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Book Analysis
Walking into a classroom on the first day of teaching is considered one of the most terrifying experiences imaginable. The first day sets the tone for the whole year. Is this class going to be a fun relaxing class, a hard and academically superior class, or a chaotic stressful class where the best part of the day is the end? Former teachers and now authors, Daniel Robb and Rafe Esquith describe their experiences of teaching new classrooms with new situations in their books Crossing the Water and Teach like Your Hair’s on Fire. They both talk about their experiences enlightening them to the importance of trust, respect, and being yourself. These three key components have a large impact on and can improve classroom management,
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teacher-student relationships, and student potential. With these three themes influenced by the three components, the first year of teaching can seem less terrifying. Book Summaries Crossing the Water Crossing the Water is Daniel Robb’s (2001) memoir of his time teaching on an island with solely male students convicted of crimes from drug use to theft to attempted murder. Daniel discusses the difficultly of teaching boys who not only do not care about learning, but can probably inflict heavy bodily harm on him as well. These boys don’t have any motivation to learn and are stuck on an island away from family and friends as a jail sentence. Daniel refers back to his own background and how because of the way he grew up he was able to connect to the boys at the island and be able to handle them. The author switches and ties in events from his past to the events during his time on the island to the events that happen after he has left the island. The boys he teach, come from the most horrible backgrounds which as the author states can make them “get angry” and thus become dangerous (Robb, 2001, p. 19). Daniel begins by describing getting off the island and then immediately switches to right before he got accepted. When being interviewed for the job his future boss told him “I might need a teacher, and I might need a punching bag for the boys. Which might you be?” As time goes by, he realizes that each boy is different and has a deeper level of intellect, passion, and soul than most who see them as druggies and criminals. The teachers understand that these boys can get angry and it is better to bring out the angry up to right before their breaking point. You let the boys have the last word. Daniel pushes their thinking, asking why over and over again until they are able to explain their true reasoning. He never tries to be false or fake towards them and they return are genuine right back to him. Crossing the Water explains the crucially of establishing a trust based on truth, openness, and respect no matter what background you come from (Robb, 2001). Teach Like your Hair’s on Fire Instead of a memoir on a teaching experience, Rafe Esquith’s Teach like Your Hair’s on Fire (2007) gives advice and explains specific methods through his own life experiences. Esquith’s methods focuses on trust with the students. He creates this classroom environment where he trusts the students and they are responsible and are more capable than people imagine. He explains the differences of his own experience with other elementary and high schools. When taking the students on a field trip to Disneyland, Rafe describes how most high school classes act negatively towards the trip and are dependent on teachers to enjoy themselves. His classes however were responsible, behaved well on their own, and thoroughly enjoyed it. They managed themselves and because of a curriculum where the teacher integrated many concepts from the Disney Park with his regular lessons, the students were able to enjoy and appreciate the trip more than a regular high school class. The students are entrusted with finding which rides they want to go ride on and which exhibits they want to go see. The teacher has given them more trust and now they are able to enjoy and get more out of this experience. Trust can open the doors to many possibilities and can let a student rise farther than they ever thought possible. Not only does Rafe trust his students but the students now trust him and behave in a way that respects him and his profession (Esquith, 2007). Analysis Classroom Management Classroom management is not solely fixated on the discipline aspect but also refers to the way a teacher manages the communication between themselves and the students in order learn as much of the curriculum they can in a year.
In Crossing the Water, Daniel explains a previous teaching experience that helped formed his approach to a sticky situation on the island. Daniel was teaching English and the topic of right English versus slang English came up during a quiz. Daniel handled the situation beautifully explaining the correct answer without degrading the way they grew up talking. He did not explain things as right or wrong for the possibility that his response could be “potentially damaging” by disrespecting his background, culture, guardians who raised him, and the way he grew up (Robb, 2001, p. 128). He continued by referring to a personal situation that paralleled theirs. Because he was able to manage the class in a way that was not degrading or vague the students were able to comprehend the material on a new and higher level that reflected the way they …show more content…
behaved. Handling a classroom requires respect on the teacher’s behalf. Having respect for the students allows for the students to remain open to new ideas and concepts. Having respect for the students build their character and their relationship with you. When Rafe Esquith takes his classroom on field trips, he is prepared and goes even further by preparing the students in advance by incorporating paralleling concepts into the curriculum. Not by telling them to be on their best behavior or else, but by merely accepting who they are and having them work on “planning the trip”. Whether that means looking up and knowing the subway routes, which airplane terminal to go to, or which museum exhibits and pieces they want to see weeks before they actually leave. Because he is able to manage the students, thus keeping his students prepared to an extent over overprotection, he is able to keep all his safe, together, and enjoying themselves thoroughly. His students have never been hurt or killed due to a lack of teacher management and after one trip a sweet little commented to Rafe that “[Her] favorite thing about Washington [was] that Rafe took good care of [her]” (Esquith, 2007, p.187). Being able to manage a classroom not through the classroom but through your interaction with the students can create a responsive environment than the conventional ideas of classroom. Student-Teacher Relationships A very prominent theme between the two books was the importance nature of student-teacher relationships. Often, fear is the common enemy of the teacher-student relationship that has to be overcome. Rafe from Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire believes that the biggest key to fight fear and enhance the relationship is trust. Trust is a vital piece in the success to building good relationships with students. Giving your trust to students allows for students to become more responsible. There is a difference between giving students responsibilities and giving them trust. By giving them more and more responsibilities you run the risk of overwhelming them and having them lose sight of learning as they focus on completion. Trust opens the teacher up to the students and has them strive to make their teacher proud and strive to better their education because the teacher believes in them and trusts them. In Crossing the Water, the author writes about how, on his first day, he took a break and left the group to relax and do some T’ai Chi. Immediately afterwards, his boss and the other teachers come up and tell him that he should not do that. Daniel wasn’t supposed to just walk out on the students like that. He had “… to be there for them all the time… [because] they resent it when you’re not there for them…” (Robb, 2001, p. 41). This theory of trust between Daniel and the boys on the island reinforced the idea that they had to be there for each other. Establishing a relationship of trust had the possibility of changing the hard and aggressive nature of the boys into a calmer and more productive nature to present as responsible citizens in society. The best advice Daniel’s boss gave to him was to be himself. The boys would see right through any façade he put up and would lose every inch of respect for him. Teachers need to be themselves, and present the true and virtuous sides of their personalities with the students thus presenting their vulnerable underbelly that allows for students to attach themselves as a refuge. Becoming personal can help the teacher be able to bring out the students fullest potential based on the individual student. Student Potential Teachers terrify students just as much as they terrify teachers.
Students should see the human behind the scary instructor exterior. Being a dictator can lead to students fearing and resenting you. When this happens the students are unwillingly to stretch their minds and see how far their abilities can take them. They gain no sense of responsibility. They are just afraid of failing and suffering the wrath of the hard teacher. Only doing as much as they need to do satisfy the anger of the teacher. In Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire, Rafe explains 6 levels of moral development. The most basic level of a student’s character development and reasoning is “Level 1: I don’t want to get in trouble” (Esquith, 2007, p.14). A teacher risks having their students stuck in this level and unable to grow to the ultimate “Level 6: I have a personal code of behavior and I follow it (the Atticus Finch level)” (Esquith, 2007, p. 22). Being genuine and yourself opens you up to the students and allows for them to reach you. This aspect contributes to the aspect of trust. Students will be more willing to open up and respond to you and your teaching techniques if they are facing a real, genuine and authentic teacher with feelings, passion for teaching, and sympathy (and to a certain point empathy) for the students themselves. As Rafe explains in his prologue “there are no shortcuts.” (Esquith, 2007, p. xii.). There is no easy way to get a classroom to obey your every direction, learn
everything in the curriculum, and enjoy and love your class. There is not simple method guaranteeing that if you act like a dictator you will not only have their respect and attention they will learn everything and enjoy the class or if you bake them cookies and sing songs all the time they will love you, learn everything from the curriculum, and have a disciplined classroom. Conclusion Both Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire and Crossing the Water focus on the importance of student and teacher relationships, and the effects of classroom management and learning capabilities. The two books had three main themes that can help create a better and more effective school year. These three themes behind the communication effects of a teacher to the class shown through classroom management, teacher-student relationships, and a student’s potential can have long lasting impacts on the students. The communication between a teacher and the student can define moments for the student as well impact the teacher, educationally, mentally, and socially. Each of the books end describing how the students have taught the teachers just as much if not even more than what they teach in their lessons.
Both Ronald Morrish and Craig Seganti have been educators for many years and have subsequently developed their theories over many years of teaching. Both believe that it’s important first to establish the belief in students that the educator has the authority and is in command. Morrish and Seganti both also stress the importance of establishing rules and teaching students how to comply with those rules. For instance, Morrish and Seganti assert that it’s critical to practice appropriate classroom rules. Both also agree that it’s important only to make rules that you’re absolutely willing to enforce and that students should not be involved in creating these rules. Moreover, Morrish and Seganti also have similar perspectives regarding how self-esteem
Education should have helped students; however, Derrick Jensen considers current educational system as inefficiency. Schooling offers students tools to live in “the real world”, but then, he questions “what sorts of beings we are creating by the process of schooling” (3). In Walking on Water, Jensen states that “we are told that standardized testing must be imposed to make sure students meet a set of standardized criteria so they will later be able to fit into a world that is itself increasingly standardized” (5). School gives out standardized tests among different subjects to examine how well each student knows about facts and information, and then, uses test scores to evaluate students’ abilities; also, this is how society estimates each
Wallis, Claudia. “How to Make Great Teachers.” Time Online. 13 Feb. 2008. Web. 16 March 2011.
To begin with, I will be informing and reviewing the book A Long Walk to Water. The Author of this book is Linda Sue Park. This book has two main genres which are realistic fiction and nonfiction. The reason this story has two genres is because it revolves around two characters with their own story. In A Long Walk to Water the main characters are Salva, Nya, Jewiir and Marial. Jewiir plays an important role in the book because his actions affect Salva as well as protect him. He is also the uncle of Salva. Salva learns how to become a leader and not give up because of his uncle. This story mainly wraps around Salva and Nya. Salva is a young kid who becomes one of the ¨lost boys of sudan¨. That means he ended up being displaced and orphaned during
Great teaching requires sacrifice and consistently puts the development of the child first Esquith, after teaching for over 30 years and writing several award winning books, exemplifies this child centered philosophy of teaching. His purpose is to share his dedicated and selfless approach to teaching with teachers, in the hope that they too, will be inspired ‘to teach like their hair is on fire.’ He believes that commitment to each individual student is essential. As a role model, he stresses the importance of being dependable and providing an atmosphere that is safe and that promotes the love of learning. He focusses on values and teaching his students to respect themselves and others, to be kind and to always work hard (Esquith, 2007). With Esquith’s simple motto of, “be nice, work hard and there are no shortcuts, in the classroom” (Esquith,2007), it is easy to see why his students are so happy and successful.
I have read book called children of the river. It is about a girl named Sundara and she is trying to learn to live in america because of something that happened where she use to live. The starts out with Sundara and her family in their home while their dad is at work and someone tries to attack where she lived. They attacks and most of the people had to get on a boat down a river to escape from of all the horrible things that were happening. Some people on the boat were seasick and also people carried illnesses and lots of people were getting sick. They were really poor and for them it was a long journey for them to get to America. Sundara goes to America and goes to live with her Aunts and her other brother. Her
As the time approached, my attitude toward student-teaching was one of confidence and in some ways overconfidence. I believed that I was equipped with all of the tools necessary to be a superior teacher. Little did I know what truly goes on behind the scenes of a teacher. Between grading papers, attending meetings, and preparing lessons, I would often feel overwhelmed. Still, student teaching would prove to be much more valuable than I anticipated. It would teach me to appreciate the wisdom of mentors and experienced teachers, value or being organized and prepared, and lastly the resilience of students.
I try imparting into them the importance of an education and how they contribute to the growth of our society. In my classroom, I am in control. I draw a clear line between what and how much my students are allowed to do in the classroom. In the first week of school, I establish my authority and I clearly and explicitly express my classroom and outside the classroom procedures that will be followed and the rights that every student has in the classroom. Some examples, all students have the right to learn, all students have a right to be heard, and all students have a right to be respected. There are consequences for those that chose not to abide. This set the tone for my classroom environment for the entire year so, that learning may take
The job of a teacher is never easy but we have seen how cooperative discipline and enabling students to feel capable, connected and contributing can improve classroom management and maybe even our own moods. If we create an environment of mutual respect and give our students legitimate power of voice and choice in the classroom we will see positive results in improved student behavior and student achievement. Because when our students believe that they can succeed, they will.
To begin, we need to understand the nature of students. The nature of students varies between individuals. The majority of students are well-behaved and come to school ready to learn. Part of this is due to the way they have been raised, but most students are basically good. There is a small percent of students whose nature, it seems, is to make everyone miserable. I do not know if this is because of a difficult childhood at home or because the student just likes to be the center of attention. Either way, there are always students that will give their teachers a hard time. I guess this is their nature. Every individual is different, therefore, the nature of the students I will teach some day will be different depending on their background and other various things that may happen to them as they grow up. For example, a student that has lost a sibling due to an illness or accident, may become very bitter throughout life. The nature of this student’s behavior which is being shaped by this may make this student a cold-hearted and mean student. These are the students that teachers need to spend extra time with and try to make them feel loved, no matter how hard this may be. I, as a future teacher, need to look at students and try to help them out no matter how difficult that may be.
I’ve had teachers who taught in a way that was a good way for them to teacher, but wasn’t a good way for students to learn. I know I want to be a high school teacher, and by the time they will reach my class, my students should know how they should be presented the information, so that they can learn in such a way that is best for them. A teacher should be able to teach in a way that’s suitable for the majority of students, and be able to give extra help to those who don’t learn as the other students do. I want to be the teacher who is willing to put in extra time with the students for their classroom
For instance, the social powers model plays a significant role in building effective relationships that can promote the success of students and teachers. However, I agree that there needs to be a balance of each social power in order to have a positive effect on students; this is especially true for coercion and manipulation in the classroom. “These two social powers should be combined with a classroom management style that helps students see teachers as problem solvers (expertness) and as having personal characteristics that make the student want to perform well (likability)” (Alderman & Green, 2011, p. 43). As the text suggests, positive interaction among teachers and students is one of the most crucial elements of classroom management because it helps students become more engaged in the learning process, reduces misbehavior and promotes compliance. Thus, it’s critical to utilize the social powers model to build teacher-student communication and enhance relationships with students, for instance, making them feel secure and needed, learning their strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out what motivates them to want to
Coming into this class, I figured we would learn about how to handle different kinds of situations from a teacher’s standpoint. As it turns out, the class is much more than just that. I figured there would be group discussions consisting of some controversial issues, but I had no idea how the course would make me feel as a person and as a future educator. So far, this class has brought to light the incredibly difficult decisions I will have to make as a teacher. Not only will those decisions affect the child and parents of that child at hand, but myself as well.
As I reflect on my experiences observing in three different classrooms over the last three months, I cannot express how much I have learned by being in the classroom. I began the Master of Science in Education last fall and previous to the practicum experience I had taken 8 classes. I read books, listened to the experiences of my classmates and instructors, reflected on my own education, and tried to imagine how this information was going to prepare me to face a classroom of elementary school students. While I learned theories and skills that should be known by any educator, these classes could not teach me what I most desired to know: what tangible steps could I take to correctly implement all of the correct ways of teaching.