In Conclusion - Page 134
Please write what you have learn from reading Teacher Talk. Has anything you read changed your practice in the classroom or how you speak to students?
posted by Sarah @ 3:58 AM
35 Comments
Monday, March 30, 2009
Previous Posts
- Touch each other gently.
- Make a picture in your mind.
- I understand just how you feel.
- Say you're sorry.
- Is that a group question?
- Someone in your group knows.
- Ask three before me.
- Put your baseball cards away. It's time for math.
- My patience is running out.
- Always do your best.
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
35 Comments:
What I have learned from this experience would take pages to write - the experience of dialoguing with colleagues has been awesome. We come from such varied backgrounds and experiences and have so much to share with each other but too often we don't get the chance. I am currently using a number of the strategies discussed in the book - I think the most important thing I have taken away from this experience though is the power of our words. We often say things without things of how they will be interpreted by others. "Think before you speak" is something I tell kids all the time but as adults I don't know if we do that well either. I am much more conscious of the words I use now. This has been fun and thought-provoking - what a great combination!
It was a good reminder to pull out the old tricks and put them into practice again! I think so much of the book was personal growth to use with kids and adults who we interact with personally and professionally! I would recommend this type of activity to any school staff and hope to be part of it again in the future. COMMUNICATION is the key to a positive school climate....
This was a wonderful book to read. I have recommended this book to many teachers in the district. It has been great to refresh my memory and learn new ways of helping children be successful. We tend to forget some of the basic ideas when we get caught up in testing, testing, testing. The big picture is that we need to remember these children are the future and we need to protect and encourage them to be the best they can be.
I really enjoyed the book! I have to admit when I first saw it, I thought it was going to be ideas "any good teacher" should already be doing! But like Gwenn said, it's about pulling out old tricks and using them again. I still hope I don't do 80% of all the talking in my classroom, but I have learned my words have a huge impact. I have learned new phraseology to foster a more healthy mental,emotional and academic environment in my room.
What I found most interesting were the articles that irritated me! The one about luck really riled me up. There were a few that I did not agree with to varying degrees and I found myself thinking of examples that strongly contradicted some of the articles. (Gee, I didn't know that I was so argumentative!)
This book was a great reminder about how there is a strong link between our choice of words and the attitudes of others. Currently, I find myself thinking of the different sections when I am speaking in class or with parents. It is always tremendously important to engage in mutually respectful relationships. I have also recommended this book to other teachers in the district, many who are seasoned teachers.
I have enjoyed reading the posts and seeing how others react to the messages in the chapters. Individual differences make life interesting. I loved arguing with him too Debbie. Socrates would have loved us.
What I learned most from Teacher Talk is to not react but to respond to the student's needs. This of course, takes time, as I will probably stumble a few times before I can change myself totally so I avoid making silly mistakes.
I agree with Karen that thinking before we speak is so important. Listen, acknowledge, and validate are the most essential things we can do as teachers, parents, spouses, etc. Take a deep breath before "reacting", and then respond.
Okay...practice, practice, rehearse, rehearse and rehearse...until I get it right.
Children sometimes are the best mirrors we have to reflect upon ourselves.
I will continue to use the skills discussed in Teacher Talk to improve my communication skills in all aspects of my life.
Thank you, Sarah, for giving us a wonderful and meaningful opportunity to learn and grow.
Although I didn't agree with every point along the way, there were many points that encouraged, reminded me, or inspired me to either keep doing certain things, and make adjustments to some old habits. There are far to many things to post, but from reading the posts along the way, I say it has affected all of us for the better in many little ways. It reminds me of what I teach my kids, which is "stop, think, and make a good choice". Adults don't always take the time to stop and think before the words come out and that is so important because the affects will be more lasting than we could ever imagine.
I will have to say it made me think and listen to others and myself. At times I think maybe I shouldn't be saying something like "hurry up", however, I am still trying to figure out what to say in its place. The book as a whole had many thought provoking ideas.
I really enjoyed the book and reading everyone's comments. I liked how in a lot of cases making a small change could make a difference. I think I have become more aware of my "teacher talk" and am more careful about how I word things.
Talk is not cheap. This book has been a good reminder to monitor our words and to consider our intent when we do speak. Throughout this blogging experience I have reminded that there are so many opportunities for our words to be uplifting and inspiring.
It has reminded me of things we have all heard before but sometimes forget to do.
Karen is so good at summing things up I could simply say "amen". However, to give it a personal touch, I would add that all of the "I never thought about that" entries helped me increase my stash of (semi)prepared responses. When I feel prepared the whole encounter goes much better from my side. By that I mean my tone of voice, body language, overall patience with a situation, and other things like that.
To be honest, when I first saw the cover of this book, it did not interest me. I saw the comments "I'm proud of you" and "Always do your best" on the cover and thought to myself, "I say those" - thinking it was a good thing. As I read each section, I realized the depth of those words and thought about them from the perspective of a student. Our words are so powerful, and each day we leave an impression on our students. It has been an eye-opener reading this book. I am more aware of my words now! I also liked the short sections - a page or two, and then reflecting.
I think reading this book made me reflect on my own teaching. It also made me more aware of the word choice that I am using with my students. I realized that some phrases that I may be using in class students could interpret in a different way. It was great to read these ideas and put them to use with my kids.
If only this book had been around when I was in elementary school! I have had so many teachers say so many things (good and bad) to me that have stayed with me till today. This book was an excellent reminder of the power and influence we have on our students, especially with our words. I love how it gave specific examples of how to implement these "phrases" in our classroom everyday. I have found myself saying, "Say some more" a lot. This encourages my ELL students to express themselves using as many English words as they can. I truly enjoyed this book and found it to be beneficial as a teacher and a mom!
This book has made me think more about what I say and how I say it. The little extra care it takes can make a world of difference in the relationship you have with your students.
Reading and sharing the reads in Teacher Talk have been valuable to me as a teacher, parent, and grandparent! I have tried a number of the suggestions I read about and found them to be successful. Many of the suggested ways to approach situations in the classroom have also been shared with my own children who are now parents! They have found success with the new ideas in approaching their own children in their interactions in the home.
I was happy to find that I had been using some of the strategies prior to reading and have now incorporated some new favorites since reading this book. I also enjoyed reading the comments of others.
I have tried many of the techniques that have been suggested by Teacher Talk", some have met with success and others with not the success that I would have liked. However, practicing them over time is probably the key. I think that this book is a real asset for new teachers who may have no frame of reference to draw from. It is also a great reminder for more seasoned teachers.
First of all I liked the blogging experience as it gave me an opportunity to connect with my peers at North Ranch. I also read about many strategies that I had never tried and I was excited when some of them had a big payoff in my classroom. Additionally, I was reminded of strategies that I have used in the past and did not think to apply in my current teaching assignment. I feel that I came away from this experience with new tools.
Anytime we take a class or read a book we are reminded of all the good things that we are doing and refreshed with all the things that we could be doing. I saw myself in parts of this book and am trying my best to change what I am doing. I think we spend a lot of time keeping up on the newest technology, the latest techniques of how to do things and the biggest and best things to bring to the classroom. When in reality, the one thing in the classroom that can make or break any lesson or a child is the teacher. I feel energized to have my children feel their best in my room, to grow in not only academic ways but emotionally and most importantly, learn to build their self esteem from within themselves. With renewed techniques from this book I feel confident to move forward and bring the best of me to the children.
I was always eager to see how my teaching buddies felt about the articles and looked forward to reading their insightful posts. I liked the layout of the book because you could read a page or two at a time if in a rush. As I read each section, I constantly reflected on how my behavior, words, and feelings impact my students, friends, and family. I didn't 'connect' with everything in the book, but I certainly connected enough to recommend it to many others.
I liked reading this book. There were many stories that I could relate to. It has some basic ideas that I forget to use, so it helped in reminding me. I used a few of these practices in my classes. I have been more cautious with what I say and I remind the kids to be careful with their words as well. This was a fun book to read
I enjoyed this experience. I think every teacher needs needs to remember to take time and reflect on what's going good and what needs a little work. This book and the blogging activities makes you take time to do this. It was also very interesting to see how other people responded to the stories.
This book addressed many comments that I know I have used over the years and I have heard others use, as well. After reading the book and thinking about how the words we use can have a whole different meaning to the listener, I am much more aware of what and how I say things and what I hear other teachers say. It is amazing how many comments from this book I hear almost on a daily basis from other teachers. "Check yourself", "thank you for taking a risk", "make a picture in your mind", etc. It is great!
I couldn't agree more with Karen. The power of our words can truly make a difference in a child's life. This book reminded me of that. It was nice to take the time and refresh my memory of this.
I really liked this book. I first thought it was so ridiculous because everyone should be doing this all the time, but it made me realize that I wasn't doing it all the time. It made me do some reflection on how I am teaching and what/how I am saying things. I really think that talking to our students is the key! Last semester one of my students came to the realization that I won't be going to 6th grade with them and she was very upset. I asked her why she would be so upset about this....she's going to get a great new teacher and experience a brand new class....her response was that I talked to her like she was a real person. She said that I looked at her and really cared about what she had to say. I was taken back by this....I didn't realize that I came across this way because there are times when I leave school thinking that I didn't give them enough of my attention that day. Teacher talk is a great book for teachers of any experience.
I feel that this book helped me to reflect on what I was saying and the impact it had on my students. Was it empowering them most of the time? There is such "power" in the words we use with kids. One has to step back, even in the midst of a hectic day, and reflect on what we're saying. It was very worthwhile to do this.
I enjoyed reading the book. As always, it confirmed some of the things I already knew and made me think about others. I catch myself starting to say some of these comments - both good and bad, and stop to think about their effects prior to saying them. I believe my practice grows in small bits - little changes constantly. This book will have that effect.
The things that stand out to me are being very aware of my words, my attitude and the way I allow students to interact with one another. Many things were good reminders of what we already know and do, and a refresher course of why those strategies are important. Some comments in the book I had never looked at from the author's angle. It has been a great experience.
The book was very informative on the relationship between teacher and student when using certain strategies that mostly pertained to the use of language. I did not agree with every article or suggestions, but I assumed this was done on purpose to ruffle the feathers of an educator and reflect upon what has worked in the classroom on certain situations. I did however agree with many articles that have proven successful in the classroom in which I should be doing but just needed a gentle reminder to get back on track a practice the proper words to use with students.
Ever since I closed the last page in this book a few weeks ago, I've been thinking carefully about the words I use in my classroom, and the tone in which I say those words. The young kids are especially sensitive to their teacher's reactions to various situations, and I appreciated learning some new ways to phrase my thoughts. I think it's safe to say that parents also appreciate when teachers use a respectful tone with their children- we are models and should act as so. Like others have said, I too have recommended this book to teachers at other schools; teachers with different teaching philosophies, backgrounds, and beliefs. This book provides a universal language that everyone can use! Weather we all agreed with every page in this book, I'm glad our entire staff had the opportunity to read it and think about it.
As a classroom teacher I can see where this book would be very thought provoking. Any medium that helps us to communicate more effectively is a positive. Using this blogging format was interesting - though I still like face to face interactions best..
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home