students as our best reflection

Hello All,

I'm running a question like this on my classroom network, and told them I'd be asking teachers what they have to say on the topic.

The question is, after you've worked with a student for a while and have gotten to know him or her well, you'd say the student is a good reflection of your goals in teaching if...

What are the attributes, skills, qualities that would be visible in a student (or that student's learning) that would make you most satisfied, validated, happy, pleased, ecstatic--things you feel some responsibility for making happen?

(With students, I'm asking that they look at a peer and say they know that person is a good student because... With teachers I'm adding the double layer of feeling some credit or responsibility in the student's growth.)

If you're not a teacher, you can answer anyway. What would you most like to see in a student's growth--something you attribute to good teaching? What's above all most important?

Before I close the forum starter, I must say thanks to Classroom 2.0: what a year of growth it has been, for so many. Steve, it has proved to be so empowering and enriching that you started this network. Look at how we've grown! So many of us are now using tools we hadn't even heard about before the grand adventure of participating on CR2.0! Look at how differently we're viewing teaching and learning. Look at how we're able to talk with each other about this. Thank you, thank you. Happy Birthday, Classroom 2.0!

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on March 24, 2008 at 6:26pm

I'd "say the student is a good reflection of my goals in teaching if"...

1. they are able to think for themselves
2. they are able to think outside the box
3. they are able to work independently
4. they are kind to each other
5. they think learning is fun

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Permalink Reply by Connie Weber on March 25, 2008 at 5:07am

Hi Nancy,
fantastic list. As I've said before, your students are lucky to have you.
A few I'd add, which are directly related to yours: students are self-advocates, they seek out help and information as they need it, and they increasingly become aware of their needs and desires in learning. Students are motivated because they feel in charge of much of their learning. Students have self-discipline and high personal expectations. Students are always building their skills in collaboration, both social skills and knowledge of how to use supportive tools.
Thank you for your thoughts!
Others' thoughts? Nancy and I have focused extensively on process skills, on learners' behaviors, on what some may call style, or "intellectual character." Seems there are more items for the lists, including strong content knowledge--coming from that angle is certainly worthy. Teachers of particular disciplines may see their students as "exemplary of good teaching" if they truly "get" a couple of big ideas--overarching concepts. What are those overarching concepts you want you students to get, the big ideas, the deep ideas of your discipline? I'm thinking, for instance, of Howard Gardner's The Disciplined MInd, how he sets out in that book his ideas of what's most important to understand. Anyone want to suggest what's most important?

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Permalink Reply by Adina Sullivan on March 26, 2008 at 3:22pm

Absolutely Nancy!!! I feel better about my teaching when students have these skills. With them, they can (and likely will) pursue further learning to keep growing as a person.