I have had a hard time writing about this chapter. I have started and stopped. Deleted and started again. I still do not like what I have written. The author’s (Harold Stolovitch) writing is less than clear. His example about the rocking chair company was confusing. In order to be a “master craftsperson” it will take more than a training program; it will take doing the process over and over again until you are a master. However, in spite of Stolovitch’s obfuscating writing there are some concepts that can help teachers and students buried in this chapter.
Some of the concepts that Harold Stolovitch wrote about that I feel could help both students and teachers are as follow. (1) Human capital: for me to be successful with our students I have to build a relationship with them. All of our students come to Volinia because of a lack of success in their other schools. It is very important for me to let them know that I care about them and their well-being. I have to show them how they can be successful at school. (2) Applying “systematic thinking” to problems of teaching can help me come up with ideas on how to improve my classroom management, improve test scores, create suitable consequences for misbehavior or incentives for doing well, etc. (3) Clear expectations are extremely important for students. Teachers need to communicate clearly so that students know what is expected. Administrators need to communicate effectively so that teachers know what is expected. (4) Efficient procedures are needed for both students and teachers to make the most out of their time. (5) Improve-ment, I feel, is a key concept for everyone in education. Teachers and students want to be better.
I have had a hard time getting the podcasts, but I can speculate on what some of the benefits could be for my students. The benefits for students in Global Issues are an in-depth look at any news story they want to know more about. I can see uses for podcasts in government, history, and geography, too. I am wondering about the use of podcasts as a way for Volinia to get our news out about different events, etc. I will continue to work on the podcasts!
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I think it's very important to develop a good relationship with your students, especially in your situation where they have had a bad experience and are feeling unsuccessful.
ReplyDeleteThe part you said about administrators...so true! How do you know what their expectations are if they are not clear?
I think the rocking chair story was an awesome analogy about how different departments of the same corporation have different goals. In order to be successful everyone has to be on the same page-much like education. What is the goal of education? To make better employees so economically the USA can be #1 again? Something to think about. I think podcasts would be a great way for Global issues :) KathyW
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not the easiest of readings, I agree. I absolutely agree with every one of your points. Point #1 and point #3 are two of the most important to me. I know as teachers we are supposed to be the "perfect role models", well sorry but I'm not perfect, and I believe that if the students see that, see that you are a "real" person, they will respect you more as a person and teacher. Clear expectations is so critical, too. A classroom can go to hell-in-a-handbasket real quick if the kids don't know what is expected of them. I love the fact that you pulled those points out of the reading. Nice Job!
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned in number 3 is very ture. Since I work at very new school, which just opened last April, everything is still not well-organized and there are still a lot of kinks to work out. So I am sometimes not sure that what administrators want and expect me to do as a member of their school. In this sense, communication is very important. Not only to the administrators but also to the principal, teachers and students. Also working in an school with so many foreign teachers, sometimes the message gets lost in translation.
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