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The psychologist Thom Markham suggests that we need to develop within our classrooms caring relationships, a desire within students for meaning, and helping students achieve mastery. He posits that our current way of thinking about education has left behind some very important things that are needed to properly instruct students. First, relationships must be built between classmates and their peers and students and their teachers. If this can happen, then more learning can happen. I completely agree with this argument. It is essential that meaningful relationships are built within the school. Teachers and teachers; students and teachers; students and students; administration and students; administration and teachers; parents and teachers; and so on. If these meaningful relationships are developed, students will achieve more and will understand the role of education more. Unfortunately, it seems like developing relationships has taken a back-seat to data data data…
He also notes that we must help students find a drive to learn. He argues that we need to teach students to want to learn. One of my colleagues stated that he tries to get students to develop “academic curiosity.” This idea of inquiry is absolutely vital. We have to help students set goals for what they want to learn and help them explore. We need to change the paradigm of students from thinking, “Why are we here?” to “Why does this happen? or “How can we make this better?” Instilling within students intrinsic motivation is something that we as teachers must do from the first day. If we can do this, then they will take ownership of everything that they do.Critical reading and writing are considered to be the essential skills that kids need to learn. However, the author argues that there are other equally valuable skills that need to be taught. These include being better communicators and being empathetic. The skills also include being a good, reliable teammate and having creativity as well. These are skills that are needed in the workplace. There is no doubt that teachers have the important task of helping students develop these skills so that they are ready of the landscape of the 21st Century.
The article made many points that I valued. We have to develop a caring nature within the walls of our classrooms and schools. We must teach students to want to learn. And we must help them grow in skills other than reading, writing, and arithmetic.Markham, Thom. “Summer PD: Want Better Project-Based Learning? Use Social and Emotional Learning.” 21 June 2011. Web. Edutopia. 3 July 2011. <http://www.edutopia.org/blog/project-based-learning-social-emotional-learning-thom-markham>.
I couldn't agree more! Too often, we feel under pressure to "cover the curriculum" and we forget to "teach the child!" I feel students are more willing to learn from you when you show an interest in them and try to meet their emotional and physical needs, as well as their academic needs. In my classroom I try to make time for team building, one-on-one conferencing, bathroom and exercise breaks, and occasionally just talking ("Anyone have something interesting to tell about their weekend?") Each morning I encourage the children to go to the cafeteria to get a free breakfast (we recently got universal free breakfast in our school) and bring it back to the room to eat while I read aloud to them. I know lots of students do not eat at home in the morning, and had come to realize that many of them were afraid of being late to class, so they did not stop and get breakfast first.
ReplyDeleteWhen the students know that you care about them as people, they have a greater desire to meet your expectations, and thus become better learners.
I totally agree. I go back to something that someone once said to me "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." I think that students need to have some type of connection to the teacher to help in the learning process and for them to want to do what you are asking them to do.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Before the students can even begin to learn they need to understand that their teacher and their fellow classmates care about them.
ReplyDeleteIn a previous school I taught at we had a motto
ReplyDelete"Remember the 3 R's." The three R's were the suppose to be the teacher's philopshy when planning instruction and creating a classroom climate. The 3 R's stood for Relevant, Rigour, and Relationships! Building relationships with your students and between your students is so important. Even though I don't teach at that school anymore I still try to remain true to that motto.