« A Taste Of Success | Home | Help get at-risk kids on track for college »
Talking to Kids: How to Create Shared Meaning about Education
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | December 5, 2008
One thing for sure, it takes a lot of caring and energy to build strong relationships with kids. One of the key elements is simply talking to them. Make the most of the conversations you have by talking about education - but talk to kids in a way that is meaningful to them, and connects to their world view. Try some of these tips:
- Encourage kids to talk about their experiences, what they value, and what motivates them.
- Teachers: give students assignments that provide opportunities for them to talk or write about their values and what motivates them.
- Mentors: help students connect their classroom assignments to what is happening in their lives.
- Once you know what a kid values and is motivated by, talk about how education can help him or her to reach that goal. Provide real life examples.
- Tell kids what education meant to you and your family when you were growing up; ask what it means to them and their families.
- Reflect on the concepts you use with in the classroom and in conversations. Take the time to define terms in multiple ways with an emphasis on creating explanations that motivate kids and reflect their worldview.
- Ask kids what a word or concept mean to them, how they would use them, and how they would help a family member understand the word or concept.
- Establish a climate where young people feel comfortable asking questions for clarification.
- Teachers: an effective way to do this is to ask students to submit questions anonymously. Then take the time to answer each question.
- Mentors: talk to students about the struggles you had learning something and share how asking questions helped you to learn concepts and advance your education.
- Teachers and mentors: ask kids to paraphrase what was said to see if there is shared meaning.
- Regard students’ ways of speaking and thinking as resources, not problems. Involve kids in the construction of their own knowledge—help them discover their learning style and needs, provide ways to help them take responsibility for learning experiences, and plan together to set and meet educational goals.
- Create opportunities for kids to discuss their goals and aspirations, share what they want to learn about, and find ways the school can help them.
- Listen to kids as they discuss ideas together.
- Promote candid discussion about topics relevant to kids’ lives, and challenge them to solve real-life problems—stretch students beyond the familiar.
- Develop a large “bag of tricks” to get to know your students and families well.
Topics: How to Help, Quality Time, Relationship Strategy |
May 1st, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I chose to read the article ‘High Expectations’. This article talks about how schools are establishing high expectations for all students and having high rates of academic success. One of the outcomes was that the longer students attend these successful schools, the more their bahavioral problems decrease. These schools help with self-esteem issues and promote social and academic success which leads to fewer emotional and behavioral problems. A research team found that high expectations and cultural differences that values student participation reduce risk factors in adolescents, such as alcohol and drugs.
Another finding showed that when inner-city schools established a college core cirriculum, over 65% of its graduates went on college. Muticultural content also important for overall success. Although, schools need to do this without intensifying cultural and language sterotypes.
One last finding that was interesting was that when we group children in classrooms, we are indicating what we “expect” from them. This can have negaive effects on children if they know little is expected from them. It’s important to encourage every student and help them to achieve something big and beyound what they think they’re capable of. Then, children will see their true potential.