Sitting in a desk made for someone twice as small as he, Phillip uncomfortably leans to his left and taps his friend, Max, on the shoulder. The two make eye contact, and Phillip passes a piece of notebook paper to Max. He laughs and shows Phoebe, who sits behind him, the content of the paper. Phoebe's face turns bright red as she tries to quiet her own laughter. On the paper is a drawing of their math teacher, Mrs. White, with an enlarged nose and mustache. Because there are forty plus students in this class, Mrs. White continues to lecture without noticing the students exploding into giggles in the back of the room. Her dull voice along with the sound of chalk scratching on the chalkboard drowns out the whispers and laughter. No one is learning. In fact, everyone has their brains turned off, including Mrs White.
There are several reasons why learning is not happening in this math class. Years ago, in the very same situation, learning may have occurred. The times have changed, however. Students cannot function in a large lecture-like atmosphere. They need to be engaged in what they are learning. Creative juices need to flow!
First off, if Mrs. White must have a class with forty students, her approach has to dramatically change. Perhaps she could allow the class to split up into smaller groups. This could allow for healthy conversation and for ideas to be shared among classmates. Instead of lecturing, Mrs. White could assign problems that the groups could discuss and solve as a unit. This would engage the students while forcing them to think critically. Mrs. White could reward the group with the quickest response as well as the group with the most creative approach. She could address each unique way of solving the problem and have each group explain to the class how they approached the problem.
Creativity is a skill that the average student of the 21st student needs! Similarly to how education is changing, the business world is changing, as well. Employers are looking for applicants who can think critically and do the necessary work. Inventiveness needs to be addressed in schools so that students will be prepared for the changing real world.
Jodee Blanco, in a fit-for-television performance about her teenage years, engrossed her audience with the ugly truth that lurks behind the walls of schools: kids bully kids. Blanco offered the parents in the audience advice on how to deal with both the kids who bully and those who are bullied. Despite her odd quirks and somewhat eccentric advice, Jodee's purpose for speaking out deserves our full attention. Bullying in schools is certainly a problem that needs to be addressed, and teachers and administrators must know how to do so appropriately. If a student has been noticeably picking on others, teachers should not ignore his or her actions. Teachers should make sure the student knows that his/her actions are having a negative impact on others and should punish that student. Advice should be given, but the advice should be realistic. For example, bringing home a dog that is scheduled to be euthanized may seem like a "cure" for a mean child, but in reality, there are no guaranteed results for this approach. Speak with the student's parents and suggest "good deeds" or character-building activities that the student can do. Maybe even bring up the idea of seeing a family psychiatrist. For the child experiencing the bullying, similar ideas can be brought up to the parents. No results are guaranteed for any of these approaches, but it is vital that teachers and administrators do not ignore the signs of bullying. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byEFkqHqABM
There are several reasons why learning is not happening in this math class. Years ago, in the very same situation, learning may have occurred. The times have changed, however. Students cannot function in a large lecture-like atmosphere. They need to be engaged in what they are learning. Creative juices need to flow!
