Owning It. Alex Kajitani

       4

      PLEASE STOP THINKING

      Understand Four Things Teachers Say That Sabotage Learning

      As teachers, we always keep an eye out for the teachable moment, those unexpected twists and turns (usually student-prompted) in our daily routine that allow us to grab hold of a question or comment on a mistake and spark in our students knowledge that is real-time and interesting (Lewis, 2017). I’ve found that capitalizing on that teachable moment can often be the most memorable, powerful part of the day.

      I find the challenge with making teachable moments memorable and powerful is that we disrupt students’ ability to absorb that knowledge if we use words, phrases, and instructions that do the exact opposite of what we intend. Instead of invoking thinking, these words actually sabotage it. Bringing these phrases to our consciousness and then banning them from our teaching lexicon, using the strategies I present in this chapter, can help us truly take advantage of teachable moments and inspire learning in our classrooms.

Strategies for Success

      Some successes depend on knowing what not to say. Here are four common variations of these teacher-spoken phrases, explanations for how students perceive them, and a few alternatives you can use instead that will keep your classes on track, on target, and ready for the next truly teachable moment.

Connect to What Students Do Know

      Consider the following statements on learning.

      • What we say: “You were supposed to have learned this last year.”

      • What students hear: “You didn’t do what you were supposed to do last year, and it doesn’t appear that you’re doing it this year either.”

      These kinds of statements are problematic on multiple levels. In addition to being an implied put-down of the student, when we make this statement, we also imply that the teacher that they had last year didn’t do his or her job properly. This creates a negative divide between you and the previous teacher as well as you and the student. In addition, often the student did learn it last year; they just don’t recognize it now because it is in a different context with a different teacher.

      Consider the following alternatives instead.

      • “I believe you have some background knowledge about this concept. Tell me some of the things you know about ___________.”

      • “Let’s step back from this topic and look at some of the information we need to know in order to understand this.” This is especially important for English learners because background knowledge is crucial for them to understand new material (Reyes, 2015).

      • “Let me see a show of hands of who does remember this.” (Some percentage of students will likely raise their hands.) “OK, those of you raising your hands have three minutes to pair up with those who do not and tell them everything you know about this topic.”

      All three of these statements take the responsibility of learning away from whatever happened (or did not happen) last year, and instead refocus the learning on the students, what they already know, and what they need to know. In addition, they do so in a way that is empowering for students.

Stress the Learning, Not the Testing

      Consider the following statements on testing.

      • What we say: “This is important. It will be on the test.”

      • What students hear: “Don’t worry about all that other stuff. If I don’t tell you it’s on the test, it’s not really something we need to focus on.”

      Tests, like grades, are important. But I’ve found that for most students, the best way to do well on tests and get good grades is to learn, understand, and apply the information. In addition, I’ve had several students over the years who show up with a history of poor grades, seemingly unmotivated by what will be on the test. Instead, they’re motivated by knowing how the information you’re teaching in class will help them in their lives. As teachers, one of our goals is to instill in our students a personal engagement in the subject we are teaching them.

      This statement also undermines us as teachers. Placing the information’s importance on the fact that it will be tested also sends the message that it is the only reason we’re teaching it, that we are not in control of our curriculum, and that we ourselves do not understand its importance.

      Consider the following alternatives instead.

      • “This is important. It helps us understand the link between __________ and __________.”

      • “Tomorrow, we’re going to study ________. Let’s make sure we understand how ________ connects to ________, so that we can easily understand the connection when we uncover it tomorrow.”

      • “I didn’t think that this was important when I learned it in school. But then, one day I _________.” (Insert your own story here!)

      All three of these examples take the emphasis off the test and promote the importance of a love of learning as well as lifelong learning. They help students make connections within the subject matter and connections between the information and their daily lives. When true learning happens, the test scores and grades often take care of themselves!

Remember That the One Doing the Talking Is Often the One Doing the Learning

      Consider the following statements on talking during class.

      • What we say: “Please stop talking.”

      • What students hear: “Please stop talking … and thinking!”

      Yes, there are times when we need the students to stop talking so that we can give instructions. There are also times when personal issues are of greater interest to our students than our own teaching objectives