Response to Rita Pierson/Teens Talk Video Clips

Rita Pierson/Key Points:

• The value of human connections/relationships.
• Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like-BUILD RELATIONSHIPS!!
• Don’t be afraid to reveal the learner in YOU.  Make mistakes, apologize openly, seek ways to understand.  
• Raising self esteem and academic achievement at the same time is a huge and difficult job.  We are educators!  It is what we do!   
• Help students to feel that they ARE somebody and they will be a more powerful somebody when they leave.
• Focus on the positive.  It is always there!
• We won’t like them all.  They can never, ever know it.  Every child deserves a champion.
• Teaching and learning should bring joy.

Questions:

• Responsive Classroom is a great foundation for community building in our school.  It helps us establish closer relationships with students from the beginning of the year.  I wonder, however, if we could look into ways to free up teachers for one-on-one time with students?  This can be so powerful when it comes to problem solving and building relationships.  

• Human connections vs. social networking and technology?  How do we find the balance? 

Teens Talk/Key Points:

• Incentives to learn just for a good grade, good numbers, to get into a good college.
• Schools are quantifying students.  Students measured by harsh numbers.
• This girl feels that schools are killing creativity.
• Support from guidance counselors only about which classes to take to get into which schools.
• This girl was engaged by her micro/macro economics class:
• Teacher pulls from many resources and TALKS to students about all that he finds out.  
• Not just information that st. will be tested on.  This makes the topic REAL.  
• Best education is one that helps you learn to think and speak for yourself.

Questions:

• How do we fit more of the fun, creative, spontaneous learning into our days?  Even in Kindergarten, we have to be very purposeful in carving out time for such activities.
• I am looking forward to learning more about how to make better use of my resources in planning for more well-rounded, inspirational instruction.