Olivia Boykin Blog Post #5 Routman Chapter 4: Teach with a Sense of Urgency

     I felt relieved when I read, “We need to keep our expectations high.  I am constantly amazed at how little we require of students.” (Routman, p. 42)  I, too, am shocked and disappointed at how much I’ve changed certain things from year-to-year.  Most of my students used to be able to complete multi-step word problems independently by October.  It’s January and most of my students are still working on one-step word problems similar to the ones a beginning second grader might complete.  Across the grade levels and subject areas I see multiple-choice responses being offered more and open-response-type questions and problems being given less and less.  This is not just on assessments, either, but also on day-to-day practice.  I may have revised and rewritten my word problems and math practice sheets and assessments to include more basic problems but I still include 100% open-response problems.  Just because the majority of my students are performing at a lower ability level than I wish they were doesn’t mean I’m going to make it “easy” for them by providing possible answers.  Is it harder for me to grade?  Yes.  Have I thought about changing all that I use to multiple choice responses?  Yes, every week.  Do I feel like that is a cop-out on my part?  Yes, which is why I have yet to do it. L  We need to continue to expect our students to be able to think about, explain, and apply what they learn.  I don’t want them to just add the one’s column and choose the answer that contains that number in that place or ask the teacher on a daily basis how to complete problems they should already know how to answer with competence.       

     When I read about “a relaxed, collaborative, accepting environment that encourages and supports the learner in trying out what is being demonstrated, taking risks, monitoring himself or herself, and setting goals while moving toward independence” being inherent in the optimal learning model I smiled to myself.  I imagined Ms. Frizzle saying, “Take chances. Make mistakes.”  I then thought about what I find myself saying quite often in my own classroom which is, “Just do your best. Try. I won’t yell at you, you know.”  Again, this model encourages students moving toward independence which is something about which I feel strongly. 

     “To become dependent on being corrected by someone else is to remain at an inefficient level of learning and to be cheated of the opportunity for rapid independent self-improvement.” (Routman, p. 46)  The reason I love this sentence is because it states what I believe but does so in a much more succinct and professional way.  I know most people have an innate desire to help children and may think that “guiding” them to the answer is helping.  Some think that by pointing out which answer is wrong and allowing a student to correct it before turning in the paper is “helping” that student.  Some people say it’s okay to simply point out to students that some problems have been left blank and allow those students to go back and complete the work before turning it in to be checked or graded.  I disagree.  I think that if we give students the tools they need in order to answer a problem and give them time to revise their thinking they can do it on their own if properly prepared.  If we continue to walk students through the problems on which they are to be graded they don’t get a chance to feel excitement when they get it correct all on their own.  When we wink at them and point out a spot on the page they need to look at again we aren’t helping them learn to double-check work carefully to make sure it’s complete and correct.  The knowledge that adding is a great way to self-check subtraction and teaching motions and chants to help students remember a process in science are those important tools we need to give our students so they can be more independent in their learning.  They know their explanation and thinking is correct because they can prove it and show us the evidence to convince us of their knowledge.  “Students who remain dependent on a teacher or program for all their feedback are limited in how much they can learn.  When students have the strategies, confidence, and knowledge to continue learning on their own, not only does learning accelerate but also much of the responsibility for learning gradually (but actively) shifts from the teacher to student.” (Routman, p. 48)

     The self-correction of which students are capable and the feelings students experience when they complete an assignment independently and correctly segues nicely into my next several comments and highlighted areas of text.  “The learners are proud of their ability, aware of their progress, and involved in setting new learning goals for themselves.  Their reward for their successful learning is intrinsic, personal pride and pleasure in their accomplishments.” (Routman, p. 47)  So many of our students have forgotten (or may never have experienced) this feeling of an intrinsic reward.  I love the first time one of my students, glowing with pride, states, “I got them all right” or “I finally got the <insert skill (pattern, time, money, addition problem, etc.) here> right!”  Do I seem “mean” when I won’t “help” the student do the problem?  Maybe.  Is it for a good reason and worth it?  Totally!

     There are so many ideas from this chapter I’d like to discuss here but I know my posts are way too long already so I have to make a decision on what to include.  I suppose my last point will have to be what is the most relevant to my current teaching position and that is exactly the topic that next struck me so hard:  making the instruction meaning-oriented (p. 62).  I need to make a concerted effort to relate the instruction to what is relevant to my students’ lives.  The interest in Minecraft is but a few embers on a fire but I was able to fan those flickers into flames as we studied rocks and minerals this year.  Students could better understand Moh’s Hardness Scale when I brought up the diamond sword and the hardness level of the different blocks used in the building and crafting game.  Some students rushed up to tell me they already knew about obsidian because of the game and when we begin learning about resources I expect several of them to express similar knowledge based on their experiences with this game.  I’ve used an episode of “Odd Squad” to teach about patterns and episodes of “Curious George” to discuss the power of zero and standard units of measure.  “Wild Kratts” is a great way to show examples of animal adaptations and I’ve recently been using a Tinker Bell movie and an episode of “Avatar” to exemplify a point I wanted to make during our fossils unit.  There are numerous “Sophia the First” and “Berenstain Bear” episodes to which I refer when we talk about having good character and making good choices.  “Mythbusters” is an excellent show that allows children to experience the scientific method in a way that makes it so much fun and so, of course, I reference that, as well.  What I don’t feel comfortable using as “relevant” and “meaningful” connections are games like “Call of Duty,” “Assassin’s Creed,” and the show “1000 Ways to Die.”  Unfortunately, these are the games that my students play on their game systems at home and the shows I listed that I reference often are being watched by fewer and fewer of my students each year.  Those shows and movies that are being watched should never be used in a lesson at school, believe me. 

     Ultimately I enjoyed reading this chapter and found numerous ideas I can use this year and in future years no matter which grade or subject I teach.  As mentioned earlier, I do have some other thoughts and questions my reading prompted but those will have to wait for another day.