I really enjoyed reading this chapter, although it was a little disheartening reading all the things that you are absolutely not supposed to ask, and they are all the things that I have been asking my students while conferencing. I’m excited to try this new technique of conferencing, it seems I always want my students to dig deeper and learn instead of being taught, but I don’t always know the best way to allow my students dig deeper, this chapter has helped out tons!
I personally can admit that I have been guilty of what is talked about on 232, “Why is it so difficult to give a simple human response? I think it is because we try so hard to be helpful we forget to be real.” I totally forget to be real. If one of my friends came up to me and told me a story similar to one my student has told me I would not react in the same manner that I do for my students. This is unfair to the student because it makes their writing almost fake or artificial because I am not reacting to it in a real manner.
Beautiful Autumn
5 months ago
As a professional and practitioner, we quickly switch into "work" mode which means output and input indexes. A student who writes poorly can be translated into poor product for output if we are not careful. I catch myself there all the time.
ReplyDeleteYour second observation hit home with me. Last year I had several students facing very difficult circumstances: parents getting divorced, a death in the family, being raped by a father, and others. To some situations, I was simply not prepared to respond, and now wish I had been. After all, shouldn't writing be one tool for students to go beyond expressing themselves and dealing with LIFE?
ReplyDeleteTimothy, Your comments remind me of a difficult time I went through and thank god for my teaching job. My classroom was a place I could go each day and know I was safe and be responsible for my own happiness. I think the sense of community and trust that you build in your classroom allows students to know that even if their world is crumbling around them, they are safe to express themselves there and that they can create the life they want within those four walls.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Lynne. I too had a difficult time and don't know what I would have done with my safe classroom. Britt, we can all dwell on things we wish we had done differently... but we all look forward to new experiences and new learning! I hope you feel better. Christy
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful reflection, like you said, sometimes we forget to be real, that happens with many of us. There are moments that we don't remember we are working with human beings where each of them is different and has different problems. The most important point as teachers is that we learn from our own mistakes. The students are first in our profession.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever read "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"? It talks about men being "fixers" of problems, especially when women just want them to listen. I admit that my behavior is definitely more manly in this regard as I've been an editor too long. I need to break the habit of wanting to "fix" and embrace leading instead.
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