Activity 3.19 Class Agreements or Participation Guidelines

This chapter emphasized a fundamental need that all learners share—the need for a safe and supportive environment in which to learn. It provided strategies for teachers to build mutually supportive relationships among students and between students and teachers in which every person feels respected and connected. This is the challenge of the first condition of the motivational framework: establishing inclusion.

Many students are gifted problem solvers. However, because of what’s at stake, strong emotions are often just below the surface when a problem arises.

1. offer a sincere expression of empathy, such as “This is an issue I care about as well” or “I can relate to your frustration.”

2. invite a student(s) to sit down with you to share information and think through possible solutions. Beyond the courtesy of reaching out, an invitation helps to ensure that students are ready to talk.

3. if the time is right to set some goals, you may want to remember that this is a shared, creative process in which you as the teacher do not need to, nor should you, have all the answers.

Clarity, alignment, and evidence of success are three objectives that problem solvers keep in mind

Whether you conclude your conversation with a better understanding of a problem or a plan to resolve things, try to follow up as soon as possible. In a challenging situation, a simple note that says, “I appreciated the chance to understand the problem, and here is what I am doing about it,” shows concern and responsiveness. This is often the beginning of a loyal two-way partnership for learning.

in recent years researchers have become aware that often the students who already are high achieving are the students who are most likely to turn in their homework.

they encourage completion without penalizing students’ grade point average by providing time in class for students to share what they have learned through homework assignments, writing comments on homework that show evidence of the impact of the assignment on student learning, and allowing students to use their homework on open-book tests.

Make the assignment directly relevant to a classroom learning experience.

Create interesting assignments, including assignments about which you are enthusiastic.

Develop assignments that are challenging and stimulating and that require skills and knowledge that are within the range of students’ current capabilities.

Implement a cooperative telephone network among older students so that everyone has access to a peer or support person who can provide assistance.

Brief students—and parents—on your system of homework. How much do you typically assign and how often? What is its function? Understandably, students value knowing that teachers do not use homework to control their behavior. Homework is for learning, and there are more effective ways to help students learn responsibility than rewarding or penalizing them for work they have or have not completed.

. Regarding respectful and inclusive relationships, which are the topic of this chapter, when resistance occurs, it is usually best to openly acknowledge it and the possible feelings that may be occurring in the group. Then you can plan or engage in learning that emphasizes immediate relevance and choice for students

Most resistance appears to stem from apprehensions about vulnerability or control. Although this book advocates changing conventional teaching practices, many students (and teachers) have formed habits and expectations that run counter to some of our suggested approaches.

think about resistance is as a concern about difficult realities.

Tense situations are contextually determined (who, what, where, when, and so forth) and a lockstep process that does not consider the complexity and variation in a scenario may delay, but does not often resolve, tension around an issue. It is wise to focus on a positive interpretation of resistance, respectfully listen, and elicit information about the nature of a student’s concerns.