BEST PRACTICE FOR BETTER CLASSROOMS
NANCY M. DODA, PH.D.TEACHER TO [email protected] Young Adolescent Learner: Making a Difference in the MiddleASKING THIS QUESTION FOR A LONG TIME..AIRPLANE STORY.ITS 6, 7.8, GRADE RIGHT?ModelReflectTransfer
Three words for to keep in mind today according to...
Mr. T???
Model
Reflect
Transferhttp://iiwallpapers.com/images/big/mr.-t-wallpaper.jpgModelModeling is not the main means of influencing others... A. E.
http://www.hetemeel.com/einsteinform.phpReflectWe do not learn from experience... J.D.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/langwitches/5662527301/TransferTransfer is the basis of creativity and problem solving. It cant be assumed, it must planned for and taught. M. H.Transfer
If you dont use it...
MADELINE HUNTEROur Young Adolescents
TRUTH # 1young adolescents are Developmentally UniqueThe shifts:PhysicalIntellectualSocial and EmotionalYOUNG ADOLESCENTS ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY UNIQUE
Author Unknown Crustaceans are at their most vulnerable when they are between shells.
It is incumbent upon us to keep the promise of 6th grade alive and to structure our schools for the good of our students.A Brief HistoryRemember the Junior High School? 1920s-1950s1973-Growing Up Forgotten (Lipsitz)1989-Carnegies, Turning Points: Preparing Americas Youth for 21st Century2000-Carnegies, 2nd Turning PointsToday: We know what best serves our young adolescents.Proven Middle Level Practices
This We Believe: Keys to EducatingYoung Adolescents (NMSA, 2010)www.nmsa.org; (AMLE, 2013)Breaking Ranks in the Middle (NASSP, 2005) www.principals.orgTurning Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in the 21st Century (Jackson & Davis, 2000)National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform: Vision Statement (1999)www.mgf.org
The Forums VisionDevelopmentalResponsivenessAcademicExcellenceSocialEquityNORMSSTRUCTURESPROCESSES
17THE4TENATIOUS TRUTHSYOUNG ADOLESCENTS ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY UNIQUE.YOUNG ADOLESCENTS THRIVE IN SAFE HAVENS. POWERFUL LEARNING IS ACTIVE, RELEVANT AND INTEGRATED.WE CAN ALL GET SMARTER!
The ConsensusThe period of life called young adolescence--the years 10-15-- represents one of the most pivotal times in human development. How students fare in these middle years, sets a course for their future years in life and in school.
Working with young teens is not easy. It takes patient, humor and love. Yes, love of kids who burp and fart their way to eighth grade. Who tell you Life sucks! and everything they do is Boring! Who literally roll to the floor in hysterical laughter when you separate the prefix and the suffix from the word prediction and ask them for the root and what it means. Who wear short, skin-tight skirts and leg-laced sandals, but carry teddy bears in their arms. Who used a paper clip to tattoo Jim Morrisons picture in their arm during quiet study, while defending the merits of Tiggers personality in Winnie-the-Pooh. Who send obscene notes that would make a football player blush, written in pink magic marker, blasting each other for stealing a boyfriend, and sign the note- Love, P.S. Please write back.-Linda Reiff, Seeking DiversityResearch FindingsWe long to be known and trusted. We learn best when we feel safe.We want to be treated as if we are all different but all equally special.We want to learn important stuff that matters in the world and in life.We learn best when we are actively engaged.We respect adults who are human and tender.(Doda & Knowles, 2006)
Cliques Are CruelTRUTH #2Young adolescents thrive in SAFE HAVENS(small, personalized learning environments)EMOTIONS AND LEARNING(Implicit Memory)Associated with(Explicit Memory) Associated withThe Classroom ClimateThe Learning Content
Positive climate leads toEndorphins in blood, which- Give feeling of euphoria- Stimulate frontal lobesWhat instructionalactivities will getstudents emotionallyconnected to thecontent of thelearning?Negative climate leads toCortisol in blood:- Raises anxiety level- Refocuses frontal lobes to flight or fight24Community
Quality RelationshipsThe key to being a good teacher is knowing the kids. You have to know every single one and have a relationship with every single one. I think that one thing that really allows me to work hard is knowing that my teacher knows where I am in life at that moment. If they dont know me, I will tend not to work as hard for them.
Cliques Are CruelThe Power of School ConnectednessStudents are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and succeed academically when they feel connected to school.School connectedness was found to be among the strongest protective factors for both boys and girls. (CDC, 2009) CLOSE-KNIT LEARNING COMMUNITIESAdvisory, Home base, Daily SupportAge Appropriate Socialization & InclusionParticipatory AthleticsHeightened Family Involvement
PersonalizationThe Home-BaseHOMEBASEBASE CAMPPRIME TIMEMORNING MEETINGMAPTAP
Every young adolescent needs one adult in school who knows him/her exceedingly well and serves as the mentor, advocate, liaison and coach. (NMSA)
Academic Impact of Home-BaseStudents participating in planned SEL efforts gained 11 percentile points on standardized measures of academic achievement (.28) Daily aspirin/.01 (SEL=Social and Emotional Learning)Equivalent to moving a student in the middle of her class to the top 40%. More impact than most academic interventions.Like the impact of a good literacy intervention.(Joseph Durlak, Child Development, 2011)
Roger Weissberg et al Meta Analysis (2008)Education Week Dec 19, 2007Aspirin dose--31POWERFUL LEARNING IS ENGAGING, RELEVANT AND INTEGRATED.TRUTH #31946
Less Teacher TalkTeachers, teachers, teachers, when will they learn. I have the attention span of a raisin. I need to be kept busy with things that are fun. Teachers need to find out what interests kids and what stuff they like to do. So for a less whiny, annoyed and temperamental class, make it fun.-7th grader
Almost everyone has had occasion to look back upon his school days and wonder what has become of the knowledge he was supposed to have amassed during his years of schoolingbut it was so segregated when it was acquired and hence is so disconnected from the rest of experience that it is not available under the actual conditions of life.Dewey (1938, 48)
35The academic challenge in a middle school curriculum lies not in painful abstraction, But rather in its capacity to engage the Intellectual imagination and curiosity of young adolescents. (Beane, 2005)Rigor is RelevanceIntegration Improves LearningSeeing the whole pictureSEPTOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYSCIMATHSOC STDSLANG ARTSWe can all get Smarter.TRUTH #4Redefine SmartNone of us is as smart as all of us.Smart is not something you are. It something you become.
Study after study has shown that much of the achievement gap between children from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic groups can be traced not to family& life circumstances, but to how their teachers viewed them while they werein school.(Gordon, Della Piana & Keleher, ERASE Initiative, Applied Research Center)The Knack
THE4TENATIOUS TRUTHSYOUNG ADOLESCENTS ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY UNIQUEYOUNG ADOLESCENTS THRIVE IN SAFE HAVENS POWERFUL LEARNING IS ACTIVE, RELEVANT AND INTEGRATEDWE CAN ALL GET SMARTER!
Wisdom for ParentsPreserve the World of ChildhoodIncrease Communication and ConversationMaintain Strong Affectionate TiesNegotiate with ReasonsBe Tender
Middle school teachers should know that the kids in middle are very stressed. From classes to social status to expectations, the school can be a very strenuous place. A lot of kids worry about popularity. The way other kids act towards others can be very harsh on someones self-esteem. That will affect the quality of the work the kids do.
Middle school teachers should know that the kids in middle are very stressed. From classes to social status to expectations, the school can be a very strenuous place. A lot of kids worry about popularity. The way other kids act towards others can be very harsh on someones self-esteem. That will affect the quality of the work the kids do.
