and revisit books that address these same things. There are resources out there, but the process of finding them and then sifting through them is time-consuming and often the results are less-than-satisfying.
Small Victories.
Students seeking me out for questions or concerns. Students expressing their excitement over their writing assignments. Students conversing with me, concerned about their own abilities or behaviors. My wonderful experience with the students involved in The Pink Panther Strikes Again.
All evidence that, even though teaching isn't for those who desire instant gratification, there are lives being touched...
...especially mine.
To Be Continued.
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