I was reading a very interesting article in USA Today and was struck by something I read and wanted some input from teachers, especially AP teachers.
Daniel Willingham the author of the book ‘Why don’t students like school?’ was interviewed and got me thinking with this quote, “School is all about mental challenge, and that is hard work, make no mistake. Still, people do enjoy mental work or, more exactly, people enjoy successful mental work. We get a snap of satisfaction when we solve a problem”.
I started to wondering again about students taking AP classes who are failing. Are we setting our students up for failure by not allowing them to have that ‘snap of satisfaction when they solve a problem’ and only see failure?
Then I read the statement “But solving a problem that is trivially easy is not fun”, and I have to ask. Is traditional curriculum enough to keep students engaged and learning, or is it trivially easy?
And then I am brought back to my original thought in my first question by the statement “Neither is hammering away at a problem with no sense you are making progress”. If students are not capable of passing an AP classes or AP exams, are we creating an environment for our students where they feel like they are ‘hammering away at a problem with no sense of making progress?’
The author then goes on to say “So the challenge for a teacher is to find that sweet spot of mental difficulty, and to find it simultaneously for 25 students, each with a different level of preparation. To fight this problem, teachers must engage each student with work that is appropriate for his or her level of preparation. This must be done sensitively, so that students who are behind don't feel like second-class citizens. But the fact is they are behind, and pretending that they are not does them no favors”.
This seems to be the impossible dream. I don’t see how realistically this can be achieved. With all of the state and federal mandates and current curriculum we are using in Hillsborough County, are we giving our teachers the flexibility they need?
Read the USA Today article here and tell me what you think.
12 comments:
"People differ in their abilities and in their interests,..."
"...I think the best way to get smarter is to put a little more learning into every day."
Intriguing article, thanks April it got me reflecting.
I know a teacher who is fond of saying "you can only learn what you already know a little bit about" and "learning is a change in behavior".
The learner must be receptive of the material and trusting in the person who is guiding them.
This includes faith that what they are learning will have value whether immediate or delayed.
We can not ignore the fact that much of what we are required to teach no longer reflects our local community culture and values - but has been gradually usurped and now dictated by a political entity. *(see Pearl Harbor reference in article)
To think our students don't somehow realize this is blindingly foolish.
They also soon understand that those who make the rules can't enforce them.
I teach an AP class filled (by administration) with students that do not desire to take the class or possess the capabilities to pass the AP exam. Students know when they are over their heads and operate in survival mode from the moment of recognition. Their subsequent attitude shift and the decline in their quality of work is almost a guarantee. They will not waste their time to "almost" pass the exam. They would rather get through the course and blow off the exam. This is a complete waste of my time and the taxpayers money. It's such a circle April.
I think there is an apple and oranges comparison problem in what I read. The article is about AP classes, which I place at the secondary level. Maybe I am wrong and AP classes are offered in elementary school too. I have never heard of them below secondary though. Let us assume for argument that AP classes are for secondary students. Here is the problem—and it’s a big one.
The author of the article says, "So the challenge for a teacher is to find that sweet spot of mental difficulty, and to find it simultaneously for 25 students, each with a different level of preparation."
Elementary teachers have 25 students but middle and high school teachers have six times that number. They have upwards of 150 to 200 students in a day. There is a huge difference in planning differentiated instruction for 25 students compared to doing so for two hundred. If the author is indeed thinking of 25 students in a secondary class as his measure, then he is being careless by not taking into consideration that at the secondary level the actual number is at least six times twenty-five.
It seems to be the impossible dream because of the sheer numbers involved notwithstanding any state or federal mandates.
Interesting article. Students want to learn what they feel is relevant. Students want to learn what is important to them. My students who want to go to college work hard in classes that prpare them for that. My students that intend to enter the computer field focus on those classes. Th most commited students I have ever, ever had were my vocational students -- they would work twice as hard to finish an English assignment so they could go to auto and finish working on a car, machineshop or carpentry oragriculture and finish working on that project. It was a win-win situation for all of us. We've since lost most of those program whih is a shame--those kids graduated know what they needed to get where they wanted--and with very few discipline problems. You se, if they didn't do well on that Englis assignment, the shop teacher would make them come during that class and do it right. The point? Students who WANT to learn because they understand why it is important WILL learn.
April,
I agree with the poster regarding the endless circle. Students in AP classes who belong there are constantly complaining that they do not feel challenged and like they are in an college environment since teachers are constantly having to cater to those who don't belong. Those who don't belong (more accuretly... they have the ability to belong if they put in the extra effort but they don't want to be in the class so they don't)are not willing to push themselves to reach their full potential. The end result... no one is happy!
April--
We have way too many students who are in AP classes because they are scheduled there. They did not agree-- someone else decided. Those students either cannot or will not do the work required, It is not fair to those teachers and the kids that want and are prepared to be there.The 2nd nine weeks and semester fallout is amazing-- and create chaos at the honor and regular levels which must absorb them. AVID is a good program-- BUT--every student does NOT belong in honors or AP.We need to meet the needs (a curiculum) of the kids who need a job/career when they graduate high school.
As always-- thanks for your willingness to "dialogue".
This might not be the proper topic to revisit a prior question of mine, but here I go anyway.
Back on May 29, 2009 I posted a question concerning athletic attachments two a VE/ESE position.
Because this particular type of job condition was to the very best of my recollection was something I never have really noticed in the pass.
Furthermore, I wanted to know how it would affect the number of qualified applicants for a VE. Position specially in an area of critical shortage.
Moreover, in these tough economic times this type of job attachment to a VE/ESE position makes it impossible for a special education teacher to attain an energy transfer in less, they happen to be a certified athletic coach.
Mrs.Griffin did almost immediately respond to my post.
Her response was " well I don’t immediately know the answer to your question. I will find out and post the answer in the near future"
however, I do know that April halves been busier than normal lately and I for one certainly appreciate all that she does for the school district she certainly seems to have her finger on the pulse of the HCPS.
I don't teach an AP class. The argument for introducing the Excelarator (sp?) program here in HCPS land is to prepare children for AP classes. That step leading to more children enrolled in AP Classes. Thus leading to more children enrolling in college. Haven't we got the cart before the horse by encouraging AP enrollment before we prepared the child for the rigorous coursework. And where is the research that shows that the Springboard curriculum actually succeeds in preparing the child for AP coursework? Obviously, last years Springboard Mathematics curriculum did not succeed in preparing the child because it had to be substantially revised and I do mean substantially. I think we need to measure success in our AP program by the number of students who make a three or better on the AP exam. Not on the numbers of students that are enrolled in AP classes.
Mc—
This is what I have heard about why supplemental assignments (coaching, business manager, etc.) are attached to open positions advertised on the district Web site job line. Positions placed on the Web site job line are manipulated. Some (perhaps many) Job openings placed on the Job-Line are less than desirable, while the more desirable positions are kept secretly off the Job-Line. That way the principals can give the desirable positions to their favorite candidates. I think principals are discouraged from participating in this practice, but principals are people not angels. This is what I heard.
Euclid--
You're right! Our "English" Springboard was mostly trash last year. The curriculum was revised and it seems to be an improvement (judging from my entire two day class to learn two substantially different preps). Our AP and honors kids are doing fine--it's the others(regular, FUSE ESE, abd ELL) that need the help. I have kids in my SENIOR English class who haven't passed F(bleeping)CAT. YES-- bonuses and school grades MUST be calculated by numbers that PASS the AP test--not numbers of bodies sitting in desks!!!!!It is unfair to both teachers and students in those classes. Just because ROSSAC declares it does not make the AP-Springboard-college connection so.
Yes, yes, yes, to so many of the points. Best practices and what we know from experience tells us we learn best when there is relevancy, the instruction matches our learning style, and we earn a sense of competency as we move along.
In terms of finding a cost effective, easy to use and adaptable for individual needs instructional delivery system, California is proposing this. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/education/09textbook.html
Simple, don't mainstream anymore. Don't offer AP class until in high school...which is age appropriate due to hopefully moving onto college next; restricted to 11th and 12th grade with the exception of truly gifted students.
Use a level system like: Honors, A, B, C
Group by Math/Science and English/Social Studies
Example: When I was in school I was an A in Math/Science and a B in English/Social Studies. I didn't enroll in an AP class until 11th grade.
This way you now have classrooms of a similar aptitude level with smaller variation within (leptokurtic distribution) vs mainstream which would have a much larger variation in aptitude (platykurtic distribution). This would allow for a teacher to set the difficulty level to find that "sweet spot" for that specific class.
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