This article by Heidi Mills and Jean Anne Clyde is a great reminder that what works for one will not always work for all in reading and writing instruction. It gives an example of a young boy who, in one school year, experienced two different classroom settings and two completely opposite teaching styles. His first teacher was a very structured, inflexible teacher whereas his second teacher was more flexible and willing to think outside of the box. This young boy was "failing" in the first class but excelled in the second. So what was the difference? The teacher's beliefs.
The student's first teacher set high expectations and wanted the children to reach them by following a "flight plan" that she had formulated. She had the "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" mentality that a lot of teachers have. I am guilty of having this mentality from time to time but I am working really hard to relinquish some of my comfort and try new things if that will better serve my students. This non-flexible attitude that some teachers have is stifling for most students. It is our job as educators to find out who are students are as individuals and help them grow and be successful for the year that we have them in our classroom. Ideally, what we instill in them will last much longer than one year. So isn't it better to have them remember a positive experience over a negative one? Absolutely. Being too stubborn or afraid to change your mindset about teaching is ridiculous in my opinion. You have to be willing to be like this young boy's second teacher.
His second teacher was able to find out what this young man enjoyed and how he learned best. She tried new strategies and gave him the tools to cope and manage his own learning. He needed something different than other students and she took the time to figure out what that was without hesitation. This teacher is a great example for other teachers. She came to this boy's "rescue" and turned his year completely around. Sometimes changing the way you think can change the way others think too. I aim to be more like this teacher.
It is not always easy to take a critical look at what we are doing and I commend you for doing so: "I am guilty of having this mentality from time to time but I am working really hard to relinquish some of my comfort and try new things if that will better serve my students." I know that in kindergarten you all are always trying new ways to reach your students and it is very exciting to watch. You have inspired others in the school to make changes as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI really loved your sentence, "Sometimes changing the way you think can change the way others think too." There is a lot of truth in this statement for us as teachers. When we believe in our students and we work to build on what they bring to our classroom through their backgrounds, their strengths, their interests knowing they can be successful and grow we just have to figure out how, we work to ensure this outcome through our relentless pursuit of the strategies and structures that will work best. Thank you for this reminder! Sincerely, Dawn