High Expectations: Changing Kids' Self-Image
Key points: The University Park Campus School (UPCS) in Worcester, Massachusetts has a student population that is very diverse and the principal as well as teachers are fighting for academic success
for all there students. Hispanic and Asian make up 72% of the population within the school and 75% speak English as their second language. By group work, student-led meetings, low-stakes writing, team problem solving, reflection, and pairing students with a mentor that is successful are some of the ways they are helping their students reach or exceed state tests. They believe that with the above strategies they will be able to make every student successful and have the drive to brake the cycle by going to college to better their own life.
Relevance: This is relevant because as future teachers we are going to have diverse students in the classroom and we need to find ways to make them successful. While one tool may work for one student it may not work for another. Getting to know the student and what their goals and interests are will make it possible for you to make sure all students are engaged and learning each day.
Source:
St. Louis, D. (2016, May 10). High Expectations: Changing Kids' Self-Image. Retrieved September 15, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/high-expectations-change-kids-self-image-dan-st-louis?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow
I found this source very interesting because the group presented in the conversation is very similar to the student population at my school. The language barriers and low economic status are the main similarities. The population of students I work with are elementary age, but even now I see some students not very motivated to pursue college or trade schools/programs. The concept of giving students responsibility for their learning is great. I also strongly agree with the different ideas presented on how to help them grow confident in themselves. I enjoyed learning the different ways to incorporate various skills students would need to not only be successful in education but also in their daily life.
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ReplyDeleteThis article was inspiring for me as an educator. The idea of their students having a growth mindset is one I feel all educators should have. I want each and every one of my students to leave my classroom with the personal autonomy to know they can and will achieve great things when they put their mind to it. A few ideas I felt stood out to help achieve this with my students were; setting high expectations to encourage personal growth, allowing students to construct their own knowledge, and having student led meetings. Overall a wonderfully positive read that inspired me for this upcoming year, and the many more to come.
ReplyDeleteI found several parts of this article useful to me. I especially like the low-stakes writing method. I found myself relating it to a chapter in my behavior management textbook that talked about positive reinforcement. The connection is encouraging the students to write with confidence and then slowly introducing the corrections. We watched a TedTalk earlier this summer that encouraged the normalization of failure. I think all of these concepts work well together. Use this method to encourage more writing, normalize the idea of failing and the need to improve, and then introduce corrections slowly to keep the stakes low and confidence high.
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