It may seem that there are just some students that don't care to learning. After reading Wilson and Corbett's "What Urban Students Say About Good Teaching," we know that is not the case. Students do want to learn, but it is our jobs as educators to motivate them to learn and show that we care as much as we expect them to care. It is only fair to expect students to care as much as their teacher does. I think that this article was great because it shows what students want. Doesn't it make sense to ask students what a teacher can do to make them want to learn? I found it interesting that students wanted to be pushed to do their work by the teacher "'nagging' students in many ways--by consistently checking homework, offering quiet individual reminders, giving rewards, and calling parents" (Wilson & Corbett 2). To me, the rest made sense for teachers to do.
In Rosenshine's "Principles of Instruction," to me, these are truly principles that every teacher should know. I liked the examples of teachers realizing that their current method of teaching wasn't working and what they could do to fix it, like the teacher who went around to every desk during independent practice and then "stopped the work, told the students not to do the problems for homework, and said she would reteach this material the next day" (Rosenshine 17). She realized that her students were struggling and instead sticking to a strict schedule just to get through everything, stopped and slowed down so that the students would understand it.
With all these principles and things that teachers should know, I do believe that most teachers know most of this stuff. That isn't the problem. The real problem is time. As teachers, we only get 50 minutes to teach a lesson. That's hard! How will students possibly comprehend everything that they need to in that amount of time? All students learn at a different pace, so it's not a very conducive learning schedule. That's why I believe that a block schedule is best because all of these things that these articles are telling us to do can be done since there is more time, less stress for students about so many classes, and more comprehension. What do you guys think of a block schedule? Do you think that we should listen more to students to see what we can do as teacher to better their education? Are there any of these principles that you agree or disagree with?
Jaci, I also enjoyed reading this article and found many of the points to be helpful. As far as block scheduling goes, I never got to experience that as a student, but everyone I knew who went to a school with block scheduling loved it. I think it takes a bit of pressure off of the teacher because there is more time to get through the lesson in one sitting, and it also reduces the demand on students to learn so much in a short period. Technically, the amount of time spent learning the material is roughly the same with block and non-block scheduling, but I think the continuity makes a notable difference. To your question about listening to students, I absolutely think teachers should constantly be in dialogue with their students about how to improve instruction and create an environment that is conducive to their learning. I think this is not only good for instruction, but also good for teacher-student relationships because you are showing them that you care--which, as we read, is an important factor in student learning!
ReplyDeleteThere is this interesting view point we get when someone final has the idea to ask students what they really want in a teacher. It is important to not that they were not asked what they wanted to be taught but instead what they believed was a good teacher. What interested me the most is how students reacted to teacher's personalities. They did not take it personal if a teacher was boring, enthusiastic, or harsh as long as they could help the students grow and understood how to help students. Although this is only a tiny portion of the population that is giving there answers it is interesting how students are mature enough to recognize when they are getting the best education possible.
ReplyDeleteThe school I am observing at has a block schedule (1.5 hour periods). At my time at the school, I have never heard a student say that the period was too long. I think this is because of the way my mentor teacher structures her class. If a teacher lectured did the same activity for an hour and a half, students would feel that the period was too long. Because my teacher changes activities multiple times throughout the period and rarely lectures, the period does not drag. Because of how fast the period passes, I could not imagine it being only fifty minutes. The instruction would be too segmented if one block period had to be split up into two days. Everyday, my mentor teacher is able to provide an explanation, model, and have students work on their own. If the period was shorter, instruction would have to be cut down in order for students to practice what they just learned. Being that my mentor teacher does not spend much time on instruction, I don't think this option would be plausible. An alternative would be to only provide instruction and have students apply what they learned the next day. I think this option would not be as effective because the lapse would make it more difficult for students to solidify what they learned.
ReplyDeleteHey Jaci,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog and think you touched on some very key points in the chapter. Reading this chapter was my first time being introduced to the Block schedule and I admit I too have the same complaints that the some students may bring up as the chapter pointed out, such as the class period being too long, or sitting the entire time, getting bored, etc. However, as students brought up in the chapter the positive effects of the block schedule definitely out way the bad. I would also be interested in seeing how different schools incorporate things like lunch and gym into their schedules. For example the school I am observing at is on a 50 min per period schedule however, lunch is only 25 minutes long which I personally think is unfair. There needs to be some sort of reward built into the schedule, a positive reinforcement to get students through the day.
Jaci,
ReplyDeleteI do like block scheduling. In fact, when I was in high school we had three days of regular scheduling, with 50 minutes per class, and 2 days of black scheduling. The days of block scheduling provided extra time that was utilized by the teacher to make sure that all of the students were understanding everything from the previous two days. I thought it was very helpful to have that extra time period. By having the two block days, it also provided for an extra long study hall that we used to go to classes that we were struggling in to get extra help. I also believe that everything that we must do in a 50 minute class period is going to be hard to accomplish.
I agree Jaci, I think you brought up some good points. I personally think block scheduling is far more effective, both for the time a teacher has each day to work with the students, as was pointed out int eh article, and also for the sake of having to focus on fewer classes at any one time for the student. If we look at all the writings on successful/ productive people, they will tell you the key is to do less, to focus on as few things as possible to achieve a goal, if a student is learning Algebra, and Biology, and English, and Fine Art, at one time does it then make sense to also expect them to be able to learn Spanish, World History, and Speech at the same time, thats seven different unrelated homework assignments a night, every night for nine months, how much do we expect them to actually learn from each subject during that time? Wouldn't it be better to focus on less at a time and be able to cover more as a result? I think the article did a good job of pointing out that the students were able to make their decision without considering political or financial interests. It really put in perspective what the function of school reforms were about, are they about the students and effective teaching or are they about cutting corners, and making deals with British companies that could give a shit about the inner city students educational experience in America?
ReplyDeleteIf education is important and teh students are important block scheduling makes far more sense, not only are students focused on fewer subjects at a time and having more class time to go over new material and ask questions and get help they are developing stronger student teacher relationships teachers have more time to see who their students are how they learn, what factors are affecting their learning, and better integrate goals into the class as a result. If its student education we care about yeah, the students might know what they are talking about.
Jaci,
ReplyDeleteI believe that block schedules can be very beneficial to students and teachers in many cases. My high school had a block schedule and I remember that the time for each period worked in many different way for each class. A few classes really dragged because it mainly involved lecturing or sitting for a great majority of the class. However, in other classes, I really appreciated the amount of time that I had in class because it gave me a chance to get ahead in my work and consult with my teacher if I had any questions. For the most part, I feel that a block schedule can really help teachers get more done while also giving students more time to understand the material, it really just depends on how the class time is used. Seeing that my mentor teacher sometimes gets cut off by the bell after her 50 minute periods and is disappointed that she didn't have time to check on each student or cover the material she planned to cover, I can see how an extended amount of time through a block schedule can be beneficial to teachers. In regards to the students, I feel that, if planned and structured efficiently, the extended class period can give them the opportunity to really grasp the material while also having more chances to work or speak with their teacher about any questions or concerns.
Jaci,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the 50 or even 45 minutes we get to teach a lesson aren't enough. Part of the 50 minutes is spent getting settled as well as debriefing so there is even less time devoted to your lesson. I am definitely on board for using a block schedule! This gives the teacher and the students time to fully immerse in a lesson and carry out each part thoroughly.
Jaci,
ReplyDeleteWhat I zoned into from your blog was the question, "when was the last time we asked students what kind of teacher was a good teacher?" Better yet, I would even ask when the last time we asked students what they wanted to learn and how. The internal issue I have with that is this: "If I asked my students what was more important to them, and how they wanted me to teach it, would I be staying true to my pedagogy as an educator?" Like the answer to most questions, I think it's a combination between yes and no- a grey area if you will. I want to know what they want, but I also want to do what I want because the best ways we can teach something is if we know how and plan. That's why I think surveys are a good idea, even if they are after the fact. And maybe even a couple times a year leaving a day or two open for these specific lessons that they'd like to see. It is give and take. I think that I would lean more towards what my students wanted anyway because as a part of my philosophy, as I'm sure many or every teacher's, the children come first.
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ReplyDeleteI do not personally like block schedules. As you said students learn at a different pace and learn differently. But I do believe that most students can only take so much information on a single subject at a time. I believe this because I am like this. I can only take about 50 minutes to an hour of a subject before my mind just gives up. At around that time a go on a mental time out, maybe go to the washroom, get some water, then come back and re-establish the learning connection I had lost. My sister had black scheduling in high school. She said she liked it a lot, but at the same time felt that, at times, it was too much information at once. I guess this goes back to the student. Some people can handle it and others cannot. I always ask my colleagues how they feel about 3-4 hour classes and they sometimes agree that it can be too much information but it's nice because you get the week's classes out of the way.
ReplyDeleteJaci,
ReplyDeleteThis week's reading has, for me, further underscored the importance of remaining receptive to, and respectful of, the feedback offered by our students. As the author's have argued, developing an understanding of what our students believe constitutes good or effective teaching will enable us to successfully modify our instructional and pedagogical approaches when necessary. Really, we mustn't ever lose sight of the fact that, however effective we may think our teaching is, we are likely to fail in our efforts to provide meaningful instruction if we ignore the needs of our students. In regard to block schedules, I tend to agree with those folks who, like Felipe, contend that students are better served by 50-55 minute classes. Though the prospect of requiring students to sit through an additional thirty minutes of class may not appear problematic to us, it is certain to elicit serious objections from those learners who in general struggle to retain the focus necessary to make it through an extra thirty minutes. My observations at George Washington HS on the southeast side have only strengthened my belief that high school class periods need to kept under one hour.
Josh
I think that teachers are so used to tell students what to do that we often don't require their feedback about teaching and teachers. For this Wilson & Corbett's article is a good reminder to include students' voices in our reflections. While I was reading the strategies suggested by Rosenshine I was thinking that almost all my teachers, through out my school years, used them. But that still didn't make them good teachers in my opinion. Even now, in my observations, I can see the teachers using methods and strategies like the ones in the article but I still don't think they are efficient teachers; even when time permits it, when there is a block schedule. I have been asking myself why is this the case? I think it's because they are not really mindful and intentional about what they teach. You can very well have a proper lesson, and check all the boxes without teaching much if there isn't a very well defined goal to the teaching.
ReplyDeleteI think that 50 minutes is way to short to fit everything in a lesson also discipline. When I was thinking of content to bring in my lesson plan I had so many ideas I thought the students would enjoy. However from a students perspective all that material would be overwhelming. Our minds need a break. I don't agree with block scheduling because for some that's a lot of time to forget.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question "Do you think that we should listen more to students to see what we can do as teacher to better their education?", I would remark by saying that it all, our approach, our inflection in our voices, our reaction to students' responses, everything in the class room, ought to be harnessed in relation to what our students say about themselves and what they believe us to be asking them. I can throw this into a theoretical argument, state evidence, and use it to prop up this assertion, but I've found that the laconic responses of students I've come into contact with at Manely have provided a much needed anecdotal aspect to justify my theoretical reasons for believing we ought listen to students more often than simply talking at them. After asking a student why he was not writing his essay for Antigone, he responded with one of the stock answers one might expect of students in high school: "English just isn't my thing." I smiled, and I merely asked him "Why?" He said that this play didn't make sense, that it didn't really seem to matter. Now, I don't know what it was that made me persuade this particular student to see the play as the opposite, as something relevant and worth an earnest investigation, but after framing the play as a sort of conflict between individual moral scruples and the authority of law--a dichotomy that my cooperating teacher, Mr. Johnson, had probably touched on a dozen times--he looked at me with a short stare and then back at the computer, and starting to type he said "See, he don't talk like that." I don't know what it was, but maybe he just believed that I believed in him, that I took him seriously.
ReplyDeleteHi Jaci,
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing out the importance of stopping if students are not knowing/understanding material. Good teaching is like good improvisation; you have to meet your students where they are, say yes to the situation you find yourselves in, and move "forward" once you know your givens. To your question, then, about whether or not we should listen more to students to better their education, the answer is a resounding YES! If we do not listen to our partners in education, we will have no idea where they are and how we can move forward together. To barrel forward without checking for student understanding (and this can be done in both formal and informal ways), is to assume a posture of the lone voice in the wilderness. The classroom is a more collaborative system and should be structured to allow collaboration to flourish. Thanks for writing.
I think the discussion of block scheduling is an especially great discussion to have. It is one I find myself torn with as I complete my observations and create lesson plans. At Westinghouse, I sometimes find my mentor teacher running into the problem of not having enough time. But I also think back to my days of HS and peers being disengaged because of the extend periods of time with block scheduling. When I create my lesson plans they always end up being a two day task which I feel would easily be solved with block scheduling, but then sometimes I have fears of students not meeting with me consecutively and forgetting the homework or reading.. which would then take away from the purpose of the extend time. I would be hopeful to experience both during my teaching career as I am curious which I would cling to.
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