All posts by Michael Wittner

Two by ten, ten and two

Creating Classroom Community

“In particular, he researched a strategy called “Two-by-Ten.” Here, teachers focus on their most difficult student. For two minutes each day, 10 days in a row, teachers have a personal conversation with the student about anything the student is interested in, as long as the conversation is G-rated. Wlodkowski found an 85-percent improvement in that one student’s behavior.”

I was really interested in this strategy of behavior management because it would have never occurred to me. Not only would it have never occurred to me, I think I would actively try to avoid it. At this stage in my teaching career, when I’m still a little unsure of myself, I try to avoid my most difficult students, even in class. Now that I read about this strategy, it occurs to me that avoiding them might even make things worse, because it gives the bad students the impression that you don’t like them and/or don’t notice them, so they can continue to act up without any consequences. The two by ten strategy does the opposite – shows them that, even if you may not like them, you’re at least trying to like them, you’re believing there could be something about them to like, and you’re also showing them that you notice them, and everyone wants to be noticed. In a weird way you’re also admonishing them, letting them know, if they pick up on it, that you’re choosing to talk to them because there’s a problem, and you’re doing something about it, but they’re not totally sure what. It might keep them on their toes a little. I was astonished by the success rate of this method – 85%! The text also mentioned how it improved the whole dynamic of the class, because it enlisted the most difficult kids as allies – keep your friends close but your enemies closer, as the saying goes. This has to be approached in the right way – some kids might feel creeped out or patronized if this isn’t done correctly. They might be suspicious, and ask why you want to talk to them. You should have a good answer prepared, one that will brush that away and make them want to keep talking.

Exploring the World

Reaching Adolescents and How to Respond

“Certainly social pressures are part of adolescent vulnerability, but perhaps more important is that the teenage brain lends itself to highly motivated exploration of the world in order to learn how to be an adult. This is the time to take risks! Apparently the stage of brain construction during adolescence makes the brain more vulnerable to addiction than at any other time of life.”

I thought this was interesting because it looks at adolescent addiction from a fresh angle – it’s just part of the quest to grow up. I remember something that Fabienne said during class once – that our students are simply “trying on different outfits” and seeing if anything interesting fits. All of a sudden, an entirely new world of possibilities has opened up to adolescents, and for the first time, they can can feel like adults doing adult things. I remember how adult drinking coffee for the first time made me feel, and I wanted to chase that feeling. Drug addiction is in some ways an addiction to that feeling – that you’re doing something that adults, and not children, do. I also find it interesting that this quotation says that the brain participating in motivated exploration is more important than social pressures, which the article claimed earlier were one of the most important factors in addiction. I think seeing drug addiction in adolescents through this lens opens up a fascinating and not often explored view.

Lemons into lemonade

Friendship, Love, & Sexuality, Urban Adolescents

“Having sustained multiple levels of pain, teen mothers like Tanika channel betrayal into resiliency as an antidote to their pain, telling of newfound self-respect as a consequence of having gone through pregnancy and now raising a child. Teen mothers borrow aspects of self from strong women around them who pass on valuable lessons about who they should become and others whose contrasting lives become pivot points for their own decision making as parents…Kaplan characterizes motherhood as it has been framed for her by parenting teens as a “resistance strategy” where pregnancy and parenting substitute for the absence of intimate relationships, in effect allowing them to gain control and restore meaning lost on them up to this point in their lives.”

I think this is really interesting, and have never heard of teen pregnancy framed in such a way. I think as a culture we definitely follow a deficit-based model on teen pregnancy – we only talk about how bad it is for the child, for the mother, and how it can be avoided. It’s treated like an epidemic, a disease. I think it’s really valuable to see teen pregnancy as the ultimate teaching experience that allows single mothers to feel like true adults, resilient and strong. It follows the same strategy of upending our traditonal expectations of a situation – substituting “at-promise” with “at-risk”, and pointing out that teen motherhood can allow someone to restore meaning to their life.

“C’mon you guys, cut it out!”

Gender Socialization & Identities, Urban Adolescents

“Instead of brushing off words like “gay” or “faggot” with hasty or offhand reprimands of “don’t say that word!,” I try to prevent bullying while encouraging analysis of the varying meanings of these words – literally, historically, and colloquially – just as I would do in studies of other words students stumble across in texts. I shared a news article about Lawrence King’s murder with my students last year and posed questions about the decision to try thirteen-year-old shooter Brandon McInerney as an adult and about the politics of hate crime legislation. I received admonishment and complaints from administrators and some colleagues who claimed that I should “be careful, this is awfully mature for sixth graders!” But we can’t truly address bullying without closely examining the language that fuels it.”

It was difficult to choose an MVP from Krywancyzk’s incredible article – every single beautifully-written sentence made my head spin, made me take a deep breath just to take everything in before I went onto the next sentence. Krywancyzk writes so eloquently and clearly about a topic of such urgency I want to include the whole article as a sort of “MVA” – “most valuable article.” Forced to choose one passage, though, I chose the paragraph above because I actually heard a student call someone a faggot at school today, and how did I respond? I said, “C’mon, don’t say that word.” I had a feeling even at the time that this was a weak and ineffectual response, but I wasn’t sure how to press further. I think I was afraid of getting too “lecturey.” This passage is valuable because it says it’s okay to dig deeper – you’re not being lecturey – you’re explaining! You’re putting things into context. I’m reminded of an episode of “Louie” that featured a group of guys playing poker together. One of them is gay:

 

 

The next time I hear the word “faggot”, I’m gonna remember this clip, and Krywancyzk’s passage. I love how the guy handled it in this situation. He wasn’t preachy, he wasn’t angry – he was calm, but he stated in a very matter-of-fact way what the word “faggot” does – the kinds of memories it conjures. That’s so much better than saying “cut it out,” the same way I would if they were tapping their pen.

 

 

Newcomers & Perpetual Foreigners, Urban Adolescents

“Growing up, some white peers and teachers would describe me as an anomaly within my community instead of connecting my achievements to the intellectual heritage within the Latina/o community. As others who come from poor and working-class backgrounds or people of color have done I too could have bought into the deficit perspective that I am better than my own, but the practices of mainstream schooling, curriculum, and patriarchy I continue to experience serve as a constant reminder that I am perceived as belonging to a community of second-class citizens at best. Even after poor and working-class, women, and/or people of color enter the academy as faculty members, we continue to struggle within a system that is not setup for our success. Therefore, I continue to learn about and extend the limits and possibilities within which I might envision the future of my communities—communities of women, working class, Latina/o, and/or immigrant students.” (Prieto, 10)

I found this passage moving because it shows that even when a member of a so-called “second-class” community excel, they’re still viewed as a sort of “exception that proves the rule,” and little in the way we handle different communities changes. I find this disheartening – it seems the dominant culture will always find a way to explain away the talents and successes of minoritized cultures. I appreciate how Prieto refers to this as a “deficit perspective” – a sort of glass-half-empty approach that centers around the fact that just because someone comes from a disadvantaged background, there must be something wrong with them, even if they succeed. Perhaps built into this deficit perspective is the notion that there is something wrong with them for succeeding – for rising above the expectations, both explicit and implicit, that the dominant culture has for them. It is all too easy to say that we should have high expectations for everyone, regardless of background, but it is certainly worth trying. I think the first step, reinforced by all the articles we’ve read today, is to re-examine our anglocentric view of the world, and learn as much as we can particularly about Spanish speakers, who speak a language that in the United States carries many negative connotations. What can their unique culture and language contribute to our classroom?