What to Look for in a Classroom by Alfie Kohn & Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
October 13
Looking through the "What to Look for in a Classroom" chart by Alfie Kohn, I am reminded of some key points from "Troublemakers" by Shalaby. Shalaby writes about how school feels like jail for many students based on the rules and setup. She suggests we need to listen instead of punishing those who stick out or are loud. Isolating them and making them feel bad for creativity or personality traits will only hurt them in the long run. The video "Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy" explains how teachers have to take students' cultural experiences and make connections with examples and how schools need to adapt to the students. Shalaby repeats this again and again about adjusting our teaching and rules to the children.
Kohn's chart says teachers shouldn't be easy to find or just standing/sitting in the front of the room. They should be moving around and interacting with the students. The class should be decorated with student work and display all different types, not just the "best" or "most correct" pieces. Different family representations should be displayed though posters as well. The teacher's voice should be warm and genuine, which can help prevent students from feeling ashamed or embarrassed when spoken to. This tactic would definitely be approved of by Shalaby since she is against harsh punishment and negative tones when speaking to children. We need to keep a warm welcoming environment and tone to have students actually benefit from our strategies instead of fearing them.
Both of these authors favor an interactive teacher and a collaborative environment to make students feel comfortable and not scared of school or worried about getting in trouble for being themselves. All three sources make a point about adjusting to the students needs, not making the students adjust to us or the school system.
For Jess: Alana - You’ve made great connections between the ideas of Kohn, Shalaby, and culturally relevant pedagogy. I enjoy your point on creating an interactive and supportive classroom environment and how it is key to helping students feel safe and valued. By emphasizing the
ReplyDeleteimportance of representing diversity in student’s work, you highlight effective strategies for encouraging engagement and creativity. I also liked your point about adapting teaching to meet student’s' needs. This approach not only helps with learning but also builds a sense of
belonging in the classroom. Do you plan to incorporate these ideas into your future teaching?
How so?