In the process of working on a mission statement today, I have read several articles on working with at-risk youth. There are several interesting details I came across.
1. Despite research, schools tend to stick to the "old" way of teaching.
Why is that? 200 hundred years ago, heck 50 years ago, what students needed to be prepared for is not what our students need now. Most of our kids are not going to be farmers or working in an assembly line, as that work is few and far between with Mexico and China. Our youth needs to be prepared to sell what our American companies farm out to other countries. Our youth needs to be prepared to work with other cultures, languages, traditions. Our youth needs to be prepared to make little and to work hard to make more.
2. Worksheet education forced by standardized testing does not provide enough provocation or depth.
Of course not but it is easy...wait a minute, is that how we should teach? Easy? I will admit, I am guilty of it. I am short on time and money, so what is easiest, plus it makes good notes? Worksheets!! Let's rethink this, kids have Siri, she can answer pretty much anything. Kids have smart phones with internet access and unlimited data (for now), why do they need worksheets? How can we teach a deeper level of understanding and thinking by giving worksheets? What is the best way to answer the infamous question "When am I ever going to use this?" Relate what they are doing to life, create scenarios that make sense to use while teaching the skills they must be tested on. Force communication between youths, ask them to critically think about what they are doing. This may sound time intensive, and initially it may be, but if you ask the right questions, assign the proper type of work, the students will reap the benefits and your room will be come that much brighter with all the light bulbs going off!
3. "Assume nothing. Often if you have a troublesome kid, you have a story. Trouble is usually a symptom, not a problem. Trouble doesn't come from a vacuum, it comes from life." Jocelyn Pinkerton
Wow! She hit the nail on the head! How many educators assume that when they hear that kid coming down the hall they automatically conclude the kid is trouble. Get to the root of the problem. Why does the student act out in class? Why does he bully others in the hall? Why doesn't she hand in her work on time? Have you ever stopped to think, what is life like at home for this child? Are the parents home? Is there an older sibling picking on them? Are they being accosted by an Aunt/Uncle/close friend? Do they have to babysit their younger siblings? What happens when the siblings are sick, who takes care of them? Are there drugs involved? The list goes on and on.
4. Large classes a young ages
The Federal Class Size Reduction Study (CSR) found that small classes could benefit students. Who knew, right? The Tennessee STAR program (student-teacher achievement ratio) found students randomly assigned to 13-17 students in a class outperformed their peers. This shouldn't surprise anyone. Smaller groups foster better discussion and deeper understanding. The purpose of smaller classes isn't that they cover more material, but that the material covered is about understanding, delving deeper, answering the question of "why" it works. Giving the teacher and students a chance to communicate more effectively also offers other benefits such as: communication skills, higher order thinking skills, teamwork, etc.
As a society, we are growing and developing, but our educational system is remaining the same. What kinds of jobs will be available for our youth? The sky's the limit! Technology will allow people to work from where ever they are, doing virtually anything! Give your students the benefit of a quality education Ultimately, as educators, we direct our youth where to go. If they are failing, who is partially at fault? If they are dropping out, who could have intervened? If they are struggling and no one is there to help, what will happen? It is time we change the educational system to best meet the needs of our students, before it is too late!
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