tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10132773.post5219288063064800502..comments2024-03-08T00:17:09.224-08:00Comments on The Daily Grind: The Right To ChooseMr. McNamarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03062641578010808106noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10132773.post-27815993845175991712008-10-28T17:53:00.000-07:002008-10-28T17:53:00.000-07:00Syd,I've only briefly looked at the Amistad Academ...Syd,<BR/>I've only briefly looked at the Amistad Academy. I'm fascinated with the charter school approach--often wondering if it would work in the area I teach in. Unfortunately, public schools don't have quite the same capacity to require much from its students or parents. If we had the ability to boot kids who don't behave, we would be succeed academically at a higher rate.Mr. McNamarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03062641578010808106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10132773.post-18398515461895198992008-10-28T16:24:00.000-07:002008-10-28T16:24:00.000-07:00Have you checked out the Amistad Academy in New Ha...Have you checked out the Amistad Academy in New Haven, CT? The Amistad model interests me a lot, mostly because of the strong parent connection. Those are poverty-stricken children who are finding real success through a sort-of tough love approach. And, the best part is that in order to be enrolled at the school I believe the parents have to agree to a certain level of involvement.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10132773.post-86161979979705818252008-10-28T15:25:00.000-07:002008-10-28T15:25:00.000-07:00I want real reform. The type of reform that will ...I want real reform. The type of reform that will affect our students when and where it really matters--outside of our walls. Parent-school relationships can go a long way towards affecting what poverty stricken schools cannot currently address through Positive Behavioral Support or Effective Teaching Strategies, which are merely band-aids for a much larger cut.Mr. McNamarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03062641578010808106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10132773.post-30160657272024653492008-10-28T07:20:00.000-07:002008-10-28T07:20:00.000-07:00"And for me and you, the classroom teachers, to wh..."And for me and you, the classroom teachers, to what extent can we influence our most disaffected students?"<BR/><BR/>I struggle with that all the time. It seems the deck is stacked against us - so much of students' attitudes get shaped by outside forces (home, family, etc.) and our time with them is so limited. Just how much can I reasonably do for a student when I have him or her for 50 minutes with 30 other kids? <BR/><BR/>I am fairly fortunate that my school district right now has actually made "building healthy relationships" a district-wide emphasis. More than just a feelgood initiative, it is a research based effort to improve overall success by fostering healthy working environments for students and staff. It's not perfect, but it is very refreshing to have leaders with priorities in line with my own.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10132773.post-31380018015916498222008-10-27T16:32:00.000-07:002008-10-27T16:32:00.000-07:00wait for it...wait for it...How do you do that?wait for it...wait for it...How do you do that?Mr. McNamarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03062641578010808106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10132773.post-87298103596835357612008-10-27T13:14:00.000-07:002008-10-27T13:14:00.000-07:00“How many positive interactions does it take to co...“How many positive interactions does it take to convince a student to change his current course of action?”<BR/><BR/>Interesting question. Of course, the answer is: anywhere from one to a million. <BR/><BR/>In my early days of dating, when a girl would say to me, “I love it when you touch me like that,” believe me, that positive interaction changed my course of action immediately, and forever after touching her like that became a part of my repertoire. Actually, negative interaction under such heightened conditions had a similar effect. “What the hell do you think you’re doing!” was very effective in suppressing a particular course of action, eager though I might be to pursue it.<BR/><BR/>I’m not being completely facetious here. Whether the interaction was positive or negative or happened once or many times, only made a difference if the object involved was something I believed I truly wanted. Mr. Noguera’s summary of the dichotomy between culturalists and structuralists, is interesting but somewhat beside the point when applied to student actions in the classroom. When the students are dancing instead of focusing on the question you propose, they are telling everyone that they don’t see what you are presenting as something they really want. They are making it crystal clear that they have not bought into the importance of having an academic discussion of WGASH’s failure to “teach” (read, “civilize”) them. You may take that to show that they don’t know what’s good for them. The problem with drawing such a conclusion is that there is no place to go with it. (By the way, Noguera’s title annoys the heck out of me. Anyone else?)<BR/><BR/>To influence your disaffected students, you have to convince them that you respect them, you respect their time, you respect their needs. If they believe that, they will give you the benefit of the doubt when you present your wares, and provide you with a small window of time to show them that what you have is something they want. <BR/><BR/>Go ahead, ask me how you do that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com