Sunday, May 22, 2011

EDM613 - WK 4 Reading - The truth hurts sometimes

For me, being the board has all kinds of difficulties that come along with the notion.  I have been able to find solace in the blame game for my entire teaching career.  The students that come to me are usually several grades behind in their mathematics knowledge.  Much of this is due to (here comes the blame) teachers being "run off" by the bad acting children.  In fact the students brag about how many teachers they have been able to get to leave.  Having to accept responsibility of how I react to the situation will make me a better teacher from here on out.  Instead of being able to write off the students that are not understanding what they ought to have learned in the past, I now have sparks to light.  The students are on my board and I get to bring them to new places with new learning experiences.  I can fight the facts that they are behind, or I can find out where they are and bring them as far around my board as possible in the time we have together.  I can be just another voice telling them what they can't do, or I can be a refreshing fountain of encouragement.  The art of possibility is just that, an art.  Some people are naturals, others have to work hard at it.  The great thing about the art of possibility is that everyone can grow.
Posted by at

4 comments:

  1. Josh TolarMay 23, 2011 at 5:57 PM

    Spencer,

    Really deep insights on this. Its great that you were able to see past everything and started to focus on lighting the spark. I really like what you said too - "I can be just another voice telling them what they can't do, or I can be a refreshing fountain of encouragement". The whole quote is brilliant and really shows the power of being the board. I remember before I started reading this book I was upset at one of my co-workers for thinking that he knows everything about everything. At first I didn't want to accept it and I became stressed because of it. After reading this book I started to let it go, and after reading the chapter about being the board, it lifted completely. I realized that there are people like that in every workplace and instead of not accepting it or dealing with it, I used it to build a more professional relationship. I would continue to be the board, but lit the spark at the same time. Now there is less tension and a new path to follow for success. You are right too, "the great thing about the art of possibility is that everyone can grow".

    ReplyDelete
  2. Meghan BassettMay 24, 2011 at 6:37 PM

    Spencer-
    Well, you have me exhausted by your post! I know exactly what you mean about getting run off by students who push your buttons. I too know the students that brag about getting teachers to cry, leave, or flip out. Unfortunately with this generation, it’s something we have to deal with, and you’re exactly right in your interpretation of the chapter. How HARD it will be to change the way we, as teachers, see these students and handle them is the issue. For me, it feels like a constant fight against my instincts and it’s hard to break. I try to read this quote, and put it in my signature in my email, to make sure I see it everyday. Maybe it can help you too (you’ve probably seen it before).
    "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes." – Charles R. Swindoll

    ReplyDelete
  3. Janene NealMay 25, 2011 at 9:55 AM

    Wow- I love your last line, "The great thing about the art of possibility is that everyone can grow." As educators, we know that we must be forever changing our philosophy of thinking and ways to implement those thoughts to others.

    I can understand the frustration level of wishing and wanting your students to be on grade level. I am impressed that you are changing your philosophy of on grade level students. Because you and I both know that year after year, we see the same kinds of students fall further and further behind, and all we can do....IS OUR BEST!!!

    My best is:
    Come to work every day with a positive attitude.
    Provide my students with a positive atmosphere.
    Have them understand that working hard really does pay off.
    And that I really do care for them.

    Students will respond, they may not jump grade levels, but at least they are learning.

    ReplyDelete
  4. J.JMay 25, 2011 at 7:32 PM

    All I have to say about your post is WOW. It is so refreshing to hear how you are making it a point to find out where the student is to try and bring them up to where they are supposed to be. Students tend to brag about unfortunate instance to try and make themselves look “cool” in the eyes of other students when in reality it is a cry to help, or an excuse because they are just not able to succeed at that particular task, in your case math.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)