Wendy Ghiora – Posting #54 – June 26, 2010
I am so sad, angry and disappointed when I hear of anyone who has engaged in any type of mis-conduct with a child. This is especially true when it involves a teacher.
Therefore, I would like to give some equal time to those teachers who not only “do the right thing,” but also go beyond what is called for and really make a difference in kids’ lives. I want to share this one with you. I hope each of you has a really nice memory of a teacher that did something special that you will always remember . . .
The Teacher
This story was passed along to me on the Internet. I believe that it has been circulating for a while and I think that the full story may be in the original Chicken Soup for the Soul. I hope you enjoy it and are inspired!
One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.
On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much." were most of the comments.No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose.The students were happy with themselves and one another.That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student.She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed! with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.
As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her.
Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes."
Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."
After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.
"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket.
"They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.
"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."
All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around.
Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."
Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.
"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times, " Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."
That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.Remember, you reap what you sow, what you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.
_______________
And so my friends, in teaching and in life, even if you can make just one or two people feel good about themselves, it will make a big difference, for you and for them!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #53 – June 19, 2010
"Are there any questions?" If you think this fosters a “question-rich” environment for your students, keep reading. So much pressure exists for students NOT to ask questions that it takes a lot more effort as a teacher to create a “question-rich” environment.
It may sound like a simple statement, but the fact is, the only way a student can learn how to ask questions is by asking questions. To help facilitate this important skill, you must encourage questions constantly, using a variety of techniques.
Why is questioning important?
Questioning is what drives thinking. Thinking is not driven by answers but by questions. Had no questions been asked by those who laid the foundation for a field — for example, Technology or Biology — the field would never have been developed in the first place. Every field stays alive and grows only to the extent that fresh questions are asked and taken seriously as the driving force in a process of thinking. To think through or rethink anything, one must ask questions that stimulate thought.
How to Encourage Questions
The most important technique that you can use to encourage questions is to always answer questions kindly. Even if you have answered the same question three times already, the fourth answer should be friendly, and should include a new example. The student may have been copying something down, or may have been daydreaming. But normally questions occur multiple times because students sometimes cannot understand the language you are speaking. I can answer questions all day about "the influence of Shakespeare on the positioning of sub-plots within the play." But until the students understand the vocabulary, all of those answers will be completely meaningless. A student asking a question for the fourth time has just come to understand the vocabulary him/herself, and only then can understand the answer when you give it.
More ways to promote questions:
Reward students for asking a question. Try saying, "That's a great question" for every new question you get (no matter how many times the same question has been asked).
Do not insult students, even subtly, when answering a question. Take a tape recorder to class one day, and then play it back and listen to how you answer questions. How do you come across? Would you like to be talked to in that way? Put yourself in your students' shoes. Also listen to the answers you give - do you answer the questions?
Other uses for questioning:
"Are there any questions?" If you think this fosters a “question-rich” environment for your students, keep reading. So much pressure exists for students NOT to ask questions that it takes a lot more effort as a teacher to create a “question-rich” environment.
It may sound like a simple statement, but the fact is, the only way a student can learn how to ask questions is by asking questions. To help facilitate this important skill, you must encourage questions constantly, using a variety of techniques.
Why is questioning important?
Questioning is what drives thinking. Thinking is not driven by answers but by questions. Had no questions been asked by those who laid the foundation for a field — for example, Technology or Biology — the field would never have been developed in the first place. Every field stays alive and grows only to the extent that fresh questions are asked and taken seriously as the driving force in a process of thinking. To think through or rethink anything, one must ask questions that stimulate thought.
How to Encourage Questions
The most important technique that you can use to encourage questions is to always answer questions kindly. Even if you have answered the same question three times already, the fourth answer should be friendly, and should include a new example. The student may have been copying something down, or may have been daydreaming. But normally questions occur multiple times because students sometimes cannot understand the language you are speaking. I can answer questions all day about "the influence of Shakespeare on the positioning of sub-plots within the play." But until the students understand the vocabulary, all of those answers will be completely meaningless. A student asking a question for the fourth time has just come to understand the vocabulary him/herself, and only then can understand the answer when you give it.
More ways to promote questions:
Reward students for asking a question. Try saying, "That's a great question" for every new question you get (no matter how many times the same question has been asked).
Do not insult students, even subtly, when answering a question. Take a tape recorder to class one day, and then play it back and listen to how you answer questions. How do you come across? Would you like to be talked to in that way? Put yourself in your students' shoes. Also listen to the answers you give - do you answer the questions?
Other uses for questioning:
1. Ask your students to write down one thing that they don't understand from that day's class. Then go over those questions at the beginning of the next class. Once students realize that everyone has questions, they will be more inclined to ask questions vocally during class.
2. Give homework assignments that force students to think about and question the material, and make time available in class to answer homework questions. If a homework assignment generates no questions, then it is probably useless.
3. Use tests to find out where you have been unclear, and where questions remain. A well-designed and well-graded test tells you as much about your teaching as it does about your students.
4. Start each class by briefly reviewing the material from the previous class.
Introduce a difficult concept for 5 minutes at the end of class. Then cover the concept fully during the next class. Students will have a day or two to become familiar with the concept, and will be more inclined to ask questions when they see it again.
Good Questions Generate More Questions
Only when an answer generates a further question does thought continue. This is why it is true that only students who have questions are really thinking and learning. In fact, it’s possible to give students an examination on any subject by just asking them to list all of the questions they have about a subject. Unfortunately, most students ask virtually no thought-stimulating types of questions. They tend to stick to dead questions like, "Is this going to be on the test?" These questions imply the desire not to think. If we want thinking we must stimulate it with questions that lead students to further questions. We must overcome what previous schooling has done to the thinking of students. We must awaken minds that are largely dead when we receive them. We must refresh and revive our students with “questioning resuscitation.”
Conclusion
Think of the potential knowledge and life experience that is in that single room. If only I could find a way to harness it! I want students to be fully engaged, talking to one another, grappling with interesting questions, and exploring any and all resources to find answers (and more questions). I want them to really get a strong sense of the importance of what we discuss in class and the significance of their participation. I want them to expand their understanding not only in the traditional sense, but also in the ability to “think outside the box.” Above all, I want them to recognize their own worth, thinking capacity and ability in helping to contribute to the society in which they live.
Next time you stand in front of your class at the end of a lesson, before asking, "Are there any questions?" take a moment to re-think your purpose as a teacher.
A good question-asking environment is a fragile and delicate thing. It must be nurtured every day. Once a good environment is created however, it can make a significant contribution to the quality of your class.
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