As teachers in a world of high-stakes testing, I think we are all aware of how little time we actually have to make sure our students succeed. Often, this leads to anxiety on our part and then transfers to our students. Instead, it would be better to adopt Routman's "sense of urgency"so that we are more "relaxed and happy" when interacting with students, but at the same time more "mindful" of what we need to accomplish. Of course, as with most things, it is far easier to say than to actually do, but I think the optimal learning model is an excellent vehicle for trying to reach that goal.
In order to make this type of model successful, I think we need to focus on improving our learning environment. Routman states that we need "a relaxed, collaborative, accepting environment that encourages and supports the learner in trying out what is being demonstrated, taking risks, monitoring himself or herself, and setting goals while moving towards independence." In my own classes, I've found that many of my students do not want to take risks because they are afraid of failing. They are very focused on finding a "one size fits all" solution and don't want to step outside the box to try other strategies. They are also very dependent on the teacher for monitoring - they immediately want to know if their answer is correct and if it's not, they are not likely to search for solutions on their own. I particularly liked this quote from the chapter: "To become dependent on being corrected by someone else is to remain at an inefficient level of learning and to be cheated of the opportunity for rapid independent self-improvement." I really think we are doing our students a disservice by not letting them struggle a bit on their own - with any struggle comes learning. In order for our students to be willing to take chances and make mistakes, we need to show them that this is a normal part of life and that through initial failure great learning can take place.
I agree with you! I believe many of our students are afraid to take risks because of the numerical grade we often place on their attempts before they are ready to be assessed. This is always evident when they ask, "Is this for a grade?" It is so hard, when we are expected to have a set number of grades for a report card. Most of our students don't even know how what they do in class equates to what is seen on the report card. They just see a number and associate their self-worth to this average. I love that you are trying to foster self-monitoring, risk-taking, and independent thinking! Those are skills that they will need not just in elementary school, but in life in general!
ReplyDeleteHi Tami,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your take on this chapter and how our students many times are afraid to take risks for fear of failure. I've been reading in to the concept of growth mindset and how important it is for us to create the environment that Routman highlights that provides scaffolding and support and multiple opportunities to try it out, to try again, to get better...The quote you discussed in your text, ""To become dependent on being corrected by someone else is to remain at an inefficient level of learning and to be cheated of the opportunity for rapid independent self-improvement." was one I highlighted too. We don't want to cheat our students out of learning opportunities. Thank you for reminding us of this. Sincerely, Dawn