One of the things I’ve really been struggling with as a teacher is how much support to give. I want all of you to succeed – but more than that, I want all of you to learn. I put a lot of myself (time, effort, passion) into the lessons that I create. I work really hard to try to ensure that everyone is challenged but not overwhelmed, that you are able to learn at your own pace but also held to high standards. I firmly believe that each and every one of you is exceptional. Not “sort of,” not “at certain things” … exceptional human beings. And I want to help you see that as well.
I talk sometimes about the “game of school.” Students learn quickly that they can be silent and someone else will answer for them (most of the time). They don’t have to do the work of thinking because “I don’t know” and a blank stare will wear down even the most enthusiastic of teachers. They want the teacher to tell them what to learn and how to learn it and “Is this going to be on the test?” or “Is this for marks?”
This is for life.
If you leave my class with nothing more than the ability to learn anything you want, to put effort into everything you do and to ask for and apply feedback, you will be able to do anything you want to. This is your life, your learning … and ultimately, your decision. The assignments can either be “too hard,” or they can be “challenges I will meet, with help and with time” – depending on your perspective.
People are not born smart: they work at it. People are not born athletic: they work at it. You are neither good nor bad at math / humanities / writing / singing / athletics / dancing / drawing … you see where I’m going with this. You put effort into learning to be good at those things.
Or you put effort into making excuses. Either way, though, the common denominator is you.
I choose to put effort into drama by listening and participating
I absolutely agree. I think if you put enough effort into something you become better and better at it. If you work hard and try you will succeed. I also would want to leave your class having learned all those things. I really like everything you wrote and I think that everything is true.
I agree that you can only be good at what you try at and work hard at. Nobody is dumb or bad at school. If they get the proper help they can achieve anything, even straight A’s.
So why, then, do you think some students don’t achieve straight As? Is it always because they aren’t trying hard?
I think that personality matters in school and in the future to be successful. people who are hardworking and are prepared to learn will be more successful the those who don’t. I also think that people who are more positive and talkative will get better grades because they feel confident and answer more questions in class.
This is an interesting idea, @rida45 – does this mean that people who are quiet … who are introverts (who need time alone to recharge) … are less likely to do well in school?
I think that the shy people will less likely to do well in school because they are too shy to answer questions in class even though they might have good ideas, that the teacher will not hear which leads to not understanding work. And presenting in class will make them more stressed and lead to a bad presentation if the nervousness takes over. Lastly I think I think shy peoples when answering a question there idea is hard to explain, like in a bad flow because they are not used to answering. Also they are too shy to ask questions when other people are around. Also from what I see in classes the students that are talking to the teacher more, asking questions, and are more engaged are getting betters grades and having more fun.
I wonder if the “having more fun” part has more to doing with the fact that many of these students are extroverts, meaning that they get strength from being with and interacting with other people, whereas introverts (those of us who need alone time to recharge) are less likely to do so. (Have you seen Susan Cain’s TED talk, “The power of introverts”? Check it out at http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts?language=en.)
It’s definitely important for students to develop strategies to at least be able to ask questions in class and to present in front of others, but I don’t think that your grades should exclusively be based on those “extrovert” qualities. It’s one of the reasons I try – over the course of several assignments – to provide students with a variety of ways of showing what they learn. I think that’s really important – because, like you say, not everyone can answer questions easily and fluidly, or present comfortably in front of a class. Some of us need to learn how to fake it.
(I’ll be teaching some of that this year, BTW. 🙂 )
I’d like to say something on this as well. I think that introverts (not all, but in general) are less likely to do as well in school…when it comes to some types of formative assessments. E.g. class discussions, questioning, four corners, presentations. This is because they are quieter, more reserved and don’t really like so much attention on them.
However, when it comes to summative assessments, I think both introverts and extroverts have an equal chance. This is because both introverts and extroverts get a good chance of unleashing their best skills and their deep thinking.
But this doesn’t mean that I support summative over formative; I totally support the new curriculum of BC. I think it will reform the curriculum into a much more effective one. What I am trying to say though, is that some types of formative assessments may have flaws that allow extroverts to score better than others.
But what if the summative assessment is an oral presentation? Or the formative assessment is an in-class essay? Is it still true that introverts will score well on the summative and extroverts on the formative?
(I should note that I don’t think that extroversion necessarily means you cannot sit still and write an essay, nor that introversion means you can’t present well in front of a group – but I want to push you to explain your thinking more here. When you think about all of the summative assignments you’ve done – or all of the formative ones, for that matter – do they all fit into this dichotomy – which basically means opposition – of introverts versus extroverts?)
In that case, I guess it would be the other way around. But in general, when we think of summative, the first things that come to mind are reports, essays, projects, exams…etc. When we think of formative, the first things that come to mind are discussions, short presentations, four corners…etc.
Also, I agree with you that extroversion doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t sit still and write an essay or that introversion means that you can’t present well in a group. Some extroverts though, may be able to sit still and write, but not find an essay the best way to explain their thinking whereas some introverts may find other, non-verbal ways help display their thinking better.
For me, an introvert, with enough work, faking it isn’t that hard (eg presentations) and once I get used to it, I start to enjoy speaking and don’t feel pressurred.
When I think of all the assignements we have done, many assessments do not fit the dichotomy. For example, learning reflections. This is a type of formative assessment, but this doesn’t really fit the dichotomy.
What I took from this commercial is that Micheal is trying to say that maybe he makes it look easy to play basketball and make the shot every time. But what people don’t understand is that he had to work so hard to be where he is now and everyone has to do that to, what you want to achieve isn’t just going to be handed to you, you have to work for it. When poeple say that “oh he does it so well it must be easy” they might be upset with themselves because when they try it, they find it hard. But saying that “He makes it look so easy” is just an excuse because really it took a lot effort for him to be able to do all his skills and make it look easy. That you need to stay motivated and keep working at it.
I like the point that you make about people thinking it should be easy because it’s easy for someone else. I think that’s something that’s really important to remember: just because SOMEONE finds it easy doesn’t mean you will … and just because you DON’T doesn’t mean you’re stupid or incapable of whatever this is. It means you need to work harder than they do.
In a lot of ways, the kids that struggle with school are actually better off in the long run. They’ve learned how to work, how to push themselves, and they’ve developed strategies to help them deal when something is hard. The kids who coast through and don’t have to really work at any of the school subjects end up giving up a lot easier when they _do_ face something that’s too hard for them. (You might be interested in the video I posted on the Writing blog at http://lordtweedsmuir.edublogs.org – my Writing students watched a different but not dissimilar video that talks about the different mindsets you can have about intelligence … or athletics, or drawing ability or anything like that.)
I feel skill will only take you so far, sure some people are naturally better than other at some things but no one is unable to learn. Its true some people are just good at things but to become great you have to work hard.
So you think talent plays a part in it?
I totally agree with you too Miss Smith. I think if you put enough effort into something and try as hard as you can, you will succeed. You might not succeed the first time it might take a couple failures but you’ll get it eventually. I really would want to leave your class having to learn all the things that you want us to learn ,I think everything that you said is true!
I agree that putting your effort into things will make you better at it if you do it multiple of times. Really you can put your effort into practically anything! However, I believe it all comes to putting your effort into something that matters to you, that’ll benifit you, is when you’ll truly succeed.
That’s a good point, @7maaz7 – we’re definitely more likely to put the effort into the things and skills that have value for us. So how can we – schools, teachers and students – ensure that what we’re learning in school has value when we have certain curriculum that we have to teach and learn that we don’t necessarily connect to?
I agree in many ways; it takes endeavour and hard work in order to succeed. Success doesn’t just come. It has to be earned. As I’ve mentioned before, we all know the saying, “No pain, no gain.” Also, I too, want to leave your class with the ability to learn anything I want. With this skill, I can become my own teacher.
I like what you’re saying about success needing to be earned. I feel that way about grades, although I certainly don’t think that they are the only (or even the best) way to measure success. The grades you get are those you earn … which is why you always have the option of redoing assignments (at least until we’re done with a unit of study). “Learning takes patience and time” (The First People’s Principles of Learning).
Don’t just have the goal of being your own teacher: have the goal of being OTHER PEOPLE’S teacher as well. We all have so much to give, so much to share with other people, and that’s not dependent on age or job. (Besides, the best way to understand something is to teach it. That’s how you know you have mastered a topic or skill.)
I feel that to a degree some people are born with a lot of raw talent and certain things will come easier for them. Therefore they may not have to work as hard at something as someone else would. I also think that to be really good and successful at something you have to be very passionate about it.
I think that when it comes down to the big leagues, there is a small amount of talent but the vast majority is in fact effort and hard work. What I mean is that for example, Usian Bolt, the fastest man alive. He works VERY hard and long for his title but i think that to be the fastest man alive there has to be a small amount of genetics at work. Of course talent only takes you so far. There’s a quote that says ,” Hardwork beats talent when talent fails to work hard.”
For myself personally I try my best at all tasks because I don’t really understand why you wouldn’t want to. But I also naturally do better at somethings because they interest me and I value them. Some assignments in school I value and others I still try my best but don’t actually feel any compassion towards them.
I feel like some kids are born with a talent like Colton said and others are not and some things are easier for them to naturally do than others. I think If you wanna be good and succeed you should be passionate and always be dedicated towards your goal.
Some peole can be really good at running because they have put time and effort into it. You can’t just wake up and be expecting to be great at it. Everything in life takes time and effort.
I agree you should always work very hard in school and always challenge yourself too do better but don’t overwhelm your self because after all it’s just about trying your best
I think that some people are born with a bit more drive than others in certain places like if some one loves soccer there probably going to put in all they have to be the best and some may use that as a execuse and say there born with natural talent when it’s the effort they put in. Which in school that can happen too.
I agree, you can’t just expect to be exceptional at something like someone else is. You have to work hard for it, nobody is necessarily born with talents.
I think that this video is about how you need to work for every thing you do and it doesn’t just come to you. Although If you are already talented in something u might work harder to excel in what ever you do or if u injoy what you are doing. Maybe that is why some people don’t excel in school because they do not injoy it or care about the subject.
That I put very well and it is true that pepole have to work hard for there grade also some pepole learn in different ways.
What you put effort into is your choice but that necessarily doesn’t mean you will do really good or well in life. I mean it is completely fine what you put effort into , but what you put effort into might not get you anywhere. Ex. Let’s say you put your effort into fishing in my opinion I don’t think that could get you anywhere unless you are a professional and have a television show or something like that; but if you were to put effort in science the chances are higher of being successful.
Interesting idea. We as a society make a point of saying that if you try hard you will succeed, but – if I understand your point correctly – that’s not always true. You can improve, but you may not always improve as much as you want to. Is that what you’re saying?
i choose to put effort into volleyball because it’s something that is fun for me and i love doing it. But sometimes we have to put effort into things that we might not love doing too, you can’t just choose one thing and do that one thing forever.
I liked this video because it teaches us that things don’t come to us automatically, we have to work for it in order for something to happen. I like what Michael said about it may look easy to achieve something because of the way he played basketball, but that’s because he was really good,but he had to work for it;it didn’t just come automatically, he had to earn it by working hard
I think that people will do better in things that they are more passionate about, because they will put more effort into it so that they will do better. But if someone didn’t like doing something as much they wouldn’t put as much effort into it.
I agree with everything you said. Most people take life for granted, and just brush important things off their shoulders like it’s nothing. People are so easy to give up. If you really want it, you have to WORK for it. It does not just come to you.