for any of the North American and international vistors to this site- I have been pleasantly surprised that my 'hits' show that while 1500 readers are Canadian that there are nearly that many again in USA, Europe, India, Slovenia, Guadaloupe, Russia, Malaysia and China.
Welcome and thank-you for taking a minute to read about the daily activities and schedule of my grade seven class in British Columbia, Canada.
I realize that some of you may stumble across this Blog by chance but even so, please do not be shy, leave a comment or answer one of my many questions about my teaching practice and dilemmas. It takes a village as you know...
Friday was a professional day that provided me an opportunity to sit down and really reflect on what has been working in the classroom this year for my students and me and what needs a tune-up or a complete re-visit for the coming shool year. Our district Sea to Sky (#48) has been promoting the philosophy and research-based practices of Assessement for Learning these past few years and, having now implemeted some of the AFL activities, I now have the chance to ask myself the questions
What am I learning?
How is it working out? and
Where am I going next?
I like this quotation:
"Never let fear of failure be an excuse for not trying." Amber Deckers
Here is my biggest and most confounding dilemma...choice and consequences
How do I (we, you, parents, colleagues) encourage, guide and help students who have decided not to learn? Why are students choosing not to learn and what can we do about it? Why do students choose to do less than their best?
I have been frustrated recently to the point of taking this time on my Victoria day long weekend to write this Blog.
This year (among other years of course) I have experienced students who
choose not to learn
choose not to pay attention to or follow direction
choose not to practise skills or try something new
choose not to improve their work given the opportunity
choose not to complete the activities despite a plethora of choice and accommodations for specific learning chalenges
choose not to become engaged in the group learning activities
choose to spend their time in other pursuits none that specifically are related to their learning
What to do? How many opportunities is a teacher (an education system) expected to provide- when does their responsibility to their own learning come into play?
I can and do 'beat myself up' about what more I could do and how I can engage these reluctant learners and even and how I can provide alternate, meaningful accommodations BUT how much is too much? Seriously, there is a limited amount of time and so we (I) can't keep telling students that it is "never too late". There are several end-dates in a school year at the end of each term when I have to translate their practice into assessment OF their learning and provide letter grades.
The close of this learning year is less than a month away now. It is getting down to the wire!
How to encourage without nagging, becoming impatient or throwing my hands up? When does a teacher, or parent for that matter, decide that the consequences of choice are all that's left for a learner to bring on themselves.
These students are heading off to junior high school this fall. I'm not trying to be a "Debbie Downer" but I wonder if my students' lack of interest in their own learning can be addressed by facing the consequences of their choices or if it will lead to further disenfranchisement.
Just saying...
Mrs. J.
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