TNedchat is a way for educators in Tennessee to share thoughts, resources, and information. The weekly chat is moderated by Jessica Warner (@jessawarner) and Samantha Bates (@sjsbates).
A1: For me, in the world language classroom, great Ss need to be explorers. They must have an intrinsic desire to understand our diverse communities and want to engage with them on a variety of levels (which I offer). #TnEdChat
#TnEdChat
A1
IMO great students:
• are part of the process
• persevere
• embrace risk
• have hope
• value growth over achievement
• enjoy learning together
• are excellent at choosing the correct bubble to fill….right?
A2 Yes but sometimes they have to strive harder for ample opportunities and equity, sadly it often falls on them to be self-advocates! (see what I did there @Rdene915#tnedchat
#TnEdChat A2
Absolutely! A big part of T’s role is to find a way to activate each student to thrive.
The question is “can a poor student become great.” It’s, “what can I do to empower each student realize his/her full potential?”
A2 By support and guidance from peers and Ts, developing relationships and getting to know the Ss, build the classroom connections, helps tremendously, #tnedchat
A2. I think we all have the potential to be a "poor student' or a "great student." Depends on the situation, who is deciding the criteria, and so on. #tnedchat
I agree! A good teacher pulls students forward no matter what the socioeconomic background- they strive to be relational and make a difference. #tnedchat
#TnEdChat A2: Absolutely. Students can make better choices each and every day. It takes a desire to do more than what they did before. With a strong teacher/student relationship and a student’s desire, sky’s the limit!
A2: I'm not sure what defines 'poor Ss', but if it's reference to the quality/quantity of work by the Ss, then yes... How? The 'renewed Ss' must demonstrate the same desires to explore as the 'great Ss'. By doing this, I can help guide and strengthen any weaknesses. #tnedchat
#TnEdChat A2
reading other responses, I’m now confused…are we talking about “poor students” in terms of academic growth/proficiency, or economically?
I assumed the former
haha…maybe no “right or wrong” here…but I did start second guessing my response…enabling students to achieve economic mobility is quite different than moving them to higher levels of academic achievement (maybe that’s precisely what is wrong). #tnedchat
A3 #tnedchat
I love that this group is all over growth mindset. GM isn’t just for low-performers, it is critically important to cultivate in high achievers as well. This is why it’s so important to value growth over achievement. We can all grow…there is no finish line.
A3: There are challenges along the journey for all learners. If there aren't challenges along the journey for all learners--then there isn't learning. #tnedchat
Every child, every day, no matter the circumstance. Socioeconomic backgrounds change every day, but our passion for learning, guiding, and caring shouldn't! #tnedchat
I agree! A good teacher pulls students forward no matter what the socioeconomic background- they strive to be relational and make a difference. #tnedchat
Q3 Teaching APUSH, higher achieving students MUST be pushed. It’s about taking those students and challenging them more than they’ve ever been challenged. Complacency can set in if boredom happens. #tnedchat
I hate that we keep kids in certain classes because that is what we have always done when in reality they could prob test out of it. Let's find ways to move them forward #tnedchat
#TnEdChat A3: High achieving students require patience and opportunities for enrichment! Gifted students, especially, are often left to their own devices as teachers assume they “already know it so I can deal with low performing students instead.” They still need to be pushed!
A3 Making sure to provide enough enrichment if needed, sometimes Ss want to answer/finish quickly, I try to find a way to keep their inquiry going, #tnedchat
A3: Some high achieving Ss are motivated solely by GPA which is difficult when the goal of a class is not just numeric but deeper. Getting them to think deeper is often more a challenge than 'poor Ss' b/c their focus is on a # not an idea. #TnEdChat
A3) High achieving Ss tend to be those that have excelled in the "game of school" but are not necessarily any "better" Ss than any others. In many ways the challenges to promoting REAL learning are greater, because you have you convince them to unlearn some habits.
#TnEdChat
#tnedchat A3b I believe that this is why embracing maker-enhanced #PBL is critical. When done correctly, it gives all students an opportunity to grow within a relevant context.
A3: Some high achieving Ss are motivated solely by GPA which is difficult when the goal of a class is not just numeric but deeper. Getting them to think deeper is often more a challenge than 'poor Ss' b/c their focus is on a # not an idea. #TnEdChat
Tell your friends and mark your calendar: @McQueenCandice will be moderating the 1/16/18 #TNEdChat for a discussion on THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE EDUCATORS FOR EVERY STUDENT #TNDOE Taking this topic to the next level!
Yes, this is a lot of what I was thinking. I had a high GPA and was good at the "school game", but nearly all of my motivation was extrinsic and I didn't really care about learning, just getting a good grade.
#tnedchat
Same! As a gifted student, I was demanded to excel (by parents), so I did, but only just...except in classes that I was made to 'see' the benefits of taking the time to really learn and understand. #TnEdChat
#tnedchat This is where I think we fail...we are relentlessly trying to hook our lowest performing students to learning and yet we forget our higher learners. We forget that they, too, need direction and engaging lessons.
I acknowledge to my students their capacity and the potential downfall of such focus to the exclusion of everything else. I use myself, and my 3 younger sisters, as an example of how they learned form me and achieved more at a younger age. #TnEdChat
I agree. I used to allow independent study with high achieving Ss. It made them actually try and learn something for learning's sake. Now I offer this option to all Ss!
#TnEdChat
A1 Had a realization that during Jan inservice I was helping Ts with their PBL planning and I never mentioned tech. Pedagogy>Tech, I'm growing and so are my Ts! #tnedchat
And that you don't have to know all the answers, just be willing to dig deeper. It's my fav, right after having a student figure something out first and show me how. #tnedchat
