Are We Teaching Students to Hate Running?
I live near a high school. Each spring for fifteen years now, I’ve watched teenagers lope past my house on their gym class runs. Few of those kids ever looked like they were enjoying the experience; most seemed to be in pain. High school students and grads I’ve spoken with are almost unanimous in their …
It’s vs Its: Do we really need the debate?
It’s time to do away with the apostrophe in it’s. No one knows how to use it anymore, and spell checkers can’t pick it up—although a good grammar checker can. Because it is so often used incorrectly, we resort to looking at the context in order to understand if the word used should be its …
On Education
Along with self-knowledge, I am very interested in education reform. Internet technologies make learning comfortable, enjoyable and highly personalized. I advocate for self-guided self-motivated education that creates an inclusive arena for all styles of learning and expressing. It’s also time to review why we desire education. What makes a person educated? What is a good education? Is …
Clearly Communicating: Face-to-Face Communication
I often discuss clear communication in writing and presentations. But what about spoken communication? When we communicate face to face, body language becomes a large part of the communication. Unlike written communications, we have less time to reflect on what is being said with words and body. There is also less time to collect your thoughts …
Rules for Students and Teachers
Came across this the other day. Usually attributed to John Cage, I believe it’s actually the work of Corita Kent. Please let me know if you know otherwise. Regardless, it’s a lovely reminder for anyone who is a student or teacher; ideally that would be all of us, if you consider life a learning experience, and …
Electronics, Interest and Respect in the Classroom
What’s your opinion on the presence and use of electronics in the classroom? This debate encompasses the use of everything from calculators to tablets; from texting in class to concepts of cheating and legitimate online research. The discussion tends to focus on the key topic of respect, both for the instructor and the other students. …
Reading With Children From A Young Age
I am hard at work on my second book so today’s column is written by guest columnist Emily Patterson, on behalf of Primrose Schools. For over 25 years Primrose has provided the highest quality educational day care possible. Raising a reader can be a difficult task with distractions such as television, Internet, and video games …
What Kind of Teacher are You?
“I’m not a teacher”, you say, relaxing back into your pajamas. “This article doesn’t apply to me; I get the day off from challenging myself.” Not so fast! This article applies to all teachers. And we’re all teachers. If you have children or co-workers, friends or family, you are a teacher. In short, anyone who interacts …
Electronics, Interest and Respect in the Classroom
Self Portrait, 2009 by Shane Wilson
What’s your opinion on the presence and use of electronics in the classroom?
This debate encompasses the use of everything from calculators to tablets; from texting in class to concepts of cheating and legitimate online research.
The discussion tends to focus on the key topic of respect, both for the instructor and the other students.
Opinion seems to be divided into two camps. One says no electronics; students are there to listen to and respect the instructor, and respect means full attention for the duration of the class. The other camp acknowledges that electronics are part of life and acceptable in the classroom so long as other students aren’t distracted by ringing phones, answered calls, or obvious Facebooking.
I agree that some students seem blissfully unaware of how rude they are: in Art History class one day a fellow student’s phone rang as he was asking a question. The student actually gestured to the teacher to hang on a minute and took the call. I was impressed by the student’s rudeness but even more so by how graciously the instructor handled it. I’m sure I would have responded much less politely.
That’s hopefully an extreme example, but as a teacher I do see plenty of electronic bad manners. I wonder though; are electronics the actual problem, or just symptoms of a deeper issue?
I agree that students need to practice respect, but do we the instructors treat students with respect? Sadly, the answer is often ‘no we do not.’ In our present system, students and their learning process receive little respect; we expect them to be inspired by externally imposed curricula, projects and deadlines. (And testing is even worse, but that’s fodder for a different article.)
How did we get in this mess of demanding students pay attention when we have made learning pejorative, disengaged from context (ie learning that is supposed to come from mostly looking at or listening to, words) and more about rules and discipline than passion and curiosity? Who decided that the best way to consume and assimilate knowledge was while sitting motionless for hours at a time?
I don’t think the problem is electronics. It’s not mobile phones and it’s not Facebook. It wasn’t pagers or calculators or passing paper notes. What if the real problem is how boring school is?
Even when I was a kid, school was boring and restrictive. How can we teach people when we’ve stupefied them with boredom?
From elementary to post-grad, classes are dull. Current educational methods are terrible: we force students to stay in one spot listening passively as the instructor drones on (and on and on – nothing like a captive audience). Our education system turns the natural desire to learn into difficult and often emotionally-scarring drudgery.
As a kid in elementary and high school, I wondered why I was supposed to want to be educated as much as some of my teachers wanted me to want it. I didn’t care about school. It was a good place to hang out with my friends and play some sports, but I was never motivated to get high grades or compete for excellence. I was mystified by the administrators and teachers demanding that I buy into their activities. Even as a kid I thought “if you want me to want this so much, why don’t you make it interesting?”
This is where the conversation gets interesting: whose responsibility is engagement? Is it the duty of the student to summon enthusiasm for the course and respect for the instructor merely because they exist, or does the teacher hold the obligation to create engaging and interesting coursework? Should a teacher present information as experientially as possible, or is demanding rote memorization sufficient? Is recall the same as knowledge?
The easy answer is that we need to overhaul the education system and redefine ‘education’ and ‘educated.’ Students learn from many senses. They learn from doing and from being inspired and from experience. The old-school pedagogy of ‘sit down and shut’ up while the instructor lectures to disengaged students needs to be replaced by engaged student-centric learning.
We need to make education more like skateboarding; have you ever heard a parent nag their child to go practice skateboarding; “no more homework until you get yourself outside and perfect that ollie”? No, and that’s because skateboarding is fun – we adults haven’t mucked it up for the kids. Look at how motivated skaters are and how well they learn the craft, the mythology and history, theory and physics, costumes and language. Skaters learn dedication and practice, self-correction, and teaching and learning from others. They learn to innovate, iterate and lead by example. Most also learn valuable first aid skills.
Sadly, the revolution of education probably won’t happen this year. Until it does, what can teachers do?
We can place some of the onus and responsibility for their education on students. We can include them in course planning and delivery. We can invite their expertise and interests to inform and guide the course. We can use peer learning, mythology and mentoring instead of the old ‘stand and deliver’ method.
We teachers – and please notice I include myself – need to reanimate classes. Learning is fascinating, fun and exciting. I challenge myself to shut up, get away from the front of the classroom, and make learning as hands-on as possible. I attempt to earn the students’ respect by being helpful, supportive and honest. I think my job is to introduce key ideas and concepts, lead students to sources, and support their inquiries; much the same as a good parent, coach or manager. Our job is to share the gift of inspired exploration.
Clearly Communicating: Face-to-Face Communication
Spring Daffodil by Lucinda Atwood
I often discuss clear communication in writing and presentations. But what about spoken communication?
When we communicate face to face, body language becomes a large part of the communication. Unlike written communications, we have less time to reflect on what is being said with words and body. There is also less time to collect your thoughts and strategise your response.
The good news is that if you’re a parent, you’re already part of the way there because parenting and business communication skills are completely transferrable.
Soon after returning to work from maternity leave, I watched a client have a meltdown. His ranting, blaming, demanding and refusing felt oddly familiar. I almost laughed out loud when I realised why: he was having a temper tantrum. I instantly understood how to communicate with him to calm him down and help him get what he wanted.
When little kids melt down, we use touch to reinforce a connection – holding hands or a hug; whatever the child will accept. That’s inappropriate in the boardroom, so I held loose eye contact (occasional direct connection while mostly focusing on his chin or bridge of his nose to allow privacy and so it does not become confrontational).
I turned in my chair so that my entire body faced him, relaxed my shoulders and kept my arms and legs uncrossed. This stance of openness helped me relax and gave him a sense of having my complete attention.
I made sure not to make eye contact with my team members so there was no hint that we might be rolling our eyes at him. As far as I was concerned, he and I were the only people in the room.
I became curious, without defense. I asked questions to probe the cause of his unhappiness, and eventually we got to the root of the problem. We discovered that it wasn’t the work that was the problem; it was that he felt unincluded. In my team’s zeal to take all the effort off his shoulders, we had pushed him out of the design process. Like anyone, he wanted input and control.
I used reflecting words to let him know that I understood his frustration at feeling unheard. Then we focused the discussion on “next time.” We found places where he could be included in decision making, gave up our ‘expert’ control over a few areas that were within his capability, and discussed as a group how to change our process so that he would feel more ownership of the project. The meeting and ultimately the project concluded peacefully and successfully. The best news is that the client became one of our favorites.
Whether they’re two or fifty-two, people want to be heard, included and respected. Clear communicators stay focused on the real issue(s) and don’t get distracted by insults or accusations. I admit, that’s not always easy to do, but it is always the better choice.
Tips for clear face-to-face communication:
- Make occasional eye contact but don’t turn it into a staring contest. This can be a tricky issue because some cultures find direct eye contact confrontational while others think that a lack of it means you are lying.
- Imagine what your face looks like while you’re listening. Especially as we age, the face in repose can look angry or stern even when we’re perfectly happy. Be careful that you’re not unintentionally frowning at others. That said, don’t adopt a fake “I’m listening” expression which can seem condescending.
- In the face of strong emotions, try to get at the real cause. You may not know that the angry client is fearful for their job and afraid of being made to look incompetent, for example. Try to listen for the bigger picture.
- Get to know yourself. What causes you to lose momentum and effectiveness? Understanding yourself can help you understand others.
- Speak less, pause more. Try to speak actively, not reactively.
- Check in with the other person’s body language – are they at ease or uptight and fidgety?
- Speak with the aim to fix and improve, not blame.
- Allow others space for their emotions, but don’t take them on yourself. Just because someone is yelling and blaming doesn’t mean you have to feel angry or defensive. You can respect someone else’s emotions without reactivity.
Are We Teaching Students to Hate Running?
"Ivory Tower" Sculpture in mammoth ivory by Shane Wilson
I live near a high school. Each spring for fifteen years now, I’ve watched teenagers lope past my house on their gym class runs. Few of those kids ever looked like they were enjoying the experience; most seemed to be in pain.
High school students and grads I’ve spoken with are almost unanimous in their agreement that the running portion of Phys Ed served only to make them hate running.
I actually enjoy running. Now. I hated it in my teens because I didn’t know how to run properly. It was only as an adult that I figured it out and taught myself. Now I look forward to, and enjoy my runs.
In all other aspects of physical fitness, students are taught at least the rudimentary skills of the sport, but not so with running. Teens, at the most self-conscious times of their mental and physical development, are sent outside and told to run, period. No coaching or training is given about pacing, chi running (ie running that doesn’t harm the body), breathing, posture or engaging the core.
There is no gradual building up of the distance. Kids are told to run a certain distance and then graded on the speed with which they accomplish it. The educational system forces our kids to obsess about grades and then applies grades for running fast enough. What have they actually learned?
Students are penalized for walking. What about the kids with asthma and other physical ailments? What about girls who are menstruating? Running can be hellish for those with cramps or heavy bleeding; the very opposite of what your body is telling you to do.
As a parent I work assiduously to teach my kids to listen to their bodies; to rest when tired, eat well and only when hungry, and to take care of themselves. Then they go to school and are taught the opposite. Our educational system is stuck in the tough-it-out make-a-man-of-you stage of evolution.
I rarely see a teaching running with their students. To me, this is lazy teaching. Trust me, I know lazy teaching; I’m a teacher who is also a student. I’ve been both the provider and receiver of lazy teaching. Sending kids off to run a route and then standing around timing them is not teaching or leading. It’s timing.
A teacher who was truly vested in instilling a lifelong love of running, and by extension fitness, would give students the skills and encouragement to run well and without pain. They would run with them, doing various drills and exercises along the way. Youth should be taught that fitness is fun – not punishment imposed by those with power over them.
And what’s wrong with walking? Why not a brisk walk through the neighborhood doing breathing and core-engagement exercises? Those power walks could be preparatory to running or could include short sprints. Running can be an enjoyable experience, but the way it’s commonly taught now leaves me with this question:
Why the apparent commitment to making students hate running?
The beautiful sculpture pictured above is by highly talented sculptor Shane Wilson. You can see more of his work on his web site at http://www.shanewilson.com/. You can see “Ivory Tower” there too.
What Kind of Teacher are You?
Virginia Creeper by Lucinda Atwood
“I’m not a teacher”, you say, relaxing back into your pajamas. “This article doesn’t apply to me; I get the day off from challenging myself.”
Not so fast! This article applies to all teachers. And we’re all teachers. If you have children or co-workers, friends or family, you are a teacher. In short, anyone who interacts with other humans is a teacher. And let’s throw in animals too. If we interact with animals – wild or domesticated – we are teaching.
If you are a ‘real’ teacher – a classroom teacher or leader of others – you have an explicit mandate to instruct. You know who your students are and what you have agreed to teach.
If you are not a teacher by profession, you may not be aware of your student body. You may not notice that the way you interact with the children, co-workers and strangers in your life teaches them how to treat themselves and each other.
On Education
Honeysuckle Flower, by Lucinda Atwood
Along with self-knowledge, I am very interested in education reform. Internet technologies make learning comfortable, enjoyable and highly personalized. I advocate for self-guided self-motivated education that creates an inclusive arena for all styles of learning and expressing.
It’s also time to review why we desire education. What makes a person educated? What is a good education? Is education worth the cost? Who are the arbiters of knowledge and methods of transferring it? Does education make people smarter? Is a degree the sign of an intelligent person or of a person capable of succeeding at degree-getting? Does higher education actually improve your financial picture? Is non career-related education worthwhile? Is education worthy only in pursuit of higher income? If it doesn’t fit into a regarded field of study is knowledge meaningful? What is the difference between knowledge-gathering and education? What if education was lifelong, fun and accessible? [hint - it is]
This does’t just apply to schools, we are all lifelong learners. I believe it’s time to move away from the idea of ‘getting an education’ and then moving out into the world – that’s like trying to get enough air so you don’t have to breathe again. Just as we now can buy the song not the album and the chapter not the book, so too does education work well with just-in-time learning.
We can end the stress associated with education. I have encountered many a macho idealization of higher learning; again and again profs told us that ‘in their day’ students pulled all-nighters, slept in the labs and generally went a little crazy for their education. As if anxiety stress and lack of sleep somehow denotes a healthy interest. To me it denotes stress and anxiety. What if learning was fun? [It is]
The internet has changed our interaction with knowledge. Education is no longer about the memorization and regurgitation of ‘facts’. We now need to know how to find and access information and think critically, and to draw our own conclusions. This will change the whole nature of education. I hope! Instead of taking in enthusiastic curious kindergarteners and churning out bored disaffected youth, the education system can begin to take on a mentoring success-oriented model.
Teachers should learn from and respect their students. I’d love to move away from an education model that imposes the judgement of others as ‘truth’; the idea that teachers know and students don’t. I encourage teachers to adopt a guide-centric approach, where they consider themselves mentors, not all-knowing holders of wisdom. Like a manager, where they work to facilitate students’ success, rather than as gatekeepers of an exclusive club called knowledge.
We should all consider ourselves teachers and learners – interconnected wise people who grow and learn collaboratively. Taking this approach allows us to feel ownership over our own education and to see learning as an enjoyable and ongoing practice.
Taking responsibility for our own education is part of being responsible for our own lives. The idea that we are ultimately responsible for our own happiness and attitude can be overwhelming, but when we stop trying to change circumstances and focus on attitudes and contributions, we can move forward in peace. Happiness is not some future goal or a reward to be bestowed on us by an outside force; happiness is available here, now. It’s a choice about how we live; something we can give ourselves in each moment. When we make space for joy, we bring faith and peace into our lives and positively affect others.
Rules for Students and Teachers
Bubbles in a glass of water, by C. Medrano
Came across this the other day. Usually attributed to John Cage, I believe it’s actually the work of Corita Kent. Please let me know if you know otherwise. Regardless, it’s a lovely reminder for anyone who is a student or teacher; ideally that would be all of us, if you consider life a learning experience, and paying forward gained wisdom one of our duties.
RULE ONE: Find a place you trust, and then try trusting it for awhile.
RULE TWO: General duties of a student – pull everything out of your teacher; pull everything out of your fellow students.
RULE THREE: General duties of a teacher – pull everything out of your students.
RULE FOUR: Consider everything an experiment.
RULE FIVE: be self-disciplined – this means finding someone wise or smart and choosing to follow them. To be disciplined is to follow in a good way. To be self-disciplined is to follow in a better way.
RULE SIX: Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.
RULE SEVEN: The only rule is work. If you work it will lead to something. It’s the people who do all of the work all of the time who eventually catch on to things.
RULE EIGHT: Don’t try to create and analyze at the same time. They’re different processes.
RULE NINE: Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. It’s lighter than you think.
RULE TEN: “We’re breaking all the rules. Even our own rules. And how do we do that? By leaving plenty of room for X quantities.” John Cage
HINTS: Always be around. Come or go to everything. Always go to classes. Read anything you can get your hands on. Look at movies carefully, often. Save everything – it might come in handy later.
It’s vs Its: Do we really need the debate?
Sky tree, by Lucinda Atwood
It’s time to do away with the apostrophe in it’s. No one knows how to use it anymore, and spell checkers can’t pick it up—although a good grammar checker can. Because it is so often used incorrectly, we resort to looking at the context in order to understand if the word used should be its or it’s.
In most cases, an apostrophe means possessive, replacing a preceding “of or belong to.” “Tom’s hat” means “the hat of Tom”; ie that hat belongs to Tom. An exception to this possessive is the word “it’s”, which does not mean of or belonging to it. “That cat lost its hat” means that cat lost the hat belonging to it. If we follow the apostrophize for possessive rule it should be written “That cat lost it’s hat.” But it’s not.
It’s means “it is”. The apostrophe depicts a contraction of two words into one, and the deletion of one or more letters. “It’s time to go” means “It is time to go.” “Its time to go” doesn’t mean anything.
Because of the confusion with the apostrophe, in a sort of “overuse can’t be misuse” approach to writing, people have begun adding random apostrophes almost anywhere. They use them in plurals (plural’s), after acronyms (DVD’s) and dates (“in the 1950’s”). We end up with messes like “I put my dog’s in their crate,” and the poor reader is left hanging, waiting to find out what you put in the crate with that dog – its toy, food, pet mouse. After a while we realize that “dog’s” should have been “dogs”; there was more than one dog. The reader loses a little bit of faith in the writer and the writer loses a little face.
Reading online I see that when it comes to the proper use of “its” and “it’s”, many of us don’t know or don’t care. When we use text online or socially we tend to write quickly, more intent on the content than the structure. Even those of us who do know and do care can be caught by the typo, unintentionally typing the wrong word. But most interesting is the fact that no one seems bothered by the error. I think few people are stopped cold, unable to infer the writer’s intent.
Using the wrong “its” or “it’s” a stupid mistake that can trip you up and weaken your reputation. Although I am no longer the language snob of days past, I do respond with a little gasp of embarrassment for the writer who misuses “it’s”. I know I shouldn’t judge them, but I do. That little typo makes the writer look bad, especially when it’s committed by people positioning themselves as authorities or as having high attention to detail. I’ve caught a few of those typos in my own writing after it’s been published and am mortified. Even with careful attention to detail, they can slip in.
Since the context gives us the answer, is it really necessary to continue using that apostrophe? English is a living language, meaning that it continues to change and grow as our lives evolve. I think it could survive losing the word “it’s.” It’s the most problematic of the contractions because it doesn’t follow protocol regarding possession. Its is just so much easier. Besides I hate typing apostrophes.
Am I wrong? Are there times when the correct “it’s” or “its” is imperative to understanding? I haven’t thought of any but would love to be challenged.
Reading With Children From A Young Age
Glistening Cobweb, by Lucinda Atwood
I am hard at work on my second book so today’s column is written by guest columnist Emily Patterson, on behalf of Primrose Schools. For over 25 years Primrose has provided the highest quality educational day care possible.
Raising a reader can be a difficult task with distractions such as television, Internet, and video games available at every corner. Parents can remedy this by reading to children regularly, even when they are still in the womb. While most children aren’t able to learn the mechanics of reading until about age five, reading to them from infancy lays the foundation for a lifelong love of books. Studies have found that reading aloud to children is the most effective thing a parent can do to prepare their child for success in school.
Through print, children encounter more words than they would in daily life, allowing them to build their vocabulary. Reading aloud to children aids in the development of their cognitive and language skills fostering curiosity, memory, and motivation. In addition, the one-on-one attention from a parent during reading time strengthens the parent-child bond and allows them to associate reading with pleasant feelings. The American Library Association has found that the benefits of reading aloud to young children run even deeper than language skills. The Association states that, “children are introduced to new concepts such as colors, shapes, numbers, and alphabet, in a fun, age appropriate way” and they “learn information about the world around them.”
Experts suggest reading to children daily, whether it is 15 minutes or 30 minutes. This should be done in addition to any assigned school reading. It’s important to choose age-appropriate reading materials. Cloth books can teach infants how to turn pages and orient pictures right side up. Picture-based books are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. Be sure to read aloud in exaggerated tones, pointing at pictures, and making connections to the child’s life. Ask them questions such as “What do you think will happen next?” to make it an interactive experience. Once a child is able to begin sounding out words, rhyming texts can be helpful to allow your child to learn the connection between pronunciation and spelling.
Let your children pick their own books, but also remember they love repetition. Find a happy medium with a book you won’t mind reading dozens of times. The best way to establish a reading routine is to choose a certain time each day so that reading becomes a habit. Consistency is key when it comes to engaging children in reading. Here are some helpful tips for creating an environment that promotes early literacy and a love of books:
Keep books on hand at all times.
When sitting in a doctor’s office, waiting for a food order, or even taking long car rides, the children will always have access to reading materials.
Visit the local library frequently and take advantage of programs such as story times.
Read in front of your children. They will be more likely to pick up the habit.
Create your own library of books suited to your child’s age and developmental stage. Visiting a used bookstore can be cost-effective.
Have children read street signs, store signs, and anything else they see, aloud.
Allow older children to read to their younger siblings, even if they aren’t reading exactly what is written in the book.
Also encourage them to read aloud to you. They may be reading from memory, yet this is how good readers get their start.
Get suggestion from your child’s teachers. Read books that reinforce the lessons they learn in school.
Setting aside time to read to your child each day is one of the greatest gifts that you can give as a parent. In addition to loving memories, you will provide your child with a head start in school. Children will cultivate listening and language skills, while building their memory and vocabulary. Start reading to your child today to create a foundation for their future.
Written by Emily Patterson on behalf of Primrose Schools. For over 25 years, Primrose has helped students achieve higher levels of success by providing them with AdvancED® accredited, education and early child care services. Through an accelerated Balanced Learning® curriculum, Primrose Schools students are exposed to a widely diverse range of subject matter giving them a much greater opportunity to develop mentally, physically and socially. Emily has written a number of articles on topics varying from bilingual learning to teaching the importance of volunteering.
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