I got to listen to a teacher take a kid to the cleaners in a one on one discussion about a paper this morning. It was unreal.
The kid is sitting there with that dead look they get in their eyes sometimes while she is asking him why, despite the explicit instructions, did he write the one paragraph the instructions said not to write. I could tell both of them were deep in confusion about the entire thing.
Understanding why students get things wrong or don't follow instructions is something that, if it could be figured out completely, would make someone a billionaire. Frustration runs high in those situations. You get upset and feel like you clearly explained everything. When that's how you feel, it almost seems like the kid is doing it on purpose just to mess with you. It helps to keep in mind that, in addition to any mental or psychological things the kid might be dealing with, that they have 5+ classes other than yours. You get to focus on one subject and they have to split their attention between all of those and whatever they do outside of school.
Is that an excuse? No. I agree they should be responsible for their work and effort, but they are also kids and kids mess up. They're entitled to that just like we're entitled to being unhappy when they do. I liked that she was asking why instead of laying into the kid with the "I can't believe you could do something so stupid" talk.
Related Articles:
Are Dallas Students responsible for their own learning
Ask why Dallas students make mistakes
The kid is sitting there with that dead look they get in their eyes sometimes while she is asking him why, despite the explicit instructions, did he write the one paragraph the instructions said not to write. I could tell both of them were deep in confusion about the entire thing.
Understanding why students get things wrong or don't follow instructions is something that, if it could be figured out completely, would make someone a billionaire. Frustration runs high in those situations. You get upset and feel like you clearly explained everything. When that's how you feel, it almost seems like the kid is doing it on purpose just to mess with you. It helps to keep in mind that, in addition to any mental or psychological things the kid might be dealing with, that they have 5+ classes other than yours. You get to focus on one subject and they have to split their attention between all of those and whatever they do outside of school.
Is that an excuse? No. I agree they should be responsible for their work and effort, but they are also kids and kids mess up. They're entitled to that just like we're entitled to being unhappy when they do. I liked that she was asking why instead of laying into the kid with the "I can't believe you could do something so stupid" talk.
Related Articles:
Are Dallas Students responsible for their own learning
Ask why Dallas students make mistakes
RSS Feed