I believe there are two main mindsets that educators need to foster to change education, and further, society: confidence and curiosity.
I think creating a class mission statement (Episode 165) is a great way to build class confidence and class culture. It gives the class a sense of community and motivation. Creating a mission statement forces the question: How can we do something bigger than what we are doing inside this class? It gives the students something to strive for and then challenges them to live up to that mission. It is a concrete way to look back at goals and apply them continually throughout the year. With a mission statement, the students understand that they have their own voice in the classroom. This voice, and the act of practicing goal setting, prepares them for the world after school, even if they do not know it.
Episode 164 of the podcast brought up another way for students to have a voice: sharing the unspoken rules of the classroom. This activity can teach so many things: it teaches students that they have a voice and that they are allowed to kill the elephant in the room. They are allowed to share when certain unspoken rules become oppressive. It teaches confidence. It teaches students how to stand up for themselves against authority.
Curiosity
Another important piece of fostering a culture of confidence is fostering curiosity. Students today are unmotivated and uninterested in school. Especially since the pandemic, motivating students has been exceedingly difficult.
I think in a lot of ways we need to give them a break for feeling this way. After the pandemic, haven't we all struggled with motivation? Hasn’t it been hard for everyone, in their own way, to pick themselves back up? Imagine dealing with teenage hormones, a teenage brain, lock down, and TicToc. These poor kids!
One thing that has helped me to climb out of my own mental health rut post-pandemic is remembering what I am curious about. I think that if we employ a curious attitude within our own content areas, we are showing our students how to be curious about the world around them. Curiosity is a key motivator.
An important part of curiosity is asking questions. In episode 166, Jeff mentioned how most students believe that they are supposed to be the answerers, not the question askers. We need to shift this mindset to foster a culture of confidence and change.
Our students need to know that it’s okay to be curious. It’s okay to fail! In fact, they need to be given opportunities for failure and curiosity. These things are not just okay... They should be encouraged. We need to scaffold opportunities for our students to ask questions in the classroom – about the class curriculum itself and about the world. We need to provide opportunities for our students to ask tough questions, because if they do not practice in our classrooms, they will be passive participants in the world.
Our classrooms are where the future of society is going to be built. If we want change in our society, we should be inspiring voices of change in our classrooms.
First off, I've got to compliment your use of memes. Very well done. Second, thank you for pointing out that students have learned that they should be the ones answering questions instead of being the person who asks questions. I remember my late teens I stopped asking nearly as many questions because I thought that I knew a lot (I was wrong). Now when so much information is available, we shouldn't need to ask anyone right (sarcasm). It point struck me as very true and I will be intentionally modeling and encouraging students, and anyone, to ask more questions.
ReplyDeleteHey Jeremy! Thanks for the compliments. I am glad that this post struck you as important in that way. It's interesting that there really is so much information available now, yet now is the time to be asking the most questions!
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ReplyDeletePaige, Great post! Although a class mission statement might be a lot to ask of a 2nd Grader I think it is an amazing idea for young adults. Your connection between that last 2 years and motivating students to really just be motivated about anything was great. Let's let these kids think about what their passionate about and then set them loose at it! In the end if they succeed or fail they will know it that it was their choice and hopefully it will build their confidence to pick themselves up and try again.
ReplyDelete(Sorry, the post above was from me, I didn't notice I wasn't logged in) Paige, Great post! Although a class mission statement might be a lot to ask of a 2nd Grader I think it is an amazing idea for young adults. Your connection between that last 2 years and motivating students to really just be motivated about anything was great. Let's let these kids think about what their passionate about and then set them loose at it! In the end if they succeed or fail they will know it that it was their choice and hopefully it will build their confidence to pick themselves up and try again
ReplyDeleteNo worries! Thank you for the comment. This sort of autonomy is so important. It is even important for elementary even if it feels a little difficult to put into practice! While their content might be less flexible due to standards, the methods of engagement with that material are more flexible!
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