One of the things that I mentioned in “Opening up the Conversation” was students’ ability to identify the areas of their behavior that needed improvement. In spite of this, they lacked a specific action plan that would aide in them making those improvements. Oftentimes students are well aware of what needs to change, but are simply unsure of how to go about making that change. Hence, as a follow-up to our Circe on character, I wanted students to rethink the aspects of their character that they would like to restore in the classroom and consider ways in which that restoration could be achieved.
click on images for larger view
I was pleasantly surprised at how specific some students’ action steps were which made me admittedly more hopeful in their potential for improvement. In my eyes, being mindful of the steps to be taken made reaching the end goal that much more feasible. While I did not observe drastic changes in students’overall behavior, I did notice a difference in their responses and attitudes towards me whenever I reprimanded them. Students were much more receptive and less willing to argue or get defensive given that I was simply holding them accountable to their own goals and expectations. The fact that I was aware of those goals added a level of reciprocity which made all the difference. No longer was I viewed as this authoritative force imposing external control which Noguera(2003) believes is the source of “antagonistic relations” between teachers and students with whom they are “assigned to control”(Noguera, p.345) and can therefore trigger defiant behaviors. Instead I became a guiding force supporting students’ own internal drive.
As I considered this shift in my role and became more mindful of its influence on student responsiveness, I could not help but to wonder about how much more effective this restorative process could be if it included all teachers. What if all teachers abandoned attempts of controlling student behavior and assumed the position, “My goal is to help you reach yours”?
In order to develop more positive relations with and amongst students it is vital that students recognize and truly believe that their teacher’s goal is to help them extend and reach their goals. As opposed to simply enforcing rules of control, teachers ought to allow students to take someinitiative and ownership of their behavior, generating their own action plan on how it can be restored. When both students and teachers are aware of this plan, it makes the atmosphere so much more relaxed and produces a conducive environment for learning where they work together to achieve the goal of restoring character.
Previous Page: "Circle" Next Page: "Apology Letters"
I was pleasantly surprised at how specific some students’ action steps were which made me admittedly more hopeful in their potential for improvement. In my eyes, being mindful of the steps to be taken made reaching the end goal that much more feasible. While I did not observe drastic changes in students’overall behavior, I did notice a difference in their responses and attitudes towards me whenever I reprimanded them. Students were much more receptive and less willing to argue or get defensive given that I was simply holding them accountable to their own goals and expectations. The fact that I was aware of those goals added a level of reciprocity which made all the difference. No longer was I viewed as this authoritative force imposing external control which Noguera(2003) believes is the source of “antagonistic relations” between teachers and students with whom they are “assigned to control”(Noguera, p.345) and can therefore trigger defiant behaviors. Instead I became a guiding force supporting students’ own internal drive.
As I considered this shift in my role and became more mindful of its influence on student responsiveness, I could not help but to wonder about how much more effective this restorative process could be if it included all teachers. What if all teachers abandoned attempts of controlling student behavior and assumed the position, “My goal is to help you reach yours”?
In order to develop more positive relations with and amongst students it is vital that students recognize and truly believe that their teacher’s goal is to help them extend and reach their goals. As opposed to simply enforcing rules of control, teachers ought to allow students to take someinitiative and ownership of their behavior, generating their own action plan on how it can be restored. When both students and teachers are aware of this plan, it makes the atmosphere so much more relaxed and produces a conducive environment for learning where they work together to achieve the goal of restoring character.
Previous Page: "Circle" Next Page: "Apology Letters"