I found the reading in the two chapters assigned very informative and equally disturbing. Many of the points made throughout the chapters were things that I already knew, however the use of real life examples helped me get a good appreciation for the information. The two portions of chapter 20 that I found to be the most interesting were under the title, “Getting in Trouble: Regulating the Self” and were under the subtitles of ‘Body Trouble’, and ‘Trouble and Emotion: Attitude’. My first points will be for the portion under ‘body trouble’. It is true that we as teachers can tell a lot by body language but I wonder if sometimes teacher’s look too deeply or simply assume something simply based on body language. For example, when I was in middle school I always stood with my arms folded across my chest. My friends and family knew that that was simply the way I stood.
It didn’t mean I was having an attitude, it was just comfortable to me. But at school, my teacher’s would yell at me to stop giving them attitude and to unfold my arms. I never understood that and to be honest I still don’t. What difference does it really make if my arms were down by my side or folded. I could still learn either way, but the teacher yelling at me didn’t help anything. It actually made everything worse. I didn’t have an attitude to begin with but after the teacher yelled, I definitely did. I wonder how many other students have gone through the same thing. As teacher’s we need to be more worried about whether the students are comprehending the information rather than to try and force them to conform into cookie-cutter standards. This is not to say that all body language should just be left alone. Rolling of the eyes, certain body movements can be construed and should be thought of as disrespectful. But not all body language should be thrown together in that category.
Secondly, I really enjoyed the use of real life scenarios on page 317. It shows that students definitely do pick up on whether or not their teacher’s have attitudes towards them. If you know someone, whether it be a teacher or someone else, has an attitude about you, you are not going to be as nice to them as you could have been. You are going to have an attitude with them as well. The golden rule needs to be followed not just by the students but by the teachers as well. It is important to show the students that we as their teacher’s care about them and the way we can do that is by showing respect. If we show respect and don’t have an attitude, 9 times out of 10 the student’s won’t either. This is not to say, however, that the students should not ever be disciplined. There are always going to be cases where they need to be, but it needs to be done in a constructive way so the students will not feel singled out or ‘attacked’ verbally.
About Me
- Brittany
- -Did gymnastics for 14 and 1/2 years -Coached gymnastics for 7 years -Lived in the South all my life until I moved to Wisconsin -Got my B.A. in Psychology -Starting student teaching this semester -Getting a Post Bacc Certificate for secondary social studies: Psychology, Sociology, History, Geography
6 comments:
I definitely agree with you about addressing student individually and not calling them out in front of everyone or to make an example out of them. I was wondering how, as teachers, since we are human, can be as objective as possible toward our students and their actions. How can we be understanding of them and more respectful towards them? I just keep asking myself this because I know I will run into a difficult situation some point down the road where I might have a student whom I think isn't "behaving" or being disrespectful and I think we will all run into that some point in our teaching career. How can we stop that not only in our treatment of students but in our perceptions of them.
First, I have to say that I agree with your thoughts on both subjects - first that not all body language should be grouped together, and that the classroom should be an environment of mutual respect.
That said, with respect to the first point (and I'm just playing devil's advocate here) does it really matter if you were being disrespectful by standing with your arms crossed or not... because that is how it was percieved. In the real world, how an authority figure (like your boss) percieves you is monumentally more important than what you were feeling or intending. I agree that school should be different, but something as subjective as body language is always going to be up for debate. What's extremely disrespectful to some, might be totally okay to others.
I really think that we need to offer respect to students and understand them as individual. In my experience so far in student teaching I try to be as "real" as possible with me students. I don't look at them as stupid or inferior. They are intelligent and for them to infest in what your saying to them they have to infest in you as someone who wants them to achieve.
Also, I think it is a bit messup that your teacher so hard for crossing your arms. In my opinion you really need to choose your battles and this teacher is not being effective in this
I completely agree. In my placement, my co-op is constantly telling the students to sit in "school position" which is facing forward, both legs on th floor, and hands on the desk. I know she just wants her students to pay attention, but forcing them to sit in this way doesn't help. My co-op will continuously tell a student who is slouching to sit up, or who is reading with his/her head down to correct the position. I suppose it's not "proper" to have students put their heads down, but I find that the students who continuously do this, have a reason for doing so. The students who read with their head down claim it's the best way for them to concentrate. Same goes for the students who quietly tap their foot while writing...it helps them concentrate. There's that gray area as a teacher that I think we need to become aware of.
I think that sometimes it's necessary to call out a student that is being disrespectful in front of everyone else. Maybe not for elementary students...or even some middle school students, but in the highschool I don't think it's wrong to stop lecture or activity to address someone who is being disruptive. Whenever I do have to stop what I'm doing to address that student, I always follow up after class but I really do think that my initial "Johnny keep focused" can be really helpful in getting the student to get back on track at the moment. The time I take after class to address the disruption is my attempt at curbing the behavior in the future..
do you guys think there's an age line for addressing disruptive behavior in front of the class?
hahha. yes the arms folded thing. i know exactly what you are saying. teachers i think can read too much into things. a lot of students fold their arms when everything is perfectly fine. thats just how younger kids stand a lot of the times.
i felt a lot of times in grade school and in high school that some teachers just flat out dont like a certain stduent. they would give that student different rules to live by and always seemed to see the trouble in the student instead of the positive. it is hard for the teacher to be non objective becasue we are humans. but it is the teachers job to help their students first anmd for most...
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