If you read that earlier blog entry entitled Lynn 1, you knew that the story would have a happy ending. That is because, in the tone of Lynn’s writing, between the lines, is the wonderful feeling that she is taking full responsibility for reaching all of her kids.
If a kid is not learning, Lynn takes responsibility. That is rare these days, and I can hear many teachers, if they heard that, saying, “Hey, if a kid is lazy that is not my fault.” No comment on that.
In response to that earlier email, then, I suggested the fist slam and the ten finger comprehension check and point and pause to see if they would help. I also said to her:
In your heart and in the invisible future you have already done all that you want to do. You have reached all the kids you will ever teach. That sounds weird, but I believe that it is a person’s INTENT that counts. And your intent is clear. Your heart is open and you know that you are the one who must make yourself comprehensible. You can’t blame the students, because defeated students can’t take responsibility.
Many of us feel this pain with individual kids as you had with Jeff and so it is something good to share here, especially on a Sunday in the middle of winter, so that the others know that they are not alone when this happens. Your reaction to this kid is perfect. And I love the way you made sure that the parents were clear on what was going on.
Here, then, is the update from Lynn on how it turned out with Jeff:
Ben,
It’s taken awhile to get back to you this week. I’m moving, it’s term end …. final tests, etc. Well, the world never ceases to amaze me. I met with my students’ mom and dad and Jeff. It all went well, found out later she is principal of a school in town (… eep, glad I didn’t know that beforehand). She was very supportive. Jeff scored 9/10 on his quiz next day. I checked in with him and he said it was all good.
And you were right. I don’t check with students and that’s part of the problem. It was halfway through the class when I remembered I needed to do that. It felt so awkward. It stopped everything dead in its tracks. I had them put a fist in a hand if they didn’t get it. I stopped a few times after that but it sure feels artificial…awkward . Do you say… put your hand in your fist if you don’t understand? Or do you ask them to indicate if they do? [ed. note: they just slam their fist into their open hand – as soon as I see that I am off to point and pause at the whiteboard].
I had two classes write a “report card” for me yesterday. One grade 9 one grade 8. I felt so awful about Jeff that I was hoping for some direction from the kids. I was amazed and totally unprepared for what they wrote. I was expecting the worst. I told them that I really needed to hear where I could improve, that they could trust I wasn’t looking for someone to get after, that the papers would be passed to the back and shuffled and anonymous. Here’s some of what they wrote…score multiples for TPRS, we don’t even have a clue how well we are actually doing I’m beginning to suspect. At least I DON”T KNOW:
- It’s shocking to see how much we’ve learned even though it doesn’t seem like we have. You don’t leave kids behind, some kids just don’t care sometimes.
- I like it when we just do class discussions.
- Conversations are the best, stories and questions are good and the rest works well but aren’t as fun/satisfying.
- I really like the story and excitement in each class. Sometimes the stories are kinda boring.
- You make everything interesting and easier to pay attention. I find you are my favourite. It’s like we’re not at school but we’re learning beyond our capabilities.
- Everyone who intends to follow definitely will learn. You use great humor in your teaching, and learning from you is usually the highlight of the school day.
- I like it when we start a new story because class goes by so fast.
WHO KNEW, BEN????? Certainly not me!
So….there’s some sort of lesson in here. I’m not just sure what. I was feeling so awful about the grade 9’s and these comments were all from them, there wasn’t a single negative except to lose the songs (grin, not cool apparently), slow down some, and ask more questions of more people. I’m not sure how I could be so off the mark?
One student wrote that they are quiet because “we are allowed to be”. Hmmmm. I don’t know what that means but it’s food for thought. [ed. note: I think that it means that the kid who wrote it feels honored to be who they are in class and not feel expected to perform like a trained seal.]
Thanks for your support. It means the world. I tried one of my own scripts again. about a kid with a cell phone in front of a locker texting someone in class. We paused, I checked in – they loved it.