Bonnie Davis discusses classroom behaviors in chapter two of her book, How to Teach Students Who Don’t Look Like You. She writes that students differ in how they begin tasks and view their roles in the classroom. She encourages teachers to state their behavioral expectations for each activity in a classroom. The guidance of behavior expectations allows students to focus on the academic portion of their day. In the first chapter, Davis discusses the coffee and tea culture of schools. Some schools have coffee for all members of the staff, where others only have coffee available for staff members that pay for coffee, and some schools have no refreshments available to staff. A substitute teacher when entering a new school does not know the norms and expectations of the group. Davis relates this example to students in classrooms. By expressing norms and expectations, students can feel more part of the group and can worry less about how they need to act to “be cool” and fit in with their peers.
Granted, I agree that firm and consistent behavioral expectations are important to establishing successful classrooms that focus on academic rigor, but I wonder how teachers can create more culturally diverse learning environments when they are expressing these expectations. Are there general manners and rules that need be enforced in all classrooms to increase productivity? How can teachers’ expectations of behavior not be somewhat biased and based upon their own educational experiences? For example, I have very high expectations for my students when they move and interact in my classroom. I expect them to use manners and talk in quiet tones. Am I discriminating against cultures that use more verbal cues and physical movement or am I establishing a learning environment that generates student productivity? Davis writes that African American students tend to be multimodal and work best when they are invested emotionally and physically (16). On the contrary, she writes that a Vietnamese immigrant might feel uncomfortable if a class requires students to work together and ask questions rather than following a formal, traditional classroom style (16). How can teachers establish learning environments which make all types of learners comfortable?
Davis has some suggestions to establish a multicultural responsive learning environment in chapters seven, eight, nine, and ten. She establishes her platform for developing a learning environment based on high expectations and academic rigor. While Davis believes expectations need to be clear and consistent, she does not want teachers to create long lists. I find one her most interesting points on rules and expectations to be her use of discipline infractions as teachable moments. I will adopt this point of view going forward to use infractions as “opportunities to teach social skills to our students” (67).
Moreover, Davis encourages building a classroom community. Welcoming students is important in establishing relationships with the students. She stresses the importance of students taking an active role in the responsibility of their conduct and merit. One way for students to reflect is to share the class mood each day. Other suggestions include working as a class on a community event, writing and illustrating a class book, taking pictures, doing a student of the week bulletin, and posting reading lists for students (70). I have implemented the use of classroom jobs this year in my classroom, and I have found it extremely helpful in creating a positive classroom culture. My students actively participate in the daily routines and maintenance of our classroom.
Another way to build a multicultural responsive learning environment is to promote academic success. Schools need to send the message that academic achievement is the “cool.” Davis includes some books that can be useful to generate conversations about community building in partnership with parents and students and lists them on page 80. Two other ideas that I like from her relationship building section include “Friday Final Five,” where a student selects a topic to share during the last five minutes of class on Friday (89), and “Snaps and Taps” in which students write positive comments about other students on paper and put them into a bowl. Students get five seconds to snap or tap before the teacher shares the comments from the bowl (89).
Alli
"Are there general manners and rules that need be enforced in all classrooms to increase productivity? How can teachers’ expectations of behavior not be somewhat biased and based upon their own educational experiences? For example, I have very high expectations for my students when they move and interact in my classroom. I expect them to use manners and talk in quiet tones. Am I discriminating against cultures that use more verbal cues and physical movement or am I establishing a learning environment that generates student productivity?"
ReplyDeleteWhen you said that, I could not help but think of Jesua. Jesua's a busy-body boy in my first grade class, who happily does his work, but NEVER EVER sits down, and loves to chat and move on the carpet. He's friendly and brilliant, and his misbehaviors are more playful than malicious, but I find myself forcing him to be silent and still. It's an all day, every day battle--these behaviors just aren't natural for him. They may even reduce his personal productivity! But they're also behaviors that I've defined as inappropriate within our classroom culture. I've sidelined his natural state to elevate my own.
How can I create a productive class for all 27 kiddo's, without squashing all the personality out of Jesua? How can I be more sensitive to his needs--be they cultural or otherwise--without lowering my behavioral expectations?
Chloe
Chloe's reflections on Jesua remind me of my own daily struggle with Tyree. With the critical importance of 7th grade academic scores in the high school application process, there is a constant emphasis on hard work. Each morning my principal informs our 7th grade to have a great day working hard at our school. In every classroom, teachers aim to connect the work we do each day to its profound effect on the future. How my students perform really does affect their future opportunities.
ReplyDeleteI often define productivity in my classroom as students being seated, silence, and on task. While the environment proves efficient for rigorous assignments, it is not always authentic.
I communicate high expectations and rigor for my learning environment, but I'm frustrated that through my execution, I may not have a culturally sensitive classroom. My expectations for students are largely rooted in my own school experiences, and unfortunately for brilliantly active scholars like Tyree, this means sitting down and silently working independently.
Like Chloe, I find myself asking how I can better support Tyree's needs without lowering the expectations I set for academic success and management. It seems that even a slight release from these expectations leads to students straying from their work. Am I not being multicultural sensitive if I must force these expectations in order to get quality work?
Like Molly and Chloe, I have struggled with this in my head. Even beyond ethnicities and cultures, different students have different learning styles and needs. Everything, I feel, needs to be differentiated, and it has been a long journey trying to figure out what part of my vision of an efficient classroom can be kept, and what part needs to change in order to maximize my students' learning. I have found that my students actually learn more when they are talking and not in their seats. They are comfortable, and they are still on task (for the most part). I'm still trying to figure out how to manage the class during these times, and how to still enforce expectations for quality work. On days when the students are on task, though, I can see a marked difference in how happy they are to join me as we learn.
ReplyDeleteAll of the comments posted so far reflect my struggle to balance the clear and consistent expectations in my classroom with the individual needs of my students. In the beginning of the year, I was incredibly regimented. Ultimately, I believe this is what caused many of the power struggles. In my classroom now, there are 3 students that essentially never sit in their seats. They either stand or kneel next to their work areas. As I have developed, I have realized that allowing them to stand or bounce around in their desks a bit (so long as it does not interfere with other student's learning) is more supportive of the students than many other supports. I have far fewer issues with defiance and the choice has improved my relationship with all 3 students.
ReplyDelete-Michelle
My idea of classroom management was having complete and total control of everything in the classroom regardless of whether it directly impacted my students’ success. Similar to previous responses, I had students who were insistent about being out of their seats and talking during class. I ignored their suggestions for altering some rules, because I felt that I would jeopardize the learning environment for other students. I failed to understand that by disregarding their ideas I was also stifling their productivity. Currently, I am able to distinguish between firm and flexible rules. I prioritized the actions that were absolutely necessary for my students to succeed. All actions outside of my prioritized list can be negotiated. While I did not advertise these options to my students, they have noticed that I am more open to listening to them. They understand that their academic expectations are relatively similar: finish the task that you are assigned to the best of your ability. However, they have also started to understand that they have a stake in the rules and guidelines in my classroom. I still wouldn’t describe my classroom as a place that addresses every student’s cultural differences; but I have taken into consideration that every student does not learn the same way. The students are more productive when I accommodate their differences, but they understand that their learning differences shouldn’t impede on their classmate’s success.
ReplyDelete