"write on a scrap of paper these questions:
1. What am I going to have my students do today?
2. What's (cont) http://tl.gd/76nale
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"In the end, it all may cost you your job, or lead you to seek another position, or drive you out of (cont) http://tl.gd/76nc2canderscj
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For me, in the end it has cost me at least two jobs, led me to seek two different positions, and has nearly driven me out of the classroom. Problem is, I have this extremely strong desire to take the classroom with me.
"In class, try to avoid telling your students any answers, if only for a few lessons or days. Do not (cont) http://tl.gd/76nfr4anderscj
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I am going to repeat this quote here in its entirety because I think it is extremely important and relevant:
"In class, try to avoid telling your students any answers, if only for a few lessons or days. Do not prepare a lesson plan. Instead, confront your students with some sort of problem which might interest them. Then, allow them to work the problem through without your advice or counsel. Your talk should consist of questions directed at particular students, based on remarks made by those students. If a student asks you a question, tell him that you don't know the answer, even if you do. Don't be frightened by long stretches of silence that might occur. Silence may mean that the students are thinking. Or it may mean that they are growing hostile. The hostility signifies that the students resent the fact that you have shifted the burden of intellectual activity from you to them. Thought is often painful even if you are accustomed to it. If you are not, it can be unbearable." Postman & WeingartnerHow many people, if you told them you were doing this in your classroom, would think this kind of pedagogy is akin to a teacher not doing their job? How many of those people are fellow teachers? How many of them administrators? I suspect many. Of course, they would be wrong. It is very difficult to do this mindfully. Teachers have to train themselves to hold back. As an undergrad I was always told to give 30 seconds wait time after asking a question. In graduate school I was told to try 2-3 minutes and see what happens. 30 seconds is hard enough when you are leading a class discussion but 2 or 3 minutes feels like a lifetime but almost always produces amazing results. Try it sometime. Then, when you get used to trying 2-3 minute wait times try what Postman and Weingartner suggest here.
"The only way for you to know where a student is 'at' is to listen to what he is saying. You can't do this (cont) http://tl.gd/76nhisanderscj
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"Invite another teacher to observe your class when you are experimenting with listening. After the lesson, (cont) http://tl.gd/76no65anderscj
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I love this suggestion! Everyone needs a partner, especially if you are going to try to subvert the system. You do something that looks and sounds crazy to others and they are likely to write you off as a liability. If you and a partner do it in unison it can cause people to think twice about the logic in what you are doing.
"A grade is as much a product of the teacher's characteristics, ability, and behavior as of the student's." Postman & Weingartneranderscj
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"What would you do differently if you acted as if your students were capable of great achievements?" Postman & Weingartneranderscj
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"You might bear in mind that your students are quite likely more perceptive and even more knowledgeable (cont) http://tl.gd/76o087anderscj
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"A good primary grade teacher as well as a good graduate-student adviser operate largely on the same (cont) http://tl.gd/76o2adanderscj
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This quote makes me smile. It reminds me of a conversation I had with my daughter's kindergarten teacher just a couple weeks ago.
"Ask yourself how you came to know whatever things you feel are worth knowing. This may sound like a rather (cont) http://tl.gd/76o45uanderscj
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