I'm thinking that one way for students to feel comfortable in calling their teacher or adult supervisor on an error of anykind would be for the adults in their lives to create an atmosphere of learning by all. I lelt my students know in many ways, that I am an adult learner, and I am learning with them. We venture out on journeys of discovery, with me as the facilitator. If I'm wrong, my students are quick to point it out and I am quick to admit my error. We then continue on a search of how to correct whatever the error was. I really think it's all about how the community is set up from the classroom to the entire school. Myra Brand Plainview, NY
----- Original Message ----- From: Bill IVEY Date: Sunday, December 16, 2007 9:30 am Subject: [LIT] developing independent thought (was "saying no") To: [email protected] > Hi! > > So I loved Heather's reframing of my original question: > "We need to be teaching children to think for themselves. To > think about > the consequences of their actions, and to make good choices > based on > information they have learned." > > In my school, I think we do a good job of being reactive - if someone > hasn't made a good choice, we're pretty good at helping her > think through > consequences of that choice and alternative courses of action. I also > think we are pretty good at going out of our way to note good > choices as > they are made without making too big a deal of it. And we > probably do a > pretty good job of teaching about poor choices on fairly major > issues like > drug use, Facebook, and so on. And we do a lot of work with the > 7th grade > on agreeing to disagree. > > But, and bear in my mind we are an all-girls school (and I do believe > girls are still being taught to please more than are boys), I > worry that > our students are not learning how to handle a situation where > the power > basically lies with the other person - parent, teacher, > eventually boss or > supervisor. They seem to basically shut down their voices, > saying it's not > that big a deal or they're worried about how the adult might react. > Speaking for myself, I know sometimes I do make mistakes, and I would > rather students point them out to me so that I can correct them. > So how do > we teach them to do that??? > > Take care, > Bill Ivey > Stoneleigh-Burnham School > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
