#RuralEdChat is a chat that focuses on the needs of the rural educator. This chat has been revised by Tammy Neil (@MathNeil), John Martin (@edventures) and Natalee Stotz (@nataleestotz).
Let us know where you are joining from tonight. I'm actually leading #ruraledchat from Chicago tonight, which might be a first for our crew! Usually I tune in from Driftless WI.
Hey, friend! Good to hear you are having a great day. It's nice to be tuning into Twitter for a bit. Have been away from this space and feeling a little out of the loop! #RuralEdChat
Question 1 will be up in a minute or two. We can use the ol' Q1/A1 format, and please remember to tag your comments with #ruraledchat for our conversation tonight.
A1: I think it means knowing clearly what aspects of my identity I want to share in the professional space that is a classroom, then being joyful in sharing those aspects. It might mean nerding out over something or being vulnerable in thinking with students. #ruraledchat
#ruraledchat A1: Being an Authentic Educator for me is being open and honest with your students, and being able to relate to them and their situations. I always try my best to see the students view point of things
A1: I think it means avoiding the pitfall of FOMO. You don't have to be involved in everything, especially the stuff you just have a passing interest in. #ruraledchat
A1: Authenticity as an educator is recognizing the realities that come with the profession - and allowing your students to see and be a part of the process. #RuralEdChat
A1b: Authenticity also means I am clear with my students about how much I'm willing to share about my own life. Not everything is open for discussion. This also helps them realize they don't have to tell everyone everything. #RuralEdChat
A1: Authenticity in education places the learner as the focus - adapting to the realities they face day-to-day and what they will face down the road. #RuralEdChat
A2: It is difficult for me to be excited about holidays in public because I don't want it to appear that I don't want to be at school. I can enjoy my job but also enjoy time off. #RuralEdChat
A2: Big challenge: authenticity can't be standardized. It means my classroom will look different from yours, and that's okay. It means I may build relationships with Ss differently than you, and that's okay too - a strength, in fact. #ruraledchat
A2: Big challenge: authenticity can't be standardized. It means my classroom will look different from yours, and that's okay. It means I may build relationships with Ss differently than you, and that's okay too - a strength, in fact. #ruraledchat
A2: In classroom I observe I actually see teachers talking with a "falsetto." IOW they seem worried that being themselves will lose educational value. This is so contrary to the truth! Just be human! #ruraledchat
A2: Authenticity builds relationships due to the collaboration with Ss for an authentic learning environment. Some within the profession struggle with this process. #RuralEdChat
That's a really important point. Maybe that's why many folks struggle with it in a field that often banks on standardization of as much as possible. Thanks for putting this into words, Logan. #RuralEdChat
It is being there and standing behind your beliefs that you are doing what's best for your students, even if the majority of the others are doing it a different way. #ruraledchat
A2b: I've also been asked (told) to teach skills on a standardized test even though I know those skills don't always lead students to the next level of understanding. (Teaching to the test.) Not always easy to overcome. #RuralEdChat
Yes. Compliance with the structure/expectations of a position that conflict with what you know in your professional heart. I get this for sure. #RuralEdChat
Many times (especially in small communities) we are connected online to our communities in a variety of ways. Showing too much enthusiasm for a holiday can be taken as not wanting to do your job. #RuralEdChat
A3: Authentic engagement in my classroom isn't my students sitting in rows and quietly taking notes or doing a worksheet. Authentic engagement may sound like students having a casual conversation while working through a problem. #RuralEdChat
#ruraledchat Authentic engagment of the learners in my space is having them excited to start the day, allowing them to learn on their terms (as much as possible) and also incorporating new ways and different methods to encourage them.
A3: It involves making space for personalities. I taught high school Latin - not obviously tons of space for the authentic self within a discipline with clear right/wrong answers - but plenty of space for how Ss come to that body of knowledge in meaningful ways. #ruraledchat
Sounds like a perfect topic . . . Just thinking on what authentic looks like in SW Ohio vs in Appalachia when visiting relatives. There is a difference! #RuralEdChat
A3b: Authentic engagement also means students knowing HOW to have a meaningful conversation with someone (teacher or other student) about what the student needs. Self-advocacy is critical. #RuralEdChat
A3: Authentic engagement involves conversations that go beyond the content - getting to know them in order to build those connections - develop needed relationships. #RuralEdChat
Thankfully, my admins understand this. When they come in, they want to hear the kids discussing things with each other. Occasional off topic discussion is okay as long as we are progressing. #RuralEdChat
Q4 We agree that authenticity on the part of the educator and authentic engagement by students are important. How do we assess these things or measure growth? #ruraledchat
A4: Authentic assessment involves giving students an opportunity to truly show what they've learned. Including them in the process helps them realize how important the knowledge is. #RuralEdChat
#ruraledchat A4 : I am a student right now, I am learning of different methods to help me in the future, one of these is assessing the students. In my technology class we have learned that there are websites and ways to post videos so students have fun but we still get the data
A4: Assessing/measuring authenticity - highly subjective. Would it even be authentic to pin down authenticity and quantify it? I'd look for circumstantial evidence: smiles, laughter, nodding... the signs of a genuine conversation. #ruraledchat
Great points, and @TG_Neil is so right when she mentions involving students in the conversation about assessment. We can ask: "How could you show what you've learned about X?" Then really listen, and see what they come up with!
A4: Do we see that #FallForward mentality - have students developed #Grit and a #GrowthMindset - not something a standardized test can measure. Only an authentic relationships will provide the needed insight. #RuralEdChat
A4: I think authentic assessments also occur when we reach beyond a skill set and look at application of the skill set. Can our students incorporate their learning into their daily lives? Doesn't work on every skill set but where it does, it can be amazing. #RuralEdChat
I am reminded of the moment this morning in which I solved a problem that had been bugging me for a few days. I actually whooped out loud. Students laughed but then asked me what was up. Great moment. #RuralEdChat
And also when we look back at how the goal was originally framed. Was it cognitive? Behavioral? Affective? I'd speculate that what's authentic would mirror the goal to some extent.
Final thought: Last year I took a class on place-based education. I don't work in that field, but the class reminds me often that much learning is emplaced, contextual, local, specific. To be authentic would be to honor that way of viewing learning. #ruraledchat
I'm thinking about how easy it is to recognize authenticity in education and often how rare it can be in some settings. Feeling grateful to be a part of a conversation here tonight with you all about this. #RuralEdChat
Thanks for being here, everyone. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Keep on being yourselves and bringing those gifts to your work. #RuralEdChat
