Googlized Learning

Posted on September 14, 2018 by tcadmin

Part I

“There are two types of education… One should teach us how to make a living, and the other how to live.”

– John Adams

A lot has changed with ‘making a living’ since Adams first spoke these words. At the rate technology is growing, we are now educating children for jobs that don’t yet exist. The question we need to ask is whether our current education model meets the need of preparing for the unknown.

As a nation we are currently continued to test based accountability meaning a greater emphasis on measurement. With measurement comes focus on definition, including outputs, terms, concepts, or skills, representing a sizable portion of the average curriculum. The upside of measurement is the acquisition of knowledge for the student and accountability for a system which is sorely lacking. It’s the limitations we also want to consider, since the future of job preparation may not be covered by what student know.

The main limitation of an educational system predominantly based on ‘what’ should be learned (#CommonCore), is decreasing attention to how the learning takes place. The emphasis on ‘what’ means we define, label, categorize and subcategorize as instruments for memorization and hopefully application, which works well for the skilled laborers. Unfortunately the demand for this occupational type is rapidly shrinking, while jobs requiring critical thinking skills are growing.

Critical thinking relies on questions of ‘how’ as opposed to ‘what, such as discrimination, synthesis, analysis and other essential thinking processes. We never would have figured out how to fly or mapped the human genome if we were limited to pre-existing labels. Scientific inquiry begins with reviewing the outliers, the things that don’t fit in the box, and figuring out why. An education based on neatly categorized, searchable content doesn’t guide us in that direction.

With pressures of time and outcome, teachers are influenced toward this data driven model of teaching because they know their own grading is measured this way. Teachers are the first to tell you however that this approach can be restrictive for students and boring for educators, who want to delve deeper and stimulate with creativity. What choice is there when our entire paradigm is based on the acquisition of information, measured by our mastery of ‘what’.

Thus, the next time you decide to look something up on google or ask your students to do the same, take a moment to question if the gain is simply ‘what’, or there is a way of including some element of ‘how’. A well prepared student for occupation success is going to rely on both sets of tools to navigate a rapidly changing future.

Inspiring Classroom Spaces

Posted on August 29, 2016 by tcadmin

Inspiring Classroom Spaces

By Malinda Papol, Second Grade Teacher

We all spend time decorating our home to create a sanctuary we can relax and feel safe in. Why not do the same for our classroom, our home away from home? Thoughtfully organized, creative spaces can spark interest in student’s learning. HGTV and the DIY networks are not only for your home; they are for your classroom!

I needed something new and refreshing after a decade and a half of teaching. What I found was the more organized my classroom became, the more pride my students took in their work; they were more responsible with classroom supplies, and they kept their desks more organized. Improving a classroom’s design, lighting, and decorations, seemed to boost student learning and motivation.

Get inspired to get started. Search Pinterest, websites like www.schoolgirlsytle.com, and catalogs like Really Good Stuff. See what sparks your interest and choose three to four colors to be your theme. Declutter. Get rid of those old manuals you haven’t touched. Add accent lamps, curtains, flowers, chair covers; hang lanterns from the ceiling; and hide supplies in big fabric bins. Reuse old items. A 99 cent can of spray paint will come in handy. Create small seating areas using storage ottomans, and maintain separate spaces by using pops of color and area rugs.

I wanted a space that I was motivated to come to and spend my days working. Now, not only do I love my classroom and the calming feeling I get when I walk into it, but parents, students, teachers, and administrators echo the same sentiments.

The small carpet at the front of the room with movable ottomans can be used for partners to play games, partner read, or work together. The flowers next to the lamp are actually pens!

This view is from the front door of my classroom. Hanging lanterns create an enticing pop of color opposite the back carpet. The chair covers at desks give students their own sense of space and organization.

This is the student’s library area. Ottomans and an area rug create small reading areas. Black paint and magnetic borders are the finishing touches to bookshelves and the teacher’s desk. Some fabric hides messy bookshelves. A lamp, a deal on Craigslist, creates a homelike feel. Curtains from Walmart are the finishing touch. I used frames from the Dollar Store– took out the glass for safety purposes – and hung my class rules.

I purchased inexpensive chairs, which I found on an online yard sale site to use as the “teacher’s chairs.” I spray-painted them and put new fabric on them. I recycled an old toy box and spray-painted it to use near my desk. I hide my everyday teacher manuals in it, and it provides the students a small space to sit and read, play games, or work with each other. Near the bookshelf I have an inspirational wall space covered with quotes from various people of different cultures. I framed them with frames I bought at the Dollar Store and, again, I removed the glass.

Storage ottomans at the back carpet can be arranged in a circle. My second reading group works in this circle while I read with a group at the reading table. All math supplies are kept in the fabric bins on top of the file cabinets. My husband built a castle, which is always reserved for the “Star of the Week” in my class.

This is the back sink area and reading table. Mirrors help create an open space. All guided reading books are kept in an open shelf in black folders for a cohesive look.

File folder pocket charts hold Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop folders and are attached to the metal cabinet that holds all writing supplies. The custom-made writing poster is large. I laminated the entire poster and hung it with Velcro.

The view is of the front of the classroom. Goals for each subject are written on whiteboards and can easily be changed on the bulletin board to the left. Information about the “Star of the Week” is showcased on the bulletin board to the right. A Pocket chart holds the daily schedule.

Are Teacher Evaluations Perpetuating Bad Teaching?

Posted on April 18, 2016 by tcadmin

There are many benefits to a process for understanding what works best for student learning. It is important to work towards development of a body of knowledge of good practice. Schools want help identifying potential leaders and mentors to build quality practice. The public wants and needs a means of understanding what it takes to support quality education if we are to expect ongoing funding, advocacy and involvement.

However, according to professionals in the field of teacher assessment, less than 6 percent of teachers actually perform at below standard levels. And for those who do need improvement, there is little evidence to suggest that evaluation in and of itself causes teacher growth. Our current model for teacher evaluation is born from, and perpetuates, a hierarchical, top down model. The result is a climate of anxiety, contempt and increased polarization.

What is needed instead is a means for identifying and strengthening what is working well and sharing this with other educators. Efforts like Teach to Lead (www.teachtolead.org) are moving towards developing a more self-reflective practitioner, which cannot be supported by top-down outsider rating.

In order for evaluation to be effective, it should allow for teachers to assess and document the quality of their teaching in ways that are most useful and relevant to them, while incorporating measures of qualities that support the needs and culture of the school.

Right/wrong, good/bad, better/worse measurements are less effective ways to promote learning. In fact, they could result in the dismissal of quality teachers or the over promotion of ineffective strategies. Teachers often dread evaluations as they are often subject to rater bias. Evaluations that carry punitive elements further distance teachers who may then distrust the evaluation and not provide as authentic an assessment as they would if they had more co-ownership of the process. Every inherent strength has a corresponding limitation. For instance, consider the teacher who is highly organized and structured. Lesson plans regularly occur according to schedule and rarely run over. Too much rigidity, however, may result in a teacher who is less capable of adapting to student interest or individual student needs.

Evaluation of any kind is always going to have an element of subjectivity, whether it stems from the bias of the evaluator themselves or if the tool reflects the bias of the funding source of the tool. An evaluator with a bias towards structure may rate the teacher above as high and teachers with a talent for creative and adaptable teaching styles will become engaged in a power struggle for recognition.

The most valuable evaluations for teachers and schools are those which promote self-determined learning and continuous improvement. They should be a part of a system that promotes self-reflection as well as the integration of applicable feedback.

Herein lies another challenge. Most of us are not trained in how to give or receive feedback. Poorly given feedback can result in defensiveness, fear or shame meaning that even valid information stands little chance of making a difference.

What constitutes poorly given feedback?

Poorly organized feedback
Feedback given without dialogue before or after observation
Feedback that is not given constructively, rather is delivered in such a way as to create shame
Feedback that is tied to compensation
Feedback that relies on one-time observation that may occur on a day when performance was atypical
Feedback given from someone with whom there is not a positive relationship

Teachers must also learn to receive feedback if they are to integrate the helpful elements into their practice. Many things can influence a person’s ability to remain objective when presented with another’s observations. If there is distrust in the observation process or in the system overall, if what is being measured does not reflect our philosophy or values of teaching it is hard to be open to the information. Our own anxieties and insecurities as well as our self-perception can also block us from considering the assessment fully.

Most of us fall victim to old stories or patterns when we hear critical information about our abilities. We protect ourselves from difficult feelings about the criticism by denying the information outright or accepting everything we are presented with without consideration. The golden rule of accepting feedback is to maintain a sense of curiosity and openness. This does not mean we need to accept everything to the point of feeling criticized but we want to learn to seek out data that will help us to grow as a professional.

Feedback is essential to honest personal and professional relationships. It helps us to connect us and our behavior to those around us. Learning to lean into the discomfort others’ perceptions of us is helpful in developing deeper personal and professional relationships and becoming a whole teacher, one that can accept and become excited about areas for growth while building on current strengths.

If you would like to learn more about how to give and received meaningful feedback, Click here to be taken to our courses which can help you learn to:

Minimize judgement of self and others
Become aware of your own emotional biases
Regard evaluation with curiosity and with caution
Be discerning of information without being dismissive.

Gated Responses

Posted on April 11, 2016 by tcadmin

Imagine a large gated yard. To those on the inside, the gate represents security and perhaps a sense of belonging. To those on the outside, the gate sends a message ‘you are not welcome’, you are not part of this area. The way we initiate and respond to conversation is similar. Words can be used to draw a fence around an individual or small group of people to the exclusion of others. Studies of relational bullying document well how some students can isolate others through exclusionary conversation.

At the individual level, a “Gated Response” is one that fails to acknowledge the emotion or need behind the sender’s question or invitation. Take this example of a conversation between a parent and child:

Sam: “We had a pop quiz in science today.”
Dad: “Oh boy, you really need a good grade, I sure hope you passed.”

Focused on his own frustration, Sam’s dad has missed the invitation into what Sam finds interesting. He closes himself off and it’s likely Sam will turn away in response.

In groups, gated responses may be purposeful or unintentional. They can come from being unaware of biases or of the needs and desires of those outside of the more intimate group. It’s easy to imagine how this might occur in a classroom. One or two students are more engaging than others. Over time, it becomes habit for both teacher and classmates to defer to these students to answer questions and indicate that the class is ready to move on to new material. One of these students brings up a question and the teacher, excited to have someone responding, deepens the conversation with the student hoping, perhaps, that others will naturally become curious and join in.

Gated responses can result in a small handful of people controlling the energy of a group. If the teacher fails to attend to what is happening for other students in the room, less engaged students will either further detach from the discussion or find ways of getting their energy into the exchange, not always in ways that contribute to shared learning.

Gated responses maintain the alliances that are part of the larger culture of the group or organization. Consider this exchange overheard in a teacher’s lounge. The state has just awarded the district funds to carry out a new teaching initiative. Teachers are divided over the idea with some feeling excited at the new ideas and others feeling skeptical about more demands on their time. Notice how quickly the responses serve to keep the sides separate.

Michael: Here we go again, more mandates with no money behind them. I give it two months.
Sandra: I don’t know, I like the experiential pieces. I think my kids would really like this.
Michael: You’ll see. Hey Yvette, remember the composting grant? I’m still finding worm casings in my classroom!
Yvette: Oh yes. (To Sandra) You’ll get over your enthusiasm after you’ve been here a while. (To Michael) What about the recycling plan, the one where we were banned from using Styrofoam cups and plastic spoons at any events?!

Notice how Michael’s response skips over Sandra’s comment and draws Yvette into a conversation Sandra cannot participate in. Yvette supports the gate as she minimizes Sandra’s enthusiasm and redirects the conversation to past events that did not include Sandra. If conversations continue in this manner it’s likely the division between new and experienced staff will continue.

So what can you do to open the gates in your relationships?

Recognize when you are feeling protective and work to understand why.
Share reactions to what you observe happening in groups and what impact it has on you.
Ask for feedback from others around you.
Seek to understand another perspective.

Eliminating gated responses requires a willingness to be curious and to make oneself vulnerable. The reward is an environment where people form meaningful relationships that can sustain disagreements and use differences as opportunities for challenge and growth.

Anxiety in the Classroom

Posted on March 18, 2016 by tcadmin

Take a moment, right now, and pay attention to what’s going on around you. How are you seated in your chair? Is there tension in your neck, shoulders, jaw? Is it noisy where you are? Do you feel rushed to finish this article and get on to your next task? Close your eyes for a moment and take a few deep breaths. What do you notice now? Did anything change in your posture? How about your heart rate? Maybe nothing is different. Notice that too and notice how you feel about that.

That reflecting you just did was possible courtesy of your pre-frontal cortex. That’s the part of the brain that allows you to regulate your emotional responses and override any automatic behaviors or habits. It is central to self-regulation and empathy. And it doesn’t fully develop until the mid to late 20s.

When we experience something threatening, the fight or flight response is immediately triggered and the part of your brain that deals with emotions hijacks the thinking part of your brain. The prefrontal cortex, when activated, can serve as the ‘brakes’ to this response, lowering the alert signals and allowing you to assess the situation with more reason.

Children, however, do not have a fully developed prefrontal cortex to help them easily regulate high emotions. What might not seem to the rational, adult mind to be more than an annoyance, is perceived in the child brain as a threat. Fear triggers the release of stress hormones and if the child is unable to regulate the response, anxiety and then panic may set in.

Anxiety, in and of itself, is not an affliction. Anxiety helps us to be alerted to our surroundings. It can propel us to action and improve our performance. Anxiety is a signal to us that there is an imbalance between what we feel and what we think or know. Ruminating about the past and worrying about the future represent a skew towards overthinking. Becoming overwhelmed by emotions represents the other end of the pole.

What to Look for and How to Address Anxiety in the Classroom

In order to help children manage their anxieties we need to first recognize some indicators that a child may be experiencing high levels of stress. Anxious children may verbally express worries about grades, friends, physical activities etc. Preoccupation with getting the right answer or completing tasks perfectly are also indicators of anxiety. Restlessness, difficulty focusing or withdrawal may also be observed in the anxious child. These symptoms can often be mistaken for attention deficit disorder (ADHD) prematurely.

All children, whether they experience high levels of anxiety or not, can benefit from breathing and relaxation exercises to help them become more aware of body sensations and emotions. Here are some easy to implement strategies to combat classroom anxiety:

Use language children can understand to describe what they might be feeling. Instead of anxiety, try words like ‘worry’, ‘afraid’, ‘pressure’.
Incorporate breathing, stretching and relaxing exercises into the daily schedule. Before beginning a new subject, ask children to pay attention to their breathing, see if they can fill a ‘belly balloon’ with a longer, slow breath and then blow it out as if they are blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. Invite children to comment on what they notice this changes in their bodies. Invite children to tense and then relax their muscles to help them recognize the difference.
Teach children to celebrate mistakes as opportunities to learn. Neil deGrasse Tyson recently lost a popular radio quiz show game on NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”. When the host asked if he was embarrassed to have gotten two out of the three questions wrong he said “If I had gotten all three right, I wouldn’t have learned anything. Today I got to learn two new things.”
Allow time for students to reflect on mistakes and successes so that reflection is a part of the learning process and not only as a consequence or punishment. Ask children to regularly name what they did that worked for them and what they will improve on next time.

Finally, we can’t teach what we don’t know. Learning more about how anxiety impacts you and how to manage your own symptoms will better prepare you to recognize and respond to children’s behaviors as they occur in your class. You can learn more about anxiety and how to manage it in our video courses at TeacherCoach.com.

Three Steps from the Assembly Line

Posted on March 12, 2016 by tcadmin

Lack of control over their work
The inability to be able to use their acquired skills
Low job security
High performance demands
Low pay
Limited decision making power
Lack of mental stimulation
Long hours
Poor work conditions

This is not a list of complaints from the teacher’s union, but a list of factors identified as contributing to stress and burnout among factory workers. As these stressors continue, workers become disengaged from their work, productivity drops and stress related injuries increase.

While attention in the field of industry turns to ways for increasing employee satisfaction and engagement, education seems to be marching closer to the assembly line. Teachers are being pressed to rely less and less on their own talents and passions in order to conform to prescribed academic standards and curricula. Measurements for teacher success seemingly have little to do with a teacher’s creativity or job satisfaction and do not take into account the impact of the larger education culture.

When teachers feel disconnected from their work, they become disconnected from their students. Research shows that risk-protective factors such as self-esteem, determination, and ‘grit’ in young people are fostered through relationships with caring adults, teachers and mentors. And yet, teachers’ well-being is often at best an after-thought to professional development, and more often dismissed entirely.

When teachers can bring their whole selves to work they can foster the kinds of relationships necessary for student well-being. Teachers who have a greater awareness of their own needs and abilities have a greater potential to be effective educators and role models to their students.

What can schools do to create a culture that values the importance of teacher engagement and satisfaction? Again, we might look to industry research that suggests that workplaces that incorporate wellness into the culture see greater productivity and satisfaction.

The following elements have been shown to be essential to creating a workplace that values the whole person. How far from your school to the factory floor?

Healthy and successful schools:

Embrace risk-taking
Allow for and celebrate mistakes as evidence of learning
Support healthy conflict
Set high expectations without demanding perfection
Offer a high level of nurturance
Focus more attention on process and environment instead of output

Teacher Leaders Require Unique Training

Posted on February 12, 2016 by tcadmin

In our data-driven educational climate, schools are pressed to validate learning objectives. Measuring outcomes can diminish more process oriented student preparation, such as balancing self-directed learning in mixed readiness classes. Pressures of time, content, and method often leave teachers choosing between cultivating creativity and production.

Emerging teacher leaders navigate this challenge for themselves but also for their peers who need their support. In preparation for these challenges, teachers need a model of professional development that considers a range of factors including knowledge, interest, capability but also time, learning style, and modality.

The notion that children are essentially blank slates (tabula rasas) waiting to be filled with knowledge was the impetus for a pedagogical model of education in which the teacher (or state) decided what and how the child should be taught. Teacher education followed this model and mandated and prescribed training made up much of the current professional development model.

The seventies brought a new perspective on how people learn and how teaching should be provided. Andragogy recognizes the adult learners’ experiences as a central motivator for learning. Much of what is now referred to as learner-driven training was developed out of this model. However, despite the flexibility in delivery methods (on-line and in-person) little of the material is truly learner-centered and is still based on what has been determined to be necessary for teachers to master.

In the year 2000, researchers Stewart Hase and Chris Kenyon coined the term heutagogy to describe learning that is not dependent on problem solving, rather is more pro-active and nature and builds on the learner’s skills and curiosity. Learners determine their own path through reflection, interest and collaboration with others. The process of learning becomes as important, if not more, than what is learned. Heutagogy leads to capable, creative, self-actualized individuals with a high capacity to work well with others and respond to rapid change.

Any model however has its limitations. Heutagogy, the polarity of state directed learning, which was limited with autonomy and creativity, may have opposite limitations. If teachers are engaged in self-directed learning, the potential for isolation, a lack of social learning, and a reduction in discriminative learning via debate is also possible.

With self-directed learning, educators will still need a model that allows for interaction when and if it’s needed, to account for their constraints of time and unique interests, capabilities, and learning styles. This future hybrid model of self-directed learning has not yet been named, but labtagogy may be a start (lab= to work with, work out, hard work; ‘agogue’= a person or thing that leads or incites action).

This future platform might capitalize on experience and knowledge across many disciplines that intersect with education, and may blur the line between educator and learner, expert and novice. Growing self-directed, self-actualized teachers will require an approach to school leadership that is less top-down and that recognizes the potential for leadership across discipline, title and position.

How ready is your school for such a direction?

When the Bully Pulpit Breeds More Bullies

Posted on February 5, 2016 by tcadmin

“I’ll be glad when Trump is president and he sends you people back where you belong!”

The teacher was still red in the face, remembering how shocked and helpless she felt when she heard one of her students shout this at a group of Hispanic students in the lunch room.

A few weeks ago I wondered in a blog post how long it would be before the rhetoric of our leader hopefuls would trickle into the lunchrooms and play yards of our schools. State policies on bullying focus on what happens inside the school building but bullying thrives because it is part of a larger system, influenced by family, community and national culture.

Teachers and staff often feel helpless to address this level of intolerance when they are aware that students are often repeating beliefs encouraged at home. “How can I tell them what they are doing is wrong when they go home and hear a parent nodding in support of ‘what’s wrong with America’?” So often, these kinds of comments go unaddressed or briefly reprimanded and nothing changes in the culture.

Of course, it isn’t only the Hispanic students who will suffer as the result of this comment. Allowing the statement to go unaddressed sends the message that anyone who is different from the dominant culture of the school is not welcome. Bullying targets differences, undermines students’ sense of belonging and works against goals for diverse learning environments.

But what of the point that students will hear these messages at home or in the community? One of the jobs of schools is to offer students the chance to experience different ways of thinking and relating to others and to prepare them to live and work with people different from themselves. Holding up that purpose in the face of intolerance can be intimidating, particularly if a teacher does not have the support of administration to back her up.

What can you do when you hear intolerance at your school?

Interrupt it immediately. Comment on the behavior and the impact it has on you. (Shaming or punishing the speaker is likely to have the reverse effect). Try “That statement was hurtful and I am sad to see students treated that way in our school.”

Stand your ground. Speak calmly but firmly. Do not allow yourself to get pulled into a debate or discussion in that moment. It is fine to assert that “This may be acceptable speech at home, but here, we treat each other with respect.”

Be a broken record. Having a phrase at the ready can help you feel calm when addressing comments such as this. Decide with your colleagues what the message will be and use it every single time.

Look for teachable moments. Interrupting comments immediately is the first step to addressing the culture in your school. Look for opportunities to deepen students’ understanding and empathy through social emotional learning curricula and lessons. Teaching Tolerance, out of the Southern Poverty Law Center, is a wonderful resource for teachers looking to support student’s social/emotional learning and cultural awareness. org

You may not be able to change what is taught at home and in the community, but you can create a place where students can experience a different possibility.

When it Comes to Education Issues, It’s Crickets for the Donkeys and Elephants

Posted on January 25, 2016 by tcadmin

The presidential election is still ten months away and field is still broad. There are currently 1507 individuals registered as candidates for president, including both Yoda and Darth Vader. There have already been ten debates held among front runners of the Democratic and Republican parties with at least another ten expected to be scheduled before we cast our ballots.

Issues of immigration, national security and climate change have made the stage in both red and blue debates and candidates continue to throw jabs across the party lines on issues of abortion, Wall Street reform, gun control and health care. While there has been brief mention of college tuition and the future of the Common Core, education and education reform has been absent this debate season.

Former US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan recently called for candidates to address a five-year plan to address universal pre-school, high school and college graduation rates and college readiness. There are an estimated 3.12 million teachers employed in US public school. How is it that this collective voice has not been leveraged to demand that candidates address issues central to the support and development of a robust education system in our country? Capitalizing on fear and threats is nothing new to the political landscape. We are wired to attend to what we perceive as threats and candidates are hoping their promises to alleviate imminent danger will drive us to the polls. Fear-driven and angry rhetoric stimulates the emergency system of our brains and can lead us to minimize issues that are important but don’t feel as imminent.

The last child of a US president to attend a public school was Amy Carter who attended DC public Schools through the family’s four years in office. What happens when teachers don’t see themselves reflected in the political landscape? When education is not a part of the national discourse? Teachers often cite a lack of public support for their work as a key factor in burnout, coupled with a sense that things are not going to get any better. Without a clear legislative plan for how to adequately fund education, it’s likely we will continue to see numbers of talented teachers decline.

Arne Duncan is calling for presidential hopefuls to provide details on a five year plan to address education issues. Imagine the impact of 3 million people submitting demands to the hosts of upcoming presidential debates that Mr. Duncan’s questions be addressed. You can see a listing of the currently scheduled Republican and Democratic debates and their hosts here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-election/debates/schedule/

The February 6^th Republican candidate debate is being co-hosted by ABC and the Independent Journal Review. Questions for candidates can be submitted to storyideas@wmur.com Be sure to specify in the subject like that you are submitting questions for the Republican Debate.

PBS News Hour will be hosting a Democratic candidate debate on February 11^th. Nick Massella is the Director of Audience Engagement and Communications at News Hour and can be reached at nmassella@newshour.org.

Are You “Matronizing” Your Students?

Posted on January 16, 2016 by tcadmin

My son was complaining about his teacher the other day and said “She’s always patronizing me!” I guess those vocabulary study sheets really do work. When I pressed my child further to describe his experience with his teacher, he confirmed that she often speaks to him as though he doesn’t know anything, she doesn’t give him time to figure a thing out before providing an answer and generally has a lot of advice for him about how he should be doing things. Mind you, I was a bit glad to let the teacher take this heat for a while as these are often complaints lodged at me as well.

My first instinct was to come to the teacher’s defense while still somehow making my child feel better. “Oh honey, she probably just wants to make sure you understand so you’ll do well in the class. I’ll talk to her tomorrow and let her know you were upset.”

By this time my child was long gone. He had tuned me out completely and I might as well have been talking to the fish tank. In trying to smooth over his experience of frustration had I, in fact, “matronized” him?

The teacher and I had both missed the chance to related to my child through his own experiences, instead we were driven by our own desires to advise (in her case) or comfort (in mine). And in these efforts, we unwittingly created distance between ourselves and my child. Research suggests that we learn best when we feel validated and supported enough to take risks and engage in challenging activities. We are best able to feel that support through relating to others, through feeling heard and seen.

Imagine a long pole. At one end is patronizing behavior – behavior that puts the student down, establishes teacher as expert, student as less than. At the other might be ‘matronizing’, behavior that enables helplessness, that coddles and prevents the child from learning to tolerate difficult feelings. This behavior can result in the child feeling helpless or can diminish the child’s ability to take personal responsibility for his thoughts, feelings and actions. Somewhere in the middle is behavior that acknowledges the child’s experience without solving, that says “I hear you. That’s tough. What might you want to do about that?”

To use classroom experiences, direct instruction might be at the patronizing end of the continuum. Teacher and students are handed down information which is not to be questioned or altered. The script, the worksheet, and therefore, the teacher are ‘right’, and by default, any student not meeting the expectations is wrong. At the other end of the spectrum one might argue that invented spelling and participation trophies send the message that the student is always ‘right’, that there is little need for self-evaluation and improvement. Neither end empowers the student to become more aware of his own strengths and areas for growth.

So do you ‘matronize’ your students? If you say yes to 3 or more of these questions, you might be compromising a closer relationship with your students and providing them less of a chance to become independent, capable learners.

I never let a student know if I am displeased with their work.
I make certain every student gets a sticker or a star every day. I wouldn’t want anyone to feel left out.
I am quick to redirect a student’s frustration or anger.
I am uncomfortable if a student expresses sadness during class.
When a student says “I’m stupid”, I’m quick to say ‘No you’re not!’.

Key to quiz answers:

Children can learn to make changes to study habits and behavior when a teacher is clear about what is acceptable and what is not, especially when the criticism is not directed at the student’s character or sense of self.
Universal approval may make students feel better in the short run, but can make it difficult for the student to understand where they need to improve. Approval appears to be subjective and based on the teacher’s grace, perhaps outside of the student’s ability to obtain.
Frustration and anger are often indicators that a student has reached an area for growth. When taught to tolerate frustration, a student can learn to push through difficulties and master new skills.
Sadness is another emotion that students must learn to tolerate. If they are too quickly soothed or redirected, each new disappointment can feel just as difficult to bear.
Honoring a child’s experience can help them to gain more perspective. When a child says “I’m stupid”, offering “Something feels difficult to you right now and you’re feeling bad about yourself for struggling with it” allows the student to notice their thought patterns and consider alternatives.

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