My effectiveness as an educator hinges in large part on my abilities to creative positive relationships with my students and to engage them in effectively working with each other. In my current role as a staff developer, I often observe educators who, while experts in their subject areas, do not take the time to establish effective relationships with and among their students. Because these are such critical aspects for creating effective learning environments, during future professional development sessions I will model and provide strategies that educator’s can use to create more effective relationships. “Student clearly behave in ways more conducive to learning when they perceive that their teachers are willing to assist them with their schoolwork, value them as individuals, treat them respectfully, care about their learning and their personal lives, and maintain an orderly, safe classroom environment” (Jones & Jones, 2007, p.77).
This year I introduced a student e-mail system in the district. I believe that it may also be a tool that could increase effective communication between students and teachers. Because teachers also have an email account on the system, I will recommend that they use it to regularly communicate with students. Because it is separate from their regular teacher e-mail, I think educators will be more willing to use it as effective communication tool with their students.
Many educators utilize large group question and answer periods to introduce information and to check for understanding. Jones and Jones point out that, “we should try to maximize the percentage of correct responses so that students do not become confused by competing, inaccurate information” (1997, p.99). Currently I am piloting the use of Senteo voting devices so that question and answer periods can effectively engage all students and provide instant feedback from the entire class. Not only does this technology help focus on correct information but it also engages all students regardless of any unintended biases by educators.
A third area I plan to focus on to increase effective relationships between educators and students relates to the effective use of praise. I know I have a tendency to praise too much thereby risking creating what Dr. Pat Wolfe calls “praise junkies” (Laureate, 2008). I plan to work on modeling the effective use of praise by focusing on providing feedback which is specific and to also promote activities where students can practice making value judgments on their own work instead of depending on external approval from the educator.
Encouraging effective relationships between students is another key area that I have been focusing on this school year. One initiative that I have worked with educators is the use of project based learning in order to increase student achievement. Because these learning situations naturally incorporate collaborative interaction among students, I believe that it will promote a shift from the teacher centered instruction that is common in many of the schools in my district.
Another strategy that I am working on at the district level to increase collaboration among students relates to the use of video technology. In many of the schools in my district, student produced school news show are helping students share their accomplishments with each other while also improving the overall school climate. This year I also introduced some video creation software called Adobe Visual Communicator which makes it very easy for classroom teachers to create individual classroom news shows. Video production is naturally motivating for most children and it promotes collaboration and sharing. Classroom new shows accentuate the positive accomplishments and learning that is taking place in the classroom and it is a great way to share what is going on in the classroom with parents.
Recently I have also started introducing the use of web based tools such as buzzword, blogs and wikis. These tools naturally promote students interactively working together and sharing with each other. I will make a concerted effort to use these tools in my professional development trainings and I am confident that gradually they will be utilized more with students.
I believe that engaging educators in the inquiry of how to improve their relationship with and among students, will result in higher achievement for all students. I will continue to model ideas and techniques that have worked for me and encourage educators in my district to share their successes with each other.
Resources:
Jones, V., & Jones, L. (2007). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of
support and solving problems (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom 8th ed.). Boston: Allyn &
Bacon.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program 2: Prevention and Planning [Motion picture]. Classroom management to promote student learning. Baltimore: Author.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteI applaud your plans to teach teachers how to improve relationships within the school environment. I'm glad this challenge isn't mine. I have been involved with professional development activities which try to "convince " you of the importance of positive relationships with all players in the schoolyard, but the training is not considered relevant by many of the teachers attending. It is difficult to change established patterns. If a teacher is accustomed to being emotionally removed from most of the people people in his life, how can we train him to connect with his students. Many teachers fall into this category, particularly in secondary education.
I really like the idea of being able to communicate with students via school email. Would all students and teachers be able to access each other from non-school computers, as well? This gives both students and teachers an easy way to communicate concerns in a way that varies from the usual classroom conversation, which is often forgotten by the student and/or teacher. When you hear something and then read it, the chances of the information being remembered and acted upon is far greater than if the verbal exchange in the classroom were the only communication available.
I am very interested in vides communication. I plan to explore the Adobe web site to see if this application is easier to use than Adobe Premiere. I plan to begin weekly newsletters online next year. but your post made me consider the option of also posting student-made videos for each project. That way parents could see how the process of creating artwork is experienced in the classroom.
Thanks for the ideas and I hope your professional development plans are successful. Maybe you can defy the bell curve.