Teachers and Students are Citizens

Artifact 15: Facilitating Constructive Discussion

Student Group Work.mp4

For me, one of the greatest joys in teaching is the opportunity to watch students work together to share ideas and build relationships. As a strong believer in the power of teamwork as a way to build self-esteem both in and outside of the classroom, I try to implement group work as much as possible into my lessons. In this video clip from an in-class debate, students were put in groups to share ideas and collaborate to sequence their ideas together into a cohesive argument. Aside from a brief reinforcement of the norms of constructive discussion, I managed to step back and let the students run the show themselves.

Throughout this processes, I observed students listening respectfully to their classmates, getting excited to jump in and contribute their own ideas, and even posing their own probing questions to the group. Any time an educator can effectively remove him/herself from the equation to allow students to interact in a meaningful, authentic way, those students are building the interpersonal skills necessary to become a contributing member of a community. Citizenship entails making your voice heard and advocating for yourself and others. Without the experience of working with peers towards a common goal, students are missing out on an opportunity to practice these important communication skills that will give them the confidence necessary to serve their civic duty to the best of their ability.

Artifact 16: Practicing Civic Discourse

One of the assessments that I created this semester was a short skit/presentation in which small groups of students acted as a stereotypical white, middle class family in the 1950s having a conversation at the dinner table. Students were tasked with discussing social, political, economic, and cultural (SPEC) issues of the postwar years as though they were living through them. Students were given this rubric and assigned a partner to peer-assess during their performance. Having students peer-assess is a great tool for reflection. Students will not only reflect on their performance after receiving feedback from their partner, but will reflect on themselves through their evaluation of their partner as well. Ultimately, I used the peer-assessed rubrics as a type of formative assessment to inform my own determination of each students' grade.

Part of the assignment included taking on the perspective of a character of their creation, and expressing that character's views on these issues throughout the conversation. Through conversing with the other "family members" who may have perspectives different than their own, I was trying to get students to practice actively listening to and engaging with multiple perspectives. Practicing these kinds of conversation as fictional characters takes the pressure off of students who may feel as though they would be judged for their views.

In order to be involved and aware citizens of our communities, we must be able to engage in respectful and lively discussions on the SPEC issues currently facing us today. Having students practice these conversations using events from the past negates the risk of getting too political in the classroom. However, it still teaches them the basic tenets of respectful discussion they should implement when it comes time for them to practice their citizenship by educating themselves through current events conversations.

Artifact 17: Forming Lasting Relationships

No one can deny that teaching is a highly personal profession. Coming to school every and getting to see my students' faces- whether they're smiling, pouting, or somewhere in between, is the highlight of my day. Teaching at the secondary level is a gift, because students are starting to really develop their own personalities and outlooks on life. Middle/high school is hard. No one can deny that. People at this age are struggling to find their place in this world, and are often bombarded with negative messages about their self worth.

For this reason, I've dedicated myself to being an unwavering positive force in the classroom day after day. The Looking Glass Theory in sociology states that people see themselves in the way that they perceive others to see them. This means that if I can express that excitement of just seeing their faces every single day in a way that is genuine and meaningful to them, there's a chance that my enthusiasm could translate to how they see themselves.

Below are some examples of student testimony that I believe speak to my ability to create a positive learning environment. Over the internship I sought to create meaningful relationships with my students, which in turn transformed the classroom from a drab "prison" (an analogy students seem to be fond of) into a joyful and safe space where students could truly be themselves.

A note given to me by a student during a school-wide random acts of kindness initiative.

A post in my U.S. History Google Classroom page after my internship was cut short due to COVID-19

A collection of responses from my mid-semester student feedback survey

Soviet Union Song.webm

A student recorded a video for me singing my favorite tune from a video I showed in class earlier that semester

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