One of my favorite educational bloggers is Grant Wiggins. I check Grant's blogs weekly and have been disappointed that he has not blogged in a while. Finally after three months of no blogging I googled Grant to see if anything happened. To my surprise he had died of a heart attack, which made me sad. Well, I am still alive and kicking but I have not blogged in a long time. Hopefully I will get back into the swing of things.
Currently the big push in the county is student centered learning. An expression which nobody truly has clarified for me and one which angers me to my very core. The last faculty meeting we spent 45 minutes visiting class rooms (without students) to determine if they were student centered. Did they have student worked on the board? Were there seats faced in pods? In each class we visited I stated the same thing, the most important part of the class is the teacher not the setup.
My response to this activity was does any student enroll in a class because of the teachers floor plan? Do people sign up for AP Euro because of the teacher or the room arrangement? I think the answer to that is obvious.
So I would now ask, is the four period day student centered? Is it good for students that they now have an extra period? While that extra period opens up many options it does also is give students more work to worry about. It also has made us go to an A/B schedule which means that we can not see our students every day. Do students who struggle benefit by going to class every other day.
The theory of the 85 minute schedule is that I can introduce price discrimination, have students try to figure out the graph and then work out a real life problem. Given 85 minutes periods, this would allow students the chance to really struggle with the problem of figuring out the graph which would be great.
Now the problem, the curriculum is so extensive to cover, that if I took that time and taught one concept a day then we would never reach the Macro part of the course. So instead on a day like today we learned three different graphs. Three entirely different concepts and away we go.
Luckily, I teach some of the smartest kids in the country, and they can adjust to this overload of work. They have the ability to take in multiple concepts and understand them. However, some of my other students can not do that yet (Carol Dweck would love that). They are then forced to try to bring all this information together in a short time which can be often frustrating.
The A/B schedule and the size of classes are something that comes from the county. How can a county that is pushing student centered approach produce large class sizes, give students more work with eight classes and not allow them to visit their teachers each day. If relationships are the key to student success then how can they think it is easier to build relationships seeing people every other day compared to every day.
Does anyone else see the disconnect? Your comments of course are appreciated.
Honestly, the whole A day B day situation is, in my point of view, beneficial. Having had the seven period schedule for two years and then the A-day B-day schedule I can personally distinguish the stress level that I experienced being much less after the change.
ReplyDeleteThe change in the schedule is what an individual students makes out of it: Whether the students split his or her homework half and half each night and seeks outside help from teachers contribute to the benefit of the A day B day schedule. Personally, having the homework that I need to complete spread over two days works for me.
Classes are additionally able to delve into more content. Instead of spending 5 minutes on the drill, 35 minutes learning, and 5 minutes discussing the homework assignment, we are able to fully focus on one class for double the amount of time.
Adjusting was a problem: not having the teacher every day was an issue at first. Once I learned how to study and do homework in a way that allowed me to retain the greatest amount of information, the block schedule became more of a benefit than a burden.
To the other point you made about seating charts determining "student centered learning:" the way you sit is based entirely on the class you are in. Making a generalization of pods being the most beneficial in any class is ignorant because different classes have different dynamics.
thanks for taking the time to comment. It is great to hear different perspectives since it makes me think more about my own. If students are going to get ready for college they will need to adjust to the every other day mentality.
ReplyDeleteI worry about however, the students who are not where you are yet and have trouble adjusting to not having the class each day.
Mr. Bressler,
ReplyDeleteI hope you're alive and kicking it for a long time. That being said, I agree with your points completely. The student-teacher relationship is vitally important. If a student knows their teacher cares about them and wants them to succeed, they will be more motivated to do so. Likewise, if a student doesn't understand a topic, s/he should feel comfortable enough to ask their teacher for help.
With an A/B schedule and an increasingly test-focused and test-driven education system, that student-teacher relationship doesn't have the chance to fully develop. Teachers faced with 30+ students per class are instead focused on trying to cover all of the material in a way that is both efficient and accessible to everyone. There's little, if any, time to establish a substantial connection with students. So while teachers are the most important part of the class, the way education is being approached makes it seems like teaching isn't even about teaching anymore, let alone building relationships with students.
I personally have never understood the whole student-centered learning thing. A lot of teachers have told me that the pressure is on them to make students "figure it out on their own". If that's the case, why not replace teachers with textbooks?
ReplyDeleteIt would be ridiculous to get rid of teachers because they are necessary to actually learn. I can read textbooks until my eyes glaze over; if I don't have someone to explain and synthesize material and answer my questions, I'm lost.
As for pods, it mostly confuses me because, regardless of the way they are arranged, it seems like some people always have their back to the teacher. In my opinion, this encourages students (especially ones easily distracted in the first place) to talk to each other and not pay attention to the teacher.
Personally, the A/B schedule hasn't been too much of a problem for me, though it's always odd when holidays and snow days converge and you end up not seeing a teacher for a whole week. However, I've definitely heard people complain about it, and I've heard people praise it.
thanks again for taking the time to respond. It has triggered some thoughts about a new blog that I need to write.
ReplyDeleteI believe the principles behind the student-centered approach to educating are certainly well-meaning. The world is becoming more and more interconnected and cooperation will be vital to tackle many of the 21st century challenges our generation is bound to face. Having students' work on display for their peers to see could certainly make them more comfortable with sharing ideas and presenting new arguments. That being said, I do not think it is appropriate for teachers to be pressured into any one teaching style. To reiterate some previous comments, teachers need the autonomy to teach pragmatically. For some this does mean a pod-style classroom. For others, a lecture-style would be more appropriate. Some may need something totally out of the ordinary to fit the specific needs of their students.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I would agree that the role of the teacher is the key element that determines the success of a class. Who do you think would be more in-sync with the strengths and weaknesses of any students: the person who works with them day in and day out , or a couple of bureaucrats? The role of a teacher is more than just relaying curricula. A teacher needs to inspire. A teacher needs to care. A teacher needs to ask for feedback and be able to adjust. Allow them the freedom to do so.
Mr. Bressler,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some valid points. I believe our education system, not only in the county but nationwide, could be substantially improved by having teachers who are above average. By above average I mean teachers who genuinely care about their students' success and self-improvement. Teachers who make theirselves available whenever possible and offer plenty of practice. Overall, teachers who obviously care about the students' success and would do almost anything for their students to succeed. Also, I think reducing class size would improve overall student progress. This might be a bad example to some people, but the average private school class size is half, if not more, than a public school class and the private schoolers seem to be less stressed when learning new material.
I think its ridiculous to say that a seating arrangement has a substantial impact on student success. I could be sitting outside in the rain, looking through the windows into my class room, but as long as I trust my teacher and I have a good relationship with him/her, I know I can succeed and learn.
I mean I only took AP because I like challenges and you.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for all the comments. I wonder would hanging student work intimidate some people in that they think that they can not perform in that fashion. I however like the thought that it might break down barriers. By the way I am a proponent of hanging student work but not of forcing teachers to do it.
ReplyDelete