Recently, I heard a young math teacher share his experience
using Angry Birds in the classroom. He explained that his students were coming
off of a very difficult unit, suggesting that many students felt defeated. So
in introducing the next area of study, he decided to try another tack. He let
the kids play a video game. This got even the most disengaged students
interested and participating. Of course, this also provided the jumping-off
point to explore the math concept at work in the game.
I was struck by the word choice he used in saying that he
“sacrificed” instruction time. Clearly, he didn’t think this was a poor choice;
in fact, he said if he did it again, he would let the kids simply play longer
before bringing it back to math.
I think this way of framing the situation speaks to the
pressure that teachers are under to cover so much content in very tight
timelines. One of the biggest challenges as a new teacher is being savvy and brave enough
to know when — and how — to put students needs above the demands of the calendar. If we don't, and we are delivering content for content's sake (that we know isn't reaching students), we must ask ourselves: What, really, are we sacrificing?
Your post is really insightful. I like the way that you talk about how challenging it is to teach so much content in so little time. This issue is something that I really struggle with--I'm scared that I won't be able to find the right balance between helping my students master tasks and making sure that I cover all the content the state tells me I have to. Of course all teachers would like to say that they want the best for their students and would sacrifice mass content delivery, but in real life it isn't that easy...
ReplyDeleteDo you think there will ever be a time when the amount of content covered in a year is less important than meeting student demands for learning and mastery?
I have spoken with many of my friends who are teachers about this point. It will be a challenge but in the end, you will get done what you have to get done. Curriculums will not get lighter and time constraints will never go away. But I have no doubt that you will rise up to the challenge. The first year or two will be the most challenging because you will be getting comfortable with everything you need to do and what you have to do. Once that comfort level steps in it will be easier. It is very much like starting a new job, geez, did I just really say that, lol, but seriously, it is tough because you do not know the ins and outs. Then you will get help from other teachers and will find a foothold...one foot in front of the other and one step at a time and you will be fine!!!
DeleteI really hope so, Alyssa.
ReplyDeleteEvery now and then I have moments where I feel utterly unprepared for certain practical aspects of teaching. Understanding how exactly a teacher plans a school year, for example, seems like a mystery.
I suspect the school is the driver of how much freedom a teacher has — which is both exciting and scary. And I, too, worry about that balance of meeting mandates and giving students what they need.
As a parent, and as a volunteer in high- and middle-school classrooms, I have seen instances where teachers, like the math teacher who chose to use Angry Birds in class, decide to take more time — and it pays off in terms of student learning. I've also seen teachers bring lessons and units to an end despite the majority of students not seeming to meet objectives, even in cases where time ran over.
Clearly, teaching is a balancing act.
Your post made me think of something, more of a metaphor for sports, but it seems a bit appropriate here, well, at least to me...
ReplyDeletePractice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect...why does this strike me as fitting here? Well, glad you asked :) If we spend all of our time mashing, crunching and stuffing all the information we can into our students heads, what do we have...a head full of stuff. Finding a way to engage the student so the learning is something they want to do makes the job so easier. If the students are motivated to learn about something they will want the information and seek it out...as we have been taught, the chances of it moving from short term to long term memory are much greater if it resonates, love that word, with the student eliciting some sort of connection.
Finding the time to get everything in is absolutely a very difficult endeavor. I am not sure how your Scarlett internship was going but out mentor teacher was always under the gun...there just is never enough time. But perhaps finding any motivation that engages an entire class and is a good jumping off point will help lighten some of the load.
I think he was well accepted at Green Hills and could be a leader in the school coming up with new ideas to teach...
John, I really like your expression "Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect." I haven't heard it before.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me, as we have been learning from Archer & Hughes about homework, that the quality of the practice is key, because it's what we do (correctly or incorrectly) is what we learn.
I thought about how to take this message into the classroom. Not wanting to over-burden students with the expectation of perfection, I came up with this:
Practice does not make perfect, but better practice will make you better.
Ha-ha, I am not surprised you have not heard that before, I have only heard it because I am involved in sports. However, the point is not overburdening, but expressing what everyone wants…we do not want better we want the best. The latest time I heard it was at swim practice for my daughter. Another father was comparing my daughter's technique, and it is awesome, to his daughter's and commenting on the fact that the coaches were not correcting his daughter while she was swimming. We started to talk about it and I indicated USA swim practice was about getting the yards in, and private lessons with her coach was where she learned, and improved, technique. He looked at me and said getting the yards in with bad technique did his daughter no good and just because she was getting stronger did not mean she was getting better. He said practice does not make better, but perfect practice does. We chuckled with one another and then talked about all the things our coaches had said to us over the years.
DeleteIt is not bad to expect a child to do the best they can, learning the correct way to do something. It only becomes problematic if we compare that child to another child. My daughter is an awesome swimmer, but she is not the best, however, she cuts time almost every meet. But she is still not the best, time wise. For me spending time with her coach and then applying what she has learned while she is swimming, lap after lap, for two hours a day, is perfect practice, and it does show up in the actual races. And funny enough, it she wins she wins, if she loses then she loses...either way she and I are going for ice cream! My children all know I expect the best, but their best is specific to only themselves. We do not need to tone down anything, the kids can take it. Just make sure it is always about doing their best!
I'm also a fan of the word "resonance."
ReplyDeleteOne of the real challenges of teaching is that often, there are more objectives to cover than can be comprehended by students in the length of the current school year. So from the get-go, teachers often feel stressed and panicked -- for good reason -- it's not doable as is! Learning to prioritize the major objectives from the less-important ones can help ... but the real problem to be solved is the size of the curriculum and/or standards!
ReplyDeleteI've observed a lot of teachers who deviated from requirements and expectations in order to serve the better interest of their students. While as new teachers, we might not always stand confident in what we believe our students need, I feel that so long as we continually strive towards that goal, we'll be okay. Mistakes are inevitable and should be seen as learning opportunities. So even though we're new teachers, I like your attitude that we must be brave enough (savvy, too!) to take risks so that we don't fall into the hole of teaching our content and not our students. However, I feel that our courses are well-designed in regards to preparation for teaching our students beyond the content, particularly our literacy course. I'm also really excited to see/be a part of this sort of decision-making as we work through the year with our mentor teachers!
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