Spoons. Such a seemingly simple, little thing. Yet these are the things that our students are really worried about.
From an Ohio teacher 
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Can't stop thinking about this little boy:
After dismissal during my hallway monitoring, I saw a 4th-grade boy who hadn't gone out the exit door, but had instead stayed back without anyone around and had his hand in a big bowl of plastic silverware packets.
I couldn't imagine what he had been up to, but figured it would involve sling-shotting something across the room somewhere/sometime.
My voice startled him: "What are you doing?"
4th-grader: Nothing.
Me: Well, you're doing something. You were supposed to be outside by now. What's going on?
4th-grader: Just grabbing about three or four spoons.
Me: Did you get permission to come back and get them?
4th-grader: (Deer in headlights) No.
Me: May I ask why you're taking them, then?
4th-grader: (Eyes puddling up with tears)
Me: It's okay. I'm just wondering why you would come all the way back here by yourself to get spoons.
4th-grader: Because we don't have any at home.
And legislators are going to expect a child who doesn't have a spoon to score as well on mandated tests as a child who has his own laptop.
Connect with your students as individuals.
ReplyDeleteThey will remember how you made them feel. It's way more important than how to spell Antarctica. Try actually treating them like you love them, which you should.
I teach college students and encouragement and love are my two main education tools.
I work hard not to institutionalize them. The place should never be more important than the people in it.