Pushing Our Students

When is it good to push the students? How do I know the difference between pushing upward, that is, toward excellence they are capable of, or pushing them down by applying negative pressure? I think the difference depends on a few things. First, do I know each student well enough to know what they are capable of and therefore what I can push for that brings out the best in them? Or am I exerting force to get them to perform to my standards regardless of their interests and abilities? Secondly, do I care about my students enough to want them to do what they can do best, or do I care about the curriculum and my program, time commitments, results, etc? Thirdly, am I assertive enough to keep them accountable to their own competencies, or am I content to make them do what I want, using my authority to demand a performance that suits my needs?

Reduced to Filling in the Blanks

My applied grade nine French students are not confident with grammar and writing. The exam is three weeks away. I have tried some creative activities, but am now dealing with perhaps the most abstract and irrelevant lesson to them: the past tense with être. They won't memorize on their own. Most don't understand how to apply the structures to their own ideas. 25% of the students in this class have been away for rugby and track over the last couple of weeks. If I launch them into more independent, creative work, they stall, balk and banter.



I have therefore reduced the work to inserting the correct answer in the blank from a list of elements to choose from (essentially, a multiple choice exercise). It bothers me that there is no creative thinking going on.

The other thing that bothers me is my tendency now to rely on the almighty "pass" mark to goad them on: "If you do this, you will pass"; "If you don't do that, you will fail." It is what they are used to thinking and hearing, and it does get most of them moving. But it's not how I want to educate. The crunch is the curriculum and evaluations that drive the teaching, a rather paltry pedagogical menu!

Reduced to Filling in the Blanks

Two things are bothering me today. One is that I'm limiting my teaching three weeks before the exam to my grade nine applied French students

Nobody Wants to Fail

When students consistently don't do the work we ask them to do, it becomes increasingly difficult not to believe they want to fail. Today, after weeks of gentle reminders, offers of extra help session and showing Sam his grade summary, calling home, he asked if I was available after school to catch up on his work. And he came on his own volition! He now has a clear sense of what to do, how to do it and that he can move from a failing grade to passing. Over the past weeks there were times my frustration would show. It felt to me like he was resisting the work for no good reason. I almost gave up trying to offer more opportunities. But I have to remind myself that no student wants to fail, and that Sam's personal situation -living with his grandparents, among other things, means I cannot easily predict when he will be ready or willing to  produce the work. I believe the offer must stand, the door must remain open, and the invitation must continue until such time as the student chooses to move forward.

Unexpected Reversal

Singing in a grade 9 applied French class is not that cool. But I'm doing it anyway. My reason? I believe students can be swayed to do something new and "uncool" when it appeals to different learning styles. Its like drawing out a dormant part of their being. I applied for a grant to get some help from a guest musician and songwriter.  Today, he brought in a track based on the theme of Endangered Species we had worked out a few weeks ago. A student named James ( not his real name ) sat in the back corner. He participated only when he could make loud noises and otherwise seemed detached from the song-making process. Then Jim ( the musician ) promised to hand out a rhythm instrument to the student who could say his/ her lines in time and clearly audible. James came through and got to beat cowbell in perfect time throughout the whole rehearsal! Sometimes trying a completely different type of activity apeals to a whole new set of intelligences ( musical, kinesthetic, for example). It can bring out a level of performance not previously noticed. In terms of the course requirements targeting reading and writing, James performs at a passing grade level only....

Breaking Out

I didn't know what to expect on the last day before spring break. How many students would show up? Four students showed up for class. I had invited a musician to come in as part of an Artist in the School program. We had drafted a song for this week for the class to rehearse before recording it in April. How would four Applied grade nine French students react to rehearsing without their classmates? Monica exclaimed: "I really don't want to be here!" and Mark shouted "Can we just leave?". Jim, the artist, matter of factly handed out rhythm instruments to each of them and began strumming the chorus on his guitar. Before long, they were banging their instruments and chanting the chorus and keeping time! Monica later let us know that she could play a number of band instruments...I've learned that young adolescents often complain until you bring them along and persist in something worthwhile. They can be won over.....