I'm always amazed when confronted with the fact that some teachers just don't get it: What you choose to believe about your students is what you get from them.It's such a predictable dynamic to watch. I know some teachers who characterize their students as whining floof-heads ("whining" is their terminology; "floof-heads" is mine). Voila! They've got a bunch of whining floof-heads in their classes.
These teachers make negative comments about the "irresponsible" approach of their students, coming to believe that they are not teaching serious scholars. All the while these teachers don't realize that they're building an artificial reality that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's so painful to watch them do this, because their beliefs are actually communicated to their students through their attitudes and sometimes words as they accuse their students of having bad attitudes. These same students, with other teachers, may be interested in learning and respectful, coming to class on time and leaving when it's done, and using all the resources at hand to study--habits they don't follow for the teachers with negative beliefs. The students can't help responding by actually becoming what their teachers believe, unless they are self-aware enough to say, "Hey, that's not me and I refuse to accept that characterization."
I also know a few teachers--all in one department in this case--who think their students are very cool, hard-working smarties who will get full-ride scholarships to graduate school. What do ya know? The number of full-ride scholarshipped PhDs out of that small department has been shooting up. In the last five years they have eight graduates who have gone on to fully supported doctoral studies in well-reputed universities.
I can't think of one student who I ever thought didn't care to learn. I've met discouraged students, and they could be encouraged. I've met lost students, and they could be helped to see their way through. I've met students with overwhelming life circumstances to deal with, and we gave it our best shot together for success. I've met distracted students, and it was my job to try to help focus them. I've met students who were frightened of the task of learning, or of my standards for passing, but then it was my job to convince them that they could do it ... because I believed they could. And occasionally I met a student who was in the wrong major, and then it was my job to help them explore other options.
But I think they all, deep down, wanted to learn and to succeed. Why would anyone want to fail? They just act that way when they've faced so much failure, so many obstacles and so many negative messages that they've become discouraged about ever achieving their dreams.
On the flip side, I suppose some of my students may have resented my idealistic view or high expectations of them, expectations that felt like "shoes too big to fill." That's the downside of being taught by an idealistic teacher who thinks everyone can do anything. I think I'm comfortable erring on that side of the equation.
But here's what I'd love to see: I'd like to see these teachers--the kind with whiny floof-heads in their courses--deliberately choose to believe their students sincerely want to do well. I'd like to see their scholars who are struggling, or display a don't-care-attitude, as people just need some support and someone to believe in them. And I'd love for them to deliberately choose to change their own attitudes and then watch the student landscape change.
That's what I want for my next birthday.
This is very perceptive and fairly true, I believe. Do your best, respect the kids, and they'll respect you.
ReplyDeleteWell, Ginger, yes and no. You are talking about self-fulfilling prophecy.
ReplyDeleteI always start out expecting students want to learn. There are some students who do not meet that expectation. Perhaps the worst example I had was a young man who wrote very well--but simply did not care to do well. When I met with him, I asked why. He said--his girlfriend's father wouldn't let her date him unless he went to college. So he didn't care for classes--almost as though he was trying to prove the father wrong. Not much a teacher can do about that!
I agree this is definitely a good general rule for things. I have seen this lately on a parental level. The son is going to misbehave. He's going to be angry. That's just what he does so it's no surprise when he acts that way and is reacted to harshly. It's hard to stay out of that trap, though. Once someone behaves a certain way a few times it's easy to think that's a reflection of their true selves. I think most of us would rather not be characterized by our weaker moments but by the drive in use to do better. I hope I'm doing alright with keeping the right expectations for my own boys!
ReplyDeleteThis is very true. And blessings as you look for that for a birthday present! :)
ReplyDeleteHowever, I want to say this goes both ways. Students have their share of pre-conceived notions about teachers. It's easy to do when you know others who have taken classes from particular teachers and have passed along their experience to you. So you enter the class with an idea already formed about the teacher: Overbearing, boring, high expectations, whatever. And voila - that's what you see in the teacher.
So really, it should be a universal open-mindedness that you long for. :) Good luck with that.
That said, this was a really interesting blog entry, and I sincerely enjoyed reading it.