I chose to write this week’s Think Piece based on two quotes that caught my attention. The first quote, a Chinese proverb, states that “teachers open the door, but you must enter yourself.” The ‘you’ in this quote refers to the student. Despite what many young people think, they do have a choice or a say in aspects of their education. If they are smart they will make perhaps one of the best decisions of their life by choosing to attend school and choosing to engage in the learning environment.
As teachers, I believe that we should set high expectations for students. Young people know when teachers believe in them or not. If we set our expectations for students too low then they will only meet those low expectations. We must set an example for students by believing in their ability to achieve so that they can develop self-efficacy and belief in their own abilities and the possibilities for success. Educators must also create an environment that will make students want to enter that door. A teacher who is enthusiastic and encouraging and a teacher who provides variety and choice is more likely to have students who want to learn opposed to teachers who do not act and speak positively about their subject matter.
The second quote that resonated with me was a phrase from Louis L’Amour, which advised that, “A writer’s brain is like a magician’s hat. If you’re going to get anything out of it, you have to put something first.” Similar to the quote, “don’t put the cart before the horse,” each quotation emphasizes that you cannot get something out of nothing. A student needs modeling and knowledge about how to brainstorm and organize thoughts and ideas. In essence, an author’s words or another person's ideas are the seeds of thought that are planted in a student’s mind. They must also be shown methods of expression, otherwise their memories and experiences will stay locked away in their minds rather than being shared with others.
I so agree with the statement of the 'magician's hat'... I too have fallen into that trap of just expecting the writing to flow. Then, as I logged onto my own blog, I realized that there was nothing, because I hadn't put any effort into my writing.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work and I'll be sure to 'follow'
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of magical, Hogwart's castles and the thought that there are multiple doors. I like the flexible classroom that allows for many doors to enter and a lot of collaboration between teacher and student to guide them through the door that works best for the individual student. That depends, of course, on the willingness of a student.
With adolescents, stubbornness comes with the horse cart. "This mule ain't budging, kiddo, until the right carrot is offered." My experiences has shown that the best English teachers (all teachers) have more than a carrot. Their bag of tricks offers apples, pears, grapes, oranges, and bananas, too.
"Come to the door, Dear One," the teacher can say, "I encourage you to step through. It will change your life forever."
This requires keys, though. I always lose my keys. So, what do I do? I get a hook for my belt. See, there's always something else we can do to fix the inevitable nature of our ways!
Bryan