As a
young teacher, I remember visiting the classrooms of my mentors and being awed
by their ability to lead the group rather effortlessly through a learning
experience. On a superficial level, I was impressed by the attentiveness
and orderliness of the group. Students did not talk out of turn, they had
their materials ready, they had thoughtful things to say. It felt just like a
scene from Dead Poets Society or even Harry Potter where nearly
all of the classroom scenes reflected a very eager or (at the very least) a
very compliant collection of students.
Unfortunately, my observations were
entirely misguided. For starters, my data set was limited to fictional
classrooms or-- in the event of my mentors-- Honors and AP classes where the
level of participation is different from the average on-level or
intervention class, which I was much more likely to teach. Furthermore, I
misinterpreted how the students were working. On the surface, it seemed
to be about control and submission. In other words, it looked from my
perspective as though the teacher had exerted control over the class and they
willingly submitted. Therefore, I felt that to be a good teacher I too
would need to exert control and demand a type of submission.
But a more nuanced understanding of those model classrooms
suggests that I was seeing engagement and buy-in not submission. In the
chapters to come, we will unpack this idea of engagement a little bit more
deeply, but at this point, I would like to specifically address the idea of
engaging students as a collective group.
In many of my struggles with classes, my first reaction is to
complain about the superficial behaviors: they talk out of turn, they are
getting out of their seats, they are not listening, they are not using their
work time, they are not completing tasks. Defining the problem in this
way puts all of the responsibility on the students. It suggests that all
of this would be better if they simply behave more maturely. But when
interpreted from another lens, these behaviors could be seen as an indicator of
disengagement, meaning that students do not feel connected to their teacher,
their fellow classmates, or the content of the course. So then, the question
changes from “why won’t they listen / respect / respond to me?” and
becomes “How can I get them better engaged or invested as a
community?”
Here are a few thoughts about how to encourage collective
engagement.
Find joy. Creating an atmosphere of community begins with
the joyfulness and playfulness of the teacher. As often as possible, I
begin class with something fun. They are just bits of silliness to engage
students. “Turn and say ‘Hello’ to the person sitting next to you, and
tell them about the weirdest (legal) thing in your backpack right now.”
“Turn and talk to your neighbor, explain to them why they might enjoy a one way
trip to Mars!” “Okay, today, I have a deep philosophical question I want
you to ponder. Why is it you can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna
fish?” The best openers are those where you can call on students and
engage them a little. “Right now, point to the best singer in the
room.” When TikToks were big, we discussed the hottest trends. When
the spinners were popular, we had “spinner tricks” where students stood up and
displayed their skills. Just have fun with them.
Listen. Having meaningful conversations with students in
those moments just before class starts, or even just moments before they leave,
are extremely valuable. They are also extremely difficult since there is
usually a lot going on and since I am usually exhausted by everything that an
average day in front of students can bring. But, in these candid moments
of conversations, I discover so much about the music, shows, apps, games,
hobbies, and trends that interest students by just being willing to engage them
in conversation.
Warm Demander. Getting a “community” feel within a classroom
is not about discipline and respect. However, it does not mean that the
classroom is a free-for-all where “anything goes”. Ed Moore in his book Guide
for White Women Who Teach Black Boys, he describes the happy medium between
tough love and unhealthy permissiveness. He calls teachers who hit this
balance “warm demanders”. It is the ability to have expectations, to
voice those expectations, and model those expectations without having to create
an atmosphere of law and order, where the message becomes “do it my way, or you
are going to have to leave”. Warm demanders are capable of setting
standards within a classroom but know who to be flexible when classes struggle.
They know how to address individual behaviors versus punishing entire classes.
They work relentlessly to build and foster relationships, and let students know
that even after times of frustration and disagreement they will always be
welcomed back. This is important to establishing the feel of community
within a classroom. Everyone is welcome! And that means absolutely
everyone! When I signed up for this life, I did so knowing that I would
have to teach everyone, not just the ones I found pleasant and agreeable and
submissive. What can I do today to make my students feel connected, not
simply compliant?
Moore, Eddie. The Guide
for White Women Who Teach Black Boys. Corwin, 2018.
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