CEdO 565 Post#5

I think the reading for this week was pertinent because of the tendency of educators to low-rate student ability. I have four sections of students that are considered the castoffs of the educational system. They (with the exceptions of a couple sandbaggers) have a history of low achievement, and don't come to school excited about learning. They will sit in class and simply suck oxygen without ever really having to think. These students are perfectly happy sitting for 45 minutes without doing anything, and I sometimes wonder what brain activity occurs during that time. It would be easy for me to take a defeatist attitude towards these students, and give them coloring books and crayons, hoping that they will color between the lines as much as possible. I think many would be happy if these students simply didn't create any problems during their time at school, and any teacher that can help that happen would be perceived to have done a good job. Why should I work hard creating lessons that I think are relevant if students are not willing to try? I have had students tell me that they are already taking summer school, so why should they work hard in my class. The logic, or lack thereof, for wasting 18 weeks in order to take 3 more in the summer is staggering. With that said, our book addresses issues with teachers not thinking their students can achieve. Rather than developing lessons that have value to students, many teachers would be happy simply occupying space in a classroom without having to think, much the same way as their students. I am reminded of the movie Stand and Deliver, where the teacher, Jaime Escalante, stated that students will rise to the level of expectations. If we don't expect anything from our students, they will happily meet those expectations. We need to find ways to unlock the potential of students that have not had success in schools. Part of that process begins with addressing data. It is important to see what students are able to achieve, and then play to those strengths. Gabriel mentions in his book about a colleague that became disenchanted because she was forced to teach Dickens to freshman. I am a big fan of Dickens, but would never force it down the throats of students that are not reading at that level. I think that books must be found that meet the ability levels and interest levels of students. With the power of the Internet, access to many of these books is only a click away. By analyzing data to see what our students can achieve, we can start designing classes that challenge our students without burying them. Is this a daunting task? Of course, but we are entrusted with empowering the generation that will be wiping our noses when we are too old to do it ourselves. I would much rather work hard to develop a relevant and challenging curriculum now, which is able to produce critical thinkers, than take it easy and be blind to the fact that I contributed to a world of people who cannot think.