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Lesson Plans


"Ask 3 before me"

From: Patricia Knott (pknott)
Date: Sun Mar 05 2000 - 12:38:28 PST

  • Next message: Rosa Juliusdottir: "Re: potty trips"

    I don't even go that far. I make it very clear that I will explain
    something as many times as necessary to a student who truly doesn't
    understand, but if it is a matter of laziness or not paying attention they
    have to find their own way. And if they get the wrong information.. ah,
    well.

    It got to the point that I was so sick of spending hours writing explicit
    directions(in addition to verbal directions and demonstrations) on handouts
    and seeing them left on the table, that I had to do something. "Find three
    other sources before you come to me again."

    I can do what my mother could do --- I can raise just one eyebrow . When
    they see this they just turn around and ask someone else. It's really kind
    of cute to see their reactions. When I'm really in a bad mood I say "You're
    not going to make me get up from my chair, are you?"

    I'm talking about high school kids. And I know it's very different from the
    little ones. I can do this because I have established a certain repartee
    with students. It takes humor and understanding and sensitivity to "who can
    hear what." Rules are one thing. But what I am most concerned about is
    establishing responsibility. All students are individuals first and we must
    respect that.
    And it goes both ways. If the students don't respect you there is little you
    can do.

    Recently I began flying lessons. All my life everything has come easily to
    me, but this is the hardest thing I have ever done. I really have to study
    and sometimes when my instructor says "don't you remember this we went over
    this on ...." I just want to cry out "no, I don't remember." Learning to
    fly has reminded me that what I take for granted is sometimes VERY difficult
    for my students. It has been a good lesson for me. I have a new
    appreciation for learning curves.

    Perhaps our school districts, instead of forcing us into worthless inservice
    days and making us take credits for god knows what reason, should ask us all
    to learn something brand new and experience the learning process.

    Education is about learning to learn. Don't get so hung up on rules that
    you forget we all learn in different ways. How I feel about the
    bastardization of Gardner's recognition of multiple intelligence's is a
    subject for another post.

    Patty 

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