Talking Points
"Stop trying to cut corners. Stop running. Make a commitment
and do the work equity calls us to do."
This is something I feel like I struggle with. I know I'm supposed to teach with rigor, and at grade level, but the majority of students in my classes are not at grade level, most are at least 3 levels below in terms of math and english, and that doesn't even take into account the newcomers who have only been in the country for a few months. I try to keep things on grade level, but doing so takes an incredibly long time to get through content because I'm constantly trying to catch the students up on what they should know already. I feel like I can either teach at grade level and get through a fraction of the material, or get through all of the material, but only in the most cursory manner.
"Even through high school, we have to know better for
them. When we make this clear to
students, we reconnect with what brought us to education."
I try to keep this in mind, I'm trying to help these kids be better versions of themselves whether they realize it or not. I've even tried explaining this to my classes with varying results. It does get frustrating though, it often seems like many of my students are actively trying not to succeed. I understand that this is physiological as much as sociological, but it doesn't make it any easier.
"Life does not level down."
This is a powerful message, and in a very succinct package. I might try using this in my classroom as it connects to videogame culture which most students are steeped in.
Argument Statement
Teachers and students often get stuck in ruts and become resistant to change vor myriad reasons. This does not befit the role of an educator as we must always be striving to find the most effective way to serve our students. As we change to meet the needs of our students and hold them to the standards we believe they can meet, we must keep those standards high lest we risk them falling into the pits we dig for them.
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