Brandi Burtts
Drama Educator
Be Supportive
Touchstone 5- I engage student interest with every lesson.
Making sure your students are interested in your unit or lesson is crucial to their desire to learn. In The 12 Touchstones to Good Teaching (2013), Goodwin and Hubbell discuss how it is important to "hook" your students with the launch of each lesson. They state how "Hollywood directors have long known that is something interesting doesn't happen in the first few minutes of a movie or television show, viewers will tune out. The same principle applies to classrooms". At the start of the class it is important to grab the student’s attention, to get them excited about their learning. This creates an atmosphere where the students are leading the class as opposed to teacher run classrooms full of lecture. In my drama classroom, I approach each lesson with a hook. To get my students open to learning, my hook usually includes a warm up game that is associated with the daily lesson.​
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Take a look at this lesson plan where my "Hook" gets the students excited about the class.----------------->
Check out edutopia's article that might get you "hook"ed.
Touchstone 6- I interact meaningfully with every student.
We can all look back on our time as students and probably remember that one teacher that stands out. If you're like me, you probably can't remember every single lesson they taught, but you can remember how they made you feel. Since I started teaching it has been my personal goal to be the teacher students feel they can go to. Interacting with students happens on a daily basis, but interacting in a meaningful way and creating a relationship with your students takes work. Goodwin and Hubbell (2013) state "when students are able to form a strong bond with even just one teacher, it can have long-term, lasting impacts on student achievement." The first step you can take to create that bond with your students is to get to know them and interact with them every day. For example, if I see my students on Monday and someone was struggling with an assignment, I won't wait until the next class to see how they are doing. If I see them in the hallway I make it my mission to stop and ask them how they are coming along with the assignment throughout the week. I also let them know that they can come find me in the office anytime. Checking in with your students outside of your normal classroom creates a relationship where they know you care. "For students, when teachers don't interact with them, it often sends a clear, if inadvertent, message that they only interact with the students they like, which can be very demotivating" Goodwin and Hubbell (2013). In order to ensure you interact you can do a few things such as....
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Greet every student when he or she comes into a class.
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Don't just ask questions; call on students.
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Make time for interaction.
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Don't forget nonverbal communication.
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Learn students' names quickly.
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Showing your students that you care can seem like a small gesture, but can mean everything to them. Don't believe me, hear it from a student -------------------->
Touchstone 7- I use feedback to encourage effort.
While it is important not to focus too much of the grade around effort, it is important to show our students that it means something. Using feedback provides the teacher a chance to express to the student that we see how hard they are working and to keep going. However, providing effective and encouraging feedback needs to be more constructive than a simple "keep up the good work". The difference is between controlling and non-controlling feedback. Look at this example of controlling and non-controlling feedback taken directly from The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching (2013):
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Controlling Feedback- I am disappointed in your performance. You should have done what I recommended.
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Non-controlling Feedback- Your work on this particular assignment didn't reflect advanced performance. I know you can do better.
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Notice how the controlling feedback does not motive the student to keep working towards their goal whereas the non-controlling feedback points out vocabulary taken directly from the student’s rubric, and encourages them to continue to work towards their goal.
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As important as it is to keep feedback non-controlling, it is equally important to keep students working towards a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset. When I was in school I was horrible at math. I never understood numbers and I grew up accepting my lack of skills in the subject. When I became a teacher, I decided to only allow positive language in my classroom. My students are not allowed to say they can't do anything. Even if something is difficult they must say they can, and we work towards it together. Although I personally grew up with a fixed mindset, I am slowly learning to have a more growth mindset approach along with my students. Look at these examples of growth and fixed mindset taken directly from The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching (2013):
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Growth Mindset- Your practice is really paying off. You're really getting you math facts down.
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Fixed Mindset- You blazed right through those problems! You're a real math wiz​.
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This makes students feel as though they can never achieve what their classmates have achieved. It makes them feel as though the skills are natural as opposed to achieved and earned. We don't want our students to feel like they can't achieve what others achieve. Feeling overwhelmed with your pre-destined fixed mindset??? Watch the video below for a little self-inspiration.
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You have to believe in yourself before others will believe what you teach them.
Touchstone 8- I create an oasis of safety and respect my classroom.
During the course, I continued to build on a unit I titled "The Bully Experiment." I had noticed many of my students upset throughout the day and many of them changing from bright and happy kids to shy and timid individuals throughout the school year. Being the teacher that many of my students felt comfortable coming to, I was hearing horror stories of bullying that were going on in the school. I knew that I needed to do something no matter how small it may be. So, I created a unit that was a requirement for my students and I tried to find ways to connect with them and what they were experiencing. In order to create a supportive school environment and an oasis of safety in the classroom, small changes need to take place. "Evidence indicates that bullying exacts a heavy toll on victimized students- both emotionally and academically," (Goodwin and Hubbell, 2013). As I thought about making my program school wide, I knew in my heart that although the administration plays a key role in the function of the school, they do not share the strong relationships with the students that the teachers do. This was the key is determining that the unit would be taught in the arts classes and differentiated based on grade level and maturity. "Teachers play a key role in creating safe, positive learning environments and school climates for students," (Goodwin and Hubbell, 2013). Although not every teacher can take time out of the demands of the year to focus a special unit on anti-bullying, there are a few things you can do in order to provide you students with a safe environment to learn. These rules are taken directly from The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching (2013).
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Frame rules in the positive
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Don't get too complicated
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Involve students in defining expectations
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Know your consequences
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In addition to these rules that have been suggested in the text I have implemented a few procedures that help my students feel safe in my classroom and at school:
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Kindness Circle- At the end of class, my students must choose a card which will have another classmates name on it. They must then give a compliment to that student.
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Kind Apologies- I have sheets of paper where the students can correct bad behavior. If they have done or said something to someone throughout the day they can write and apology for them in private. They take responsibility for their actions and also let the other student know that they are not perfect and did not mean what they did or said.
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Group Solution- If there is a larger issue in the class we meet as a team and discuss how to solve the issue. This allows my students to feel like they are in charge and makes the solution feel less like a punishment.
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Small Acts of Kindness- Students are required to do something kind for someone outside the classroom each day. It can be something small such as, opening the door for someone, saying good morning, helping someone pick up their things etc.
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My motto to my students is “they are small but mighty.” If they think good, they will do good, and they will finally feel good. If they can make even one person smile each day, they have done their job. These small procedures have helped my students feel like they are in control of their environment. And if they are in control they always choose the positive.
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As part of "The Bully Experiment" my students were asked to write down what they felt when they thought of being bullied. This was the mural I created which was located at the main entrance of the school. Students saw it every day and it was a reminder to use positive words and actions.