Lately I've been hearing a lot about the National Science Teachers Association, and the great resources they offer to teachers. So I visited their blog, and I have to agree. I had a hard time choosing which blog piece to write about. Finally I decided to write about this blogpost because it really resonated with me. It addresses an issue that many of us are facing right now, myself included. I've notices that while teaching. A teacher asked for advice on what to do when there are only a few of the students answering all the time. I feel that this is problematic because as a teacher, if only a few are answering, I don't know if all the students get the material but some are just shy, or if some students just don't understand the concepts. I've been thinking a lot about this, and had some ideas on how I might address this in the classroom. Some of the things I thought of were actually listed in the post itself, which was a nice surprise! I had an additional suggestion for the teacher,which I posted in the comment section. I added that I usually try to show that I value students' contributions. So I might say "that's a great point, did you guys hear what so-and-so said?" This shows students that contributions are valuable, and that we can all learn from each other.
One of the things that I especially liked about the NSTA blog is it includes a space by teachers, and for teachers. A teacher posted her issue, and teachers responded. In addition, I visited the blog later on, and found a second part of the same article. The original teacher who posted the question had a chance share her experience with the suggestion, and the reflection on the results. The writer of the blog also provided some extra information and resources for the teacher and everyone else. In addition, the NSTA blog is really a great resource for teachers, it categorized blogs into topics that are important to teachers such as the Next Generation Science Standards, advice for teachers, and even digital tools for teachers. Overall, I think the NSTA and their blog are both great resources that I will keep an eye on as I delve deeper into my career. I see it as a place that will provide me with resources, collaborators, and help me stay updated with current educational research and public policy - all of which I will need to be a successful educator.
Tahani,
ReplyDeleteI read that same blog! I also blogged about that blog! I feel like that issue (of participation) follows us everywhere! Even last week when I was doing PracticeTeach2/INS 2, I was using Lemovs Board=Notebook strategy and the SAME 5 people wanted to participate. For me, I just get so excited that students want to participate when I teach that I jump the gun! I think I've got some low expectations for myself, OH THE IRONY!
And I always do what you have suggested here- whenever a student says ANYTHING related to class-whether it be a question, a comment or a concern, I am so excited (like I stated above) that I tell them "That's amazing!" or "That's a great question I didn't think of that!" or "Good point!" And you know me, I say it with enthusiasm and excitement. Which I want to add that as a suggestion. When students see you getting wild, or excited, or enthusiastic for their responses-they feel good about themselves. And what student does not want to feel good about themselves?
Anthony
This is a very interesting and realistic topic indeed. During my formal observation, the same thing happened to me.. and I gravitated towards students who were answering all the time. I knew all the time during that session that there were students who were not answering but I couldnt do much. Then during debriefing my mentor teacher said a profound thing, " why dont you go around talk to each student while others are working. They do not necessarily need to contribute aloud.. sometimes that helps them to come out".. and that's exactly what I did the next time around. I gave all the students something to do and went around, literally sat on my knees and spoke to students who were not participating at all.. I realized, students just needed that much more encouragement to come out confident.
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