Knowing your students is the first step to success!

Flashback – it is grade 7 for me – there’s a very troublesome individual who always bullies other students into making poor decisions to ensure she isn't the only one to get suspended when consequences are brought to the table. She not only blames other students but she bullies them and engages others into physical contact. During most of the lessons, she will draw in her notebook. The teacher, prior to these incidents, had formed a rapport with the whole class by handing out a survey to “get to know us better”. This survey included a diagnostic assessment, to find out how we learn and what our multiple intelligences are. At the end of the sheet, there is a “personal comments that you feel I should know” section. The teacher, after dealing with previous incidents in different ways, felt as though she had a good enough bond with the student to try and assertively get to the root of the problem - as the teacher noticed she had no notes written down besides images. The teacher called her aside after school to have a ‘talk’. Since their talk, the girl’s behavior increased gradually in a positive manner. I noticed during every class her behavior was more positive but she still drew images - this time no one knows what the images represent. I, my curious self, approach the teacher on my spare time after noticing a couple weeks of improved behavior and computer time, and ask how on earth she managed to bring this student back to a realm of understanding. The teacher replies with:

“Danielle, this is one of the reasons I like to hear about my students before attempting to teach them. Getting to know your students can be both a blessing and a challenge. Surveys are very useful. ______ is a visual/spatial learner. She was getting frustrated in trying to listen to a lesson which is why she always draws images as she hears things. The frustration and behavior was coming out as a fear of falling behind. She learns best through the ability to see things visually and graphically”            

[end of flashback]* 

Check out how visual/spatial learners process information:                                   

I believe in a strong and consistent relationship between students and teachers. In my opinion, the teachers that are the most successful know their students both academically and personally. Often times, it is the ‘know’ that leads to the ‘be’ and ‘do’. In my opinion, students can not only develop new skills and behaviors but also be cooperative, respectful, and responsible (or whichever traits the curriculum values) through the increase of knowledge and understanding. In order to ensure students are doing well and keeping up with the curriculum expectations, diagnostic or formative testing can be arranged which appears in a formal or informal assessment style that teachers use to monitor the learning process. These formative tests further the process of both assessments for and as learning. In an assessment for learning, “information is used to enhance learning” (Drake, Kolohon, & Reid 16). Whereas, in an assessment as learning, the focus is directed towards: “developing self-assessment and meta-cognition” (Drake, Kolohon, & Reid 17). Both of these assessments contribute to enhanced learning. However, I realized, and it should be known, that it’s okay if you don’t know the answer to something…you have to be able to start somewhere and build upon your strengths so that you can grow as a learner. After all, as Professor Drake quotes, “One of your biggest strengths is to say ‘I don’t know’. You don’t have to be a total expert. There is so much to know now, it can’t possibly be done” (Sept. 18^th, 2014). 

Click here to check out different ways of assessing students as a prospective teacher:

                                      

References:

Drake, Susan M., Wendy Kolohon, and Joanne L. Reid. Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment: engaging the 21st century learner. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2014. Print.