Reflect after reading the Introduction and Chapter 1:
Why do the types of tasks matter in math classrooms? Why is the delivery important?
Consider the following questions:
- What is resonating with you from the reading?
- What caused you to pause and think during this section?
Respond and Interact
After reading these chapters, please post your response to one {or more} of the prompts above. Read our colleagues' reflections. Feel free to respond to someone by sharing a comment, insight or interesting possibility.
I was nodding as he was describing the "studenting" behaviors. I also felt convicted when I read, "Thinking is a necessary precursor to learning, and if students are not thinking, then they are not learning." It reminded me of so many math lessons where I just stood up there and asked kids to do what I was doing. They weren't thinking at all - they were just mimicking me. 😳 I hope they had a better teacher somewhere down the road. lol.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I feel you. As I was reading the first few pages I thought uhoh! I can't wait to see how engagement changes as I learn the practices that encourage robust thinking in the classrooms.
DeleteThe part that is resonating with me most is the thought behind what the tasks are asking students to do, rather than what the task is. Thinking from the student perspective as to what the possible problem solving thoughts is powerful - it allows you to plan intentionally. How we deliver tasks can impact the way students risk take and problem solve. As Renae said, we have to be careful not to create a classroom full of mimickers!
ReplyDeleteI found that interesting too Taylor! I don't know if I have - well I know I haven't brought in enough engaging tasks that are open ended. I guess the games that have students strategizing are a good place to start!
DeleteI think the thing that resonated with me was the how the institutional norms that schools follow possibly enable and foster the non-thinking behavior. On page 11, it shares how the norms have not changed sinde the industrial age. We need to change sooner than later! In fact, that's probably why students mimic...they figured it all out and know they get by just parroting what we spout off. What's worse is last week, I even realized I had some students totally faking it. Gasp! I am looking forward to implementing the first three opitmal changes to offset these behaviors.
ReplyDeleteThis stood out to me too. So much of school, specifically math, is made to be taught as "I do, you do, we do" and my students check out or aren't bought into the learning.
DeleteI have to say this first part of the book made me sad. I think it is all true. The studenting behaviors on page 9 & 10 are behaviors I have seen on a daily basis in my classroom. They are behaviors I work to fizzle out in the classroom as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteAlso the Institutional norms have proven hard to change. I think this perpetuates because people like comfort and like their own ideas and opinions. Although we have hours and hours of PD, teaching is still mostly 1 teacher with 25-35 students in the classroom. The norms of interaction help keep peace in a classroom where a teacher is outnumbered. I am hopeful that the thinking classroom will help us shift to feeling empowered by classroom discussion where teachers are the moderator and not the instructor. The teacher has to be built up and trained in moderating not just instructing.
What is resonating with me most is the idea of teaching to students with the assumption that they are not thinking. This is a very real statement in the area that I teach. It's not a desire to teach to them as if they can't learn, but more a way of teaching to them knowing that this is an area they struggle and tend to "shut down". None of my students want to have any kind of productive struggle and always just ask for the answer to be given to them or they wait to start their work until we are solving together. I am excited to learn new ways to shift this way of teaching and learn to be more of a facilitator of their learning as opposed to just the direct instructor.
ReplyDeleteSo much to think about after the intro and Chapter 1! Honestly my first thought is- "This makes so much sense, how could I have not noticed this in all these years!" As others have stated the idea of students simply mimicking me is hitting so hard! I've been thinking about it all day in every lesson that I'm teaching. Do they actually understand the concepts or are they just mimicking the response they know I want. It's so powerful to think of teaching in these terms. I am very excited to learn how to shift to this kind of teaching!
ReplyDelete