BP #3
This week, my job was to observe the communication between student and teacher that happens in the classroom. There's a lot that goes on in communication that goes unrecognized to the naked eye, but when closely observed it is clear that there is intention behind everything.
The way a teacher responds to a student can highly impact the exchange as a whole. The teacher, being in an authoritative role, has more control over the conversation. Therefore, it is important for us to chose our words carefully and with clear intention behind them. An example of this I've noted in my classroom is that the teacher avoids using discouraging language. During math, there are several times when the students are asked to work out a problem on their whiteboards and hold the answer up to her once they get it. When a student gets an answer wrong, instead of just saying "wrong" and moving on, she takes the time to advise them to look closely at what they did wrong. More often she will use words like "close" or "almost" rather than "nope, try again". I feel like this is much more motivating to students because then when they go back to look at the problem, they have a clear prompt of what to look for and fix. Math can be discouraging by nature for some, so limiting the discouragement from the classroom is a must.
Another example of encouraging communication I notice in my classroom is that my cooperating teacher does "Class Compliments". All week long, students are encouraged to write positive notes to fellow classmates and at the end of the week those complements are passed out. She does this weekly so that if a couple students end up with no complements that week she can quickly write them one before handing them out. Getting encouragement from not only your teacher but from your classmates is really uplifting for students of their age.
Lastly, a good subtle example of positive communication my teacher shows is showcasing progress. The students use online learning platforms like Zearn, iReady, and Lexia that track progress by lessons. Each lesson that is passed by each student is kept track of on a poster in the classroom. Students have the opportunity to have a physical representation of their progress presented as an accomplishment to the classroom. It's encouraging for those who are in the lead, and also lets those who are slugging behind know that they need to pick up the pace.
The way a teacher responds to a student can highly impact the exchange as a whole. The teacher, being in an authoritative role, has more control over the conversation. Therefore, it is important for us to chose our words carefully and with clear intention behind them. An example of this I've noted in my classroom is that the teacher avoids using discouraging language. During math, there are several times when the students are asked to work out a problem on their whiteboards and hold the answer up to her once they get it. When a student gets an answer wrong, instead of just saying "wrong" and moving on, she takes the time to advise them to look closely at what they did wrong. More often she will use words like "close" or "almost" rather than "nope, try again". I feel like this is much more motivating to students because then when they go back to look at the problem, they have a clear prompt of what to look for and fix. Math can be discouraging by nature for some, so limiting the discouragement from the classroom is a must.
Another example of encouraging communication I notice in my classroom is that my cooperating teacher does "Class Compliments". All week long, students are encouraged to write positive notes to fellow classmates and at the end of the week those complements are passed out. She does this weekly so that if a couple students end up with no complements that week she can quickly write them one before handing them out. Getting encouragement from not only your teacher but from your classmates is really uplifting for students of their age.
Lastly, a good subtle example of positive communication my teacher shows is showcasing progress. The students use online learning platforms like Zearn, iReady, and Lexia that track progress by lessons. Each lesson that is passed by each student is kept track of on a poster in the classroom. Students have the opportunity to have a physical representation of their progress presented as an accomplishment to the classroom. It's encouraging for those who are in the lead, and also lets those who are slugging behind know that they need to pick up the pace.
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