I think it's only fair that the things I expect of my students should be things that I would be willing to do myself (or know that I should do, regardless).
So when I told my students they would be expected to read for the first ten minutes of class every day, I read during that time as well.
When I told my students they would have to create an account on Goodreads and write book reviews every six weeks, I do that too. And when they log into Goodreads, they see it because we are friends, and there is very little on their home feeds just yet. Here is my latest installment; I'm pretty proud of it.
So when I told my students they would be expected to read for the first ten minutes of class every day, I read during that time as well.
When I told my students they would have to create an account on Goodreads and write book reviews every six weeks, I do that too. And when they log into Goodreads, they see it because we are friends, and there is very little on their home feeds just yet. Here is my latest installment; I'm pretty proud of it.
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Maybe it's because the holidays are approaching and suddenly I want sweets more than usual, but I can't help but think of these books like pie. If this series is one of the more delicious pies of the season (I'll leave it to your imagination to decide which kind), then The Name of the Wind is the enticing smell emitting from the oven while it cooks, and The Wise Man's Fear is that first bite, the one that melts your entire being because it is so fabulous, and someone just took the rest of my pie away from me...Click to read more
View all my reviews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Maybe it's because the holidays are approaching and suddenly I want sweets more than usual, but I can't help but think of these books like pie. If this series is one of the more delicious pies of the season (I'll leave it to your imagination to decide which kind), then The Name of the Wind is the enticing smell emitting from the oven while it cooks, and The Wise Man's Fear is that first bite, the one that melts your entire being because it is so fabulous, and someone just took the rest of my pie away from me...Click to read more
View all my reviews
This is truly a foundational belief in my educational practice: Don't just do as I say, do as I do. I know it's the tendency to want to say the opposite to students (you know the phrase I'm referring to), and is often a common statement made by authority, but does that make it right?
Not particularly.
I know sometimes it's necessary. And people with authority tend to need that authority here and there for many reasons that support the existence of the authority in the first place. But to be respected as an authority figure? That takes discipline, restraint, and empathy. It takes someone who is willing to work next to you, not above you.
There's a reason I rarely stay standing when I need to talk to or work with my students: I hate towering over them.
It's the same reason I don't get upset at my students using their phones to work in Google Drive or read a book. Or if their phone accidentally rings in the middle of class. Or if sometimes they start talking and get themselves just a bit off topic when they should be writing or focusing.
They are human. They get distracted. They find the tools that work for them. They screw up and learn, and sometimes they don't learn.
They do the things I do. And we all move forward together.
Not particularly.
I know sometimes it's necessary. And people with authority tend to need that authority here and there for many reasons that support the existence of the authority in the first place. But to be respected as an authority figure? That takes discipline, restraint, and empathy. It takes someone who is willing to work next to you, not above you.
There's a reason I rarely stay standing when I need to talk to or work with my students: I hate towering over them.
It's the same reason I don't get upset at my students using their phones to work in Google Drive or read a book. Or if their phone accidentally rings in the middle of class. Or if sometimes they start talking and get themselves just a bit off topic when they should be writing or focusing.
They are human. They get distracted. They find the tools that work for them. They screw up and learn, and sometimes they don't learn.
They do the things I do. And we all move forward together.