week 302/03/14

from the diary of a novice teacher in Mozambique• In the Peace Corps people talk a lot about how the most

meaningful things are the little day-to-day victories. Today in one of my classes I asked for a volunteer to read a definition written on the board. I was answered by blank stares. I waited and asked 2 more times before a girl finally stood up (in Mozambique students stand to answer questions or otherwise speak in class). The next time I asked for a volunteer, after a slight pause the same girl started to stand again. I thanked her but told her I wanted a new person, waited again and asked 2 more times before another girl finally stood. The 3rd time I asked for a volunteer a girl stood up right away. The 4th time I asked for a volunteer six students jumped up at the same time, making me laugh out loud.

• Today in all of my classes, each time I asked for a volunteer there was a huge commotion as 8 different people would jump out of their seats, trying to be the first one to start reading. It was a wonderful feeling. One girl also asked a question today in class. It wasn’t subject related, but I’ll take it! (Scooter, January, 2010)

labels (good and bad) always limit kids• labels one-dimensional• a label (even an accurate one)

emphasizes one dimension and ignores the many others

• labels emphasize differences between kids– emphasizing differences limits kids

(focusing on one or few dimensions)– valuing similarities frees kids (focus on

many dimensions)• the goal of good teaching is a community

of children, each with many identities and indefinite possibilities

how to learn to see kids• begin to understand how kids are

viewed in this culture—explore the beliefs and values we hold about kids

• pay close attention to kids from as many perspectives as possible, in as many contexts as possible

• strive to glimpse the possibilities, knowing that the more possibilities we see, the more we create

• be humble—understand that no matter how closely we look we will only scratch surfaces

• see kids as unique and rare – but not as completed, rather as

having with many and unknowable potentials

– without defining them in terms of their differences from others

– as having many selves, many dimnesions, many identities

the great (American) cultural (teacher) myth

• others – may prejudge kids – may bring preconceived ideas about

kids– be influenced by what others say or

believe about them or about kids in general,

• but I see kids for who they really are

• there is no “who they really are”

exercises• done in pairs in class (~10 minutes)• pick a “moment” during which you had

a strong emotional reaction to something

• explore that emotional reaction• stand back from that emotional reaction

• prepare a PowerPoint (9 slides): 1.title 2.context 3.step 14.step 25.step 3a (blank)6.3a (your ideas)7.step 3b (blank)8.step 3b (your ideas)9.step 4 (to be added to in discussion)

4-step process (with intro)• intro: title; brief concrete description of context• step 1: one sentence vividly and honestly

describing your emotional reaction (no reasons)• step 2: one sentence—immediate explanation

why you reacted this way (no defending)• step 3a: ask cohort to help you to stand back

and explore possible reasons why you and people like you would react the way you did

• step 3b: ask cohort to help you stand back and explore possible reasons why the person you reacted to and people like her would do or say or write what she did

• step 4: return to your initial reaction and reexamine it

wednesday02/05/14

from the diary of a novice teacher

• I introduced a new word (in portuguese) for the number line in class today: “eixo” (pronounced kind of aayeejshuu), which caused a chorus of giggles every time I tried to say it during my first lesson. So I developed a new method for my following lessons. I would tell them they were learning a new word, write it on the board, and then say, “Now let’s say it together.” Problem solved.

  How is the new cohort doing? Tell them they will make it through (even if it means little sleep and lots of tears.) :) 

Things go well for me.  After 2 years in the Evanston School District—special ed K one year as inclusion co-teacher, and regular ed 1st grade my 2nd year—I am now working in Glenview. I had a pretty interesting/grueling 2 years in Evanston and felt it was time to move on.  Glenview is amazing, and I absolutely love it (let's hope for no RIFs this year!).  I am teaching 1st grade again. I work with Kristen Hoch who is an 06. 

  I am pursuing my Type 75—Education Administration/ Leadership—through National Louis University with Jessie Block [both now finished]! We discuss your buddy Bill Ayers quite a bit.  I stay in touch with a lot of our cohort, and I really miss seeing everyone. It seems most people have followed through with teaching (or something in the field) and are enjoying it!  Stephanie Ferdinand, 10

lenses• we do not act directly on the world—no

person, thing etc. is directly accessible• all our transactions with the world—

people, things, relationships—are viewed through the lenses of – cultural beliefs, values, expectations, – experience, knowledge, and so on.

teachingsome initial premises• kids have many selves, many

identities, many dimensions, depending on contexts

• the more selves, dimensions etc. one sees in a kid the more possibilities for connecting with the kid

• the more selves, dimensions etc. one sees in a kid the more possibilities one creates for the kid

• kids spend much time sharing who they are with other kids.

• they spend much energy being like each other, talking like each other, dressing like each other, and so on.

• so why do we as educators spend so much time emphasizing the differences between kids.

• what would it be like if we spent as much time and energy looking at what kids share, at what they have in common?

history projects• cite sources for quotations and

paraphrases—always credit (do not plagiarize)

• full references for books, articles, etc.• quotations—citation and page #• first person plural (you are working in

pairs)

friday02/07/14

Lesson Studyin lesson study teachers• explore long-term goals of schooling, e.g.,

love of learning, respect for others• explore short-term and long-term goals of

a particular subject area, unit, or lesson• plan and conduct a research lesson• carefully observe student learning,

engagement, & behavior during research lesson

• discuss and revise the lesson based on these observations

research lessons• 2 groups (5 and 5)• plan & teach a 40 minute lesson to the

rest of the class (2/19: Ayers ch 2; 2/24: Ayers ch 3)– lesson—to be envisioned as first of a 3-

lesson LESSON on the topic– 2 people teaching, the remaining 3

observing and taking notes• after the lesson, a 30-minute discussion

by the research lesson planning group on the lesson, revisions etc. (others observe)

• ending with short 5-minute recap by an outside observer

our goals for you in Lesson Studylong-term general• begin to see invisible parts of teaching—

planning, thinking, researching, talking, wondering, rethinking, etc.

long-term specific• planning as detailsshort-term general• observe lessons with a focus on gathering

evidence to inform lesson revisions• analyze lessons in light of lesson goalsshort-term specific• critique the lesson plan, not the teacher• detailed discussions of instructional strategies

(e.g., questioning techniques, anticipating student responses, how lesson flow affects understanding)