Response to Reflection 3.10
The first time I met Christine she had come into the classroom of my mentor teacher asking for ideas for the schools newspaper. Moments earlier my mentor teacher and I had been discussing my assignment for Classroom Management to follow a student around the school for one day. When my mentor teacher saw Christine it was as though a light bulb when on over his head. He immediately asked Christine if I could follow her around for the day and she responded with the typical high school attitude of “who is this person and why does she have to follow me around?” Needless to say, I didn’t think she was up for it and figured I would be following another student, but I was pleasantly surprised when she walked into the classroom the next week ready and willing to show me around.
The impression I got of Christine is that she is a very bright student with goals and very self-confident. Of the four classes I observed with her only one of the classes wasn’t an advanced class. When I asked Christine what she planned on doing after high school the answer was one I expected. She wants to go to college, but isn’t sure for what yet. I understood, she is only a sophomore and when I was a sophomore I was still unsure of what I wanted to study in college.
I know that I was suppose to ask one of her teachers what they thought Christine would do after high school, but I didn’t feel I needed to after introducing myself. When I introduced myself I would tell them my name and who I was following. As soon as I said Christine’s name every single one of them made some comment as to how great a student she is and how motivated she is in class. Every single teacher would tell me I got a great student to follow around for the day and I think that speaks volumes about their opinion of her and where she is going in life. I’m confident that every single one of Christine’s teachers would tell me that after high school she would be going to college.
Now that I really have a chance to think about it I wish I had been set up with what some of the teacher may have seen as an “average” student. I think the reactions I would have gotten from the teachers would have been really interesting. It would have been interesting to see what subjects that student was strong in and which classes they were weak in and how that might have changed any given teacher’s response to the question. Do teachers base their opinions on where a student will go after high school based on that student performance in their class? I think a number of teachers would base their evaluation of the student on how they performed in their class and maybe wouldn’t know how they were doing in other classes.
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It's funny because I just read your chapter 4 blog and now that I'm reading this entry, I wonder if you see the connections between the two entries. Would you have a better answer for your question about whether "teachers base their opinions on where a student will go after high school based on that student performance in their class?" One of the biggest struggles that I think I am going to face is keeping myself open toward every student and sticking to the philosophy that every student can have a bright future. I remember some people from my high school that were not great students who really succeeded in college and beyond and have great lives now. Would their teachers in high school have expected that? Do I expect that of my students; should I expect to be surprised? Of course! I think that this is an astute observation about the reasons behind our decisions to really think highly of some students and maybe think less of others...I also think your observations and queries raise the challenge to make sure that we are not judging other students on their "in class" merits. For me, this blog makes me really think about keeping a clean slate for every student, letting them build an opinion for me, and continuing to give the the tools and opportunities to be successful.
ReplyDeleteKaitlin, I thought that you raised a really inciteful question, that as Dallas said, really ties into the blog for chapter four. I think that this is something, that because of our personal backgrounds of academic success (even if we didn't acheive until college, clearly we all succeeded well enough in high school to get into college). I'm concerned about this bias too. I'm also concerned becuase I truly wonder about the value of a college education--and if it's what all students, especially studuents who just graduated high school, often have little world experience, and who often have no idea what it is they want to do, really should do. I feel like its often viewed as the culminating goal of teaching students in high school, and I am truly struggling with this view.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting discussion about expectations. Are we supposed to expect that every student will go straight into college? Is that what our job is, to get them into college? If they don't, then are they considered unsuccessful? I appreciate your thoughts Kaitlin, about wondering what comments might be like with "average" students. As Dallas mentioned, there certainly are connections between these two blogs. If we are not "drawn" to average students, what do we really know about them? We tend to be naturally drawn, as teachers, to students at the top and at the bottom. Is that okay? Teachers have a limited amount of energy, so how do you expend that energy in ways that is most productive?
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