Writing is Learning

I like the idea that Writing is Learning. I, myself have never been much of a writer especially a journal writer, but the idea always seemed intriguing. I don't know why I have never even tried to write in a journal and I honestly think I would have a hard time asking my students to do such since I never considered doing it.

The writing process the text offers is nice. It breaks it down in a way that I feel would make writing more interesting to students. I thinking in order to making the writing process more interesting to students and have them be more willing to write wether it is prompt writing or free journal writing it has to be fun, interesting and most of all a natural feel. I think the of being graded on your writing work, especially when it is a personal free write is intimidating and discouraging to anyone. The idea of not focusing on grading the little things would help and giving feedback prompts would push and drive a student to dig deeper within themselves and want to write more.

Of course I will first practice these prompts on my sons who have to suffer happily through my learning to see if even they at their age can be encouraged to write or read and what ever is next that I am being taught can process, understand and do what ever it is that I am asking/showing them.

They want to be Self Efficient

In reading this section of the text I couldn't agree more with it!  I see it every day in my sons how they want to be able to do things for themselves and want to understand things they don't. Nothing makes me more proud than to see them and the looks on their faces when they do complete a task they have set for themselves or that little light turn on when they finally do figure out how to solve a problem they were struggling with.

There are many key points/advise the text gives in allowing children/students to become self efficient, such as:

• Making sure to give students multiple opportunities to find the smallest of success in their reading and writing. When grading try to look for more of the right "correct" work than the wrong "incorrect" work.
• Try to make a point in displaying or publishing our kids/students work so other can see, giving them an extra boost of pride in themselves.
• Talking to our kids/students about past problems or issues that lead to their lack of self-efficacy. This could help them help themselves in giving them insight to seeing where they can help themselves .
• Giving kids/students opportunities to work with other kids or in groups helps them not only to work with others but gives them opportunity to give and get positive feed back and responses from their peers and to their peers.

These are I believe are really great points that I can really work on with my boys and students. I am really enjoying this book and all the information it is offering me!

Finding the trust in engagement

In reading this new text Adolescents on the Edge (chapters 1 and 2), I found there to be some very useful information in how to build community and trust with your students and how engagement and motivation are very difficult tasks now a days but is key in teach students of today.

Once again I will be practicing these little techniques on my sons because everyone knows creating a habit will carry over. One would think that as a mother some of the trust issues would naturally be there but I am a very strict mother and tend to have a very strong focus on getting the job done and doing it well because that is what I expect of you. But on page 5 of the text the bulleted items I found to be key things I feel would not only help me with my boys when they are at home so it doesn't always seem so military like, they would benefit me in my classroom with my students to make it lighter and easy going so it too does not seem military like. I just want to go over a few with how I think they would help me.

• Benevolence - If I appeared to me more caring (softer) in showing my support while teaching I believe I would be taken easier by the students. Expressing appreciation and being fair would most definitely grow trust, especially when work is being done. I think this would be able to show students and my boys that they are able to please me and I do appreciate all their hard work.
• Openness - I think sharing the power and decision making would help in a big way. Openness would let the students (and my boys) know they do actually do have a voice and what they think and say is important and valid. This I believe would be some amount of closeness in trust and motivation.
• Reliability - I strongly believe in being consistent with my boys and students. With being consistent there are no real surprises and children in general will know they can depend on you.

I know if I work on this part my personality (the softer side) this behavior would come more natural to me and then hopefully I will become more approachable to my own children and my students.

Feeling On The Wire

In watching the clips of The Wire, there were several things about them that made me think and realize that this is how things really are in some areas. Then I began to wonder if there any real way to prepare any new teacher for such a situation?

Well back to the video clips. The first one regarding the first day of school seems true to form the the new teacher standing in their room, front and center, attendance in hand, desk and room in perfect order. School bell rings, students enter and the new teach has no voice! Attempt after attempt to project his/her voice and still not one student listens.

In the first clip I don't see how the book falls under any of what happens. I see the new teacher is overwhelmed, perhaps a little nervous and is not sure how to take the way the students are talking (profanity) to him and don't seem to care at all about anything.

But in the second clip the students seem more cooperative, they are seated, in uniforms and talking in a somewhat orderly fashion. The teacher seems to have his voice and authority, he is trying to "engage cooperation" and acknowledge the students feelings regarding an incident that happened. Though he lack classroom management he does have better control over the students.

The final clip there is a more personal level between the students and teacher. He is talking to them with authority but yet as capable individuals. He is giving punishment and yet being kind at the same time that the students are willing to help him. It is clear that he knows he won't change all their world completely but there a possible chance he could help a few.

I think the book relates to some the clips in some way by seeing the teacher not knowing what to say the kids on the first day of school to where he is helping feed one of them and they are talking to him telling of personal situations.

Pitfalls and Problems

As most of you will eventually find out, everything that I learn and believe to be useful and worth trying, I try on my 2 boys. In reading chapters 3 and 4, I have my very strong feelings on punishment and have so much to learn when it comes to problem solving with my boys, let alone with my future students.

I went to elementary school during the when a permission slip was sent home to the parents to sign allowing the principle to spank/paddle your child, without it the principle could not touch them.  I was a "lucky" one, my mother never signed the permission slip. But on the other hand I knew if I ever misbehaved in school or go in trouble I would most definitely pay the price at home from my mother with a good bum whoopin.

I have to be honest, I never thought of this as a bad thing. I always ended up thinking to myself, "Why did I do that? That was stupid of me to do especially if I knew I could get caught."  I always felt and believed in the end that every punishment I received from my mother I out right deserved because I KNEW BETTER. I also respect my mother for all the lessons learned.

I know and realize that today times are very different and so are children. They do and deal with things so much differently than back when I was a child. I also believe that has to do with the bombardment of technology and social media. I see dealing with students on this more "level" playing field/calm like manner they may possibly be more perceptive.

As for the problem solving that was offered in chapter 4, I most definitely will try out the one regarding the math anxiety with my son, who is behaving the same way when it comes time to do his ixl math on the computer at home. Hopefully, I will get a positive result.

I am also seeing and hopefully will become skillful in listening to my kids along with my future students. There are (according to the readings) some benefit to letting the students express themselves and letting them know they are heard and what they have to say means something.

Talk to get kids to talk

Since this semester has started my oldest son (8 years old, 3rd grader) has been having a very hard time adjusting to me being gone more. This lead to a behavior I have never seen in him, a very anxious feeling when it came to doing math on the computer. This behavior of anxiousness, procrastination, crying and what not lead to me getting frustrated with him. I started taking away privileges that didn't seem to change his behavior, to where I was down right yelling at my son.  I didn't recognize him anymore when it came time to doing his math and he looked at me as though he didn't recognize me anymore.

While I have been attending school and would learn a new strategy, I would come home and practice on my two boys. After I read the two chapters in How to Talk So Kids Can Learn, I started to think what the book was saying and thought I would practice the strategy of talking differently (rewording my sentences and questions) to my son. I applied what I had read last night by telling my son that I noticed he is having some anxiety and feeling nervous when it came time to do his math and together we will work on what's going on. I also asked him if he was having problems, he could talk to me, he could tell me anything because if I knew what was wrong then I could help him and maybe we could fix what's wrong. If we learn to talk to each other again things will get better.  My son told me he didn't want to do the math program everyday. We worked out a compromise to where he would have to do the math everyday for 15 to 20 minutes until he can show me he is in control of his anxiety. He wasn't completely happy with that but agreed. At the end of this talk with my son, I noticed he was crying. I asked him what was wrong and he told me "You're the best mom and I'm happy." He also said he didn't know why but he was crying but he was happy.

So after all this being said, I believe that if we work as teachers to get to know our students and let them know we are really listening to them and are genuinely interested in what they have to say we could change their behavior in our classrooms. I also believe once we really start listening to our students and hear what they are really saying to us, our responses to them will become the responses they need to hear and not the short off the bat, sometimes frustrated responses teachers and parents are used to giving.