Howdy kids,
If you can't tell, I've already gone insane! The semester is almost over, and let me tell you, this old class clown is on his last leg. I think last week's readings gave the bit of guidance I've been needing in that dusty old space we call a classroom. In fact, Kahl's reading was probably the most helpful when it came to a step by step process of how to use critical pedagogy. Heck, I often wonder why my students even listen to a painted up jokster like me, but then I remember, it's because power relations also exist within the classroom. No matter how we engage our students, as long as we are welcoming them to the conversation and making them think critically, then we're doing our jobs and using our power wisely. TARNATION!
As you all know, this ain't my first rodeo. But even I have trouble with engaging my students and getting them to speak up in my classroom. How do I make you get what I'm teaching, son? Do I have to do a dance? Shoot, I'll sing a song if I gotta. But we all know that won't always do the trick. Bell and Golombisky have their penny exercise that obviously gets people talking and also thinking about how they respond. I used make students tell me their favorite joke at the beginning of the school year, and this would always loosen them up, but also welcome others to laugh. Sure, it didn't always go well because not everyone knows a good joke. I just wanted to break the silence, make people laugh, and let them know it's okay to speak. How do you make your students think? More importantly, how do you welcome their voice. How do you break the silence, even if it is just a chuckle?
Well h*ck, you wanna get together for the old rodeo? This old chunk a' coal gets your pain. Feels like all you can do sometimes is wrassle yourself up a heapin' h*ckin' helpin' of "just good enough" grits or the runny eggs of good intentions. Soon enough though, you better believe you're gonna get 'round to fixin' the sight on your agenda pistol and be able to enjoy a Job Well Done ribeye.
ReplyDeleteThanks for listening bye
You whippersnappers and your hip lingo.
ReplyDeleteSince I teach in the mornings, I've definitely experienced having trouble with getting my students to engage in the course content. However, today was really different! Jordan gave the suggestion of starting the mediated communication lecture with students writing a minute paper over what social media channels they use and what they use them for. I sat on the desk at the front of the room and we started a discussion about how they change their communication depending on the social media channel, and they taught me a ton of things. Like, apparently they "throw slugs" at each other on Twitter and I just sat there stunned. I had no idea what that meant, and they were really invested in teaching me what the kids do on the social medias nowadays.
I had the largest class discussion today and most of my students seemed excited to tell me about their social media usage, and I think it's because they got to teach me. POWER DYNAMICS SHIFTED, YO.
I could not stop smiling reading your post Cotton- thank you for that!! I could use a little good humor (and creativity) at this point in the semester :)
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right, when it comes down to it, how do we get them to talk? My students love when they can teach me, and like Taylor, that also happen in my class this morning when we discussed social media! I thanked the whole class helping to keep me young. By the end of class, I learned some, they learned some. AND I had a one of my most quiet students carry the discussion for a good portion of class. #winning!
#getcrazy
I love your humor Cotton! I can't imagine your classrooms not being full of laughter but I also know that there are just some days where the students are just not into anything we do. Like Taylor and Amnee, social media day was full of discussion so much so that I lost track of time and had to cut out a few of my planned videos. I think some days are just more interesting than others. I have found that making the students feel like they are teaching me something and giving them time to think lead to more engagement. Maybe next semester ask the class to come in with a good joke on the second day, so they have time to think and maybe you’ll have more participation.
ReplyDeleteCotton,
ReplyDeleteSix months ago, my coworkers and I were training future yoga instructors. We had a lot of success in the past, but this particular cohort was comatose. They weren't very experienced, and they refused to teach yoga. It was a huge deal to all of the junior faculty, but our director was unshaken. "Some groups are just like this." The good new is, the next group of normal people you have will feel much better, and you will have learned so much through this struggle, that these newbies will have a better instructor.
-Bailey