This one is short - I have been reading - a bunch of reading. Mertler's Action Research is so good and thorough. I feel humbled and basically realize how much I still need to learn. I have been "rapping" with my son who is 19. He hates when I say "rapping" but I use this word with him simply because it bothers him - ha. I said, "Hey Connor, let's discuss the difference between quantitative and qualitative analysis." He nailed it. I was proud of him. Me, on the other hand, was not as sure. I can really relate to what Mertler claims on page 173: “After having gathered potentially voluminous amounts of qualitative data, the practitioner researcher may feel a bit overwhelmed by the task that lies ahead, as it can seem a monumental undertaking.” Uh, YEAH. This relates to me and how I am feeling right now. I have a long way to go but as it stands, I am trying to put things in categories. How effective are my strategies? Is my sample enough? Am I collecting the right kinds of data to answer my questions?? I am still in PLANNING I should be farther along in ACTING I am not sure what to do with DEVELOPING I am looking forward to REFLECTING
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Thank you Zaretta Hammond for the lessons I learned tonight. After a Biden win and then today a Raider’s win, I have been feeling super upbeat. I enjoyed this blog experience thanks to Zaretta and...other factors. Culturally responsive teaching is exactly what we ALL need to do. Memo to me - keep this phrase written down and kept nearby.
1. Build authentic relationships. They are the on-ramp to engagement and learning. There is a trust factor here. My students come to me with a brand new IEP (usually) and they are wondering why they have to see me and sometimes, when can they get back to class. I work hard from minute ONE to build a relationship. They need to trust me. Ours is a safe relationship. 2. Use the brain's memory systems for deeper learning. Connecting new content through music, movement, and visuals strengthens the neural pathways for comprehension. A waldorf school is a sometimes frustrating yet useful environment! Music, movement, and visuals are what we do. Heart, head, and hands. And when we teach, we let it sit - an important pathway to comprehension. 3. Acknowledge diverse students' stress response from everyday micro-aggressions and help calm the brain. OK, not my forte, but this is interesting. I am reading that stress responses can be complex and numerous. Culturally responsive teaching can incorporate something as simple as asking how things went at home. Another memo to me: bridge the GAP between the student and myself - look for, ask for, investigate, try harder! There is little trust if I do not begin to understand their own personal ties to culture. 4. Use ritual, recitation, repetition, and rhythm as content processing power tools. And an incredible way to teach rote memorization. Boring stuff like multiplication facts. Set to music or rhythm and you can set the tone for years of automatic understanding. 5. Create a community of learners by building on students’ values of collaboration and connection. It creates intellectual safety, reducing stereotype threat. Teachers inherently build on their connections with their students. I think of little ants who climb on each other to create a bridge. We are always the ants - masterfully stretching, connecting, and sharing our strengths with other educators, in hopes to reach our students. There is a lot of trust there. If I can go home that day knowing that there was a kiddo who trusted me or even another teacher in a significant way, then I feel a connection was made. Just a little strand maybe, but a connection. Our students deserve this. |
Kathy FlynnAlways hoping, learning, and wondering...how am I making a difference in my student's lives? Archives
April 2021
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