LLSS436 How To Talk So Kids Can Learn Chapters 5-6

I wanted to start this post in the same way I started my last one because I think the personal stories are what make these more relatable. Also, what follows is a sort of follow up to what I had mentioned in class about my CT not doing discussions in class. 

"As I'm reading through this book, I find that I am getting more and more disappointed that there is not discussions that follow the readings in class. My CT reads to her class, however, once she has read aloud, no discussion follows. Literally none. We just move on to the projects for that day. I asked her about it, and she advised me that since The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an easier text, she doesn't feel the students really need discussion time to understand the reading. Though I don't really agree, and I feel that discussion is valuable no matter how easy or difficult the text is, she promised we would be doing more discussion with our future texts. Now that I have ranted, let's get into the book!"

Wow. I found it incredibly funny that chapter 5 started with a horrible evaluation with the principal. The principal was doing everything in that meeting that the books chapters had previously said not to do. He did not evaluate how the teacher felt, he did not acknowledge the good things the teacher did, but instead cut her and her lesson down. Absolutely funny that administration was described as missing the mark without actually saying it. On that note, it was also really interesting to hear about measured praise. I never really thought about praise making people feel inadequate, or like they have standards to now live up to. This really has to be a cultural thing, because I find that many desires stem from the need to be praised, however, it seems that there is a wrong and a right way to give praise. Never thought about this before. I can definitely see how specific compliments will generate a positive reaction, and also it seems that they would encourage intrinsic motivation in a student.  I've noticed I usually resort to "great job" on work that I've graded, but if I think back to papers I've written, I always appreciated when teachers made specific comments about my work so I will definitely try to do this with my students. 

I have a student that does not want to do any work, and it is extremely difficult to get him to participate. He makes a joke out of every assignment, and he has even gone so far as to write really vulgar things on one particular poem assignment we had. Thanking the student when he does participate does not really seem to help, so I'll be interested to see if this change of complimenting will elicit a different reaction in the child. In addition, chapter 6 really gave me a new perspective on how to talk to and treat this student. He seems to want to fill a class clown/ seeking attention/ me vs. the teacher role, and I think there have been moments in the classroom that both the CT and I have reaffirmed this role. I want to also change the words I use with this student to try and see if I can't change the role he might feel assigned. Even if this is a role he wants, it seems also possible that words can change his desire to fill a certain role and quite possibly set him back on the right track.