As an educator reflection is not only a word, it should be a daily practice. On many occasions I have reflected upon my personal philosophy on teaching and have surmised it to this; every child can learn regardless of his or her skin color or where they happen to reside. It is that desire within the individual student, and educators that demonstrate that every student is valued, that creates successful learners. The act of learning is a mystery and no seminar or book can prepare you for the one moment when that light ignites in a student and their educational journey has an entirely different meaning. During my teaching career I have had the fortunate opportunity to teach students at all levels of learning as well as those that come from numerous ethnic and economic backgrounds. Not only have these experiences taught me to have a greater understanding of society, but they have also taught me a great deal of empathy and respect for the struggles that people face. Anyone is capable of learning if they are part of a culturally inclusive classroom that embraces individuality and promotes self-advocacy.
As a teacher I view myself as a facilitator in the educational process. It is my job to promote literacy, yet teach 21st century skills to assist students toward individual success. Learning capacities vary from student to student and therefore teaching cannot be a “one size fits all” process. One of the biggest challenges as an educator of at-risk populations is realizing that student learning is not due to motivation, or the lack thereof. In fact statistics show that “An estimated 25 percent of the students in this country drop out before high school graduation, and in some urban schools 30 percent of the students do not complete eighth grade” (Hootstein). This is not only a staggering statistic, but it is a reality that we as teachers of at-risk students have so little control of in today’s educational environment. As state educational mandates increase, so do the individual mandates on the classroom teacher.
At-risk students are in many cases not motivated to learn because they fail to see the relevance of what is being presented to them in the classroom-there is no connection between classroom learning and their outside lives and they become bored and many times disruptive. “Their boredom and preoccupation with personal problems lower the quality of their lives in school–and probably have a demoralizing effect on teachers as well” (Hootstein). As a teacher you become frustrated knowing that there are these expectations of student achievement placed upon you by administration, yet you struggle with ways to motivate students and impress upon them the value of learning. Identifying effective motivational strategies is a goal of mine that becomes a challenge every school year. In my years of searching for the perfect solution I have found that there is no perfection in education, as times change so do the student’s needs. I have however gravitated to an educational model that promotes individual student success and addressed the disengagement of at-risk populations, RISE-“Relevant subject matter, Interesting instruction, Satisfied learner, Expectations for success” (Hootstein). RISE is a simple acronym, yet if implemented effectively can have a tremendous impact on the learning process. The entire premise of RISE is to (1) “Relate content to the students' needs, concerns, goals, interests, and experiences”, (2) “Make abstract content more concrete or familiar by using examples, analogies, metaphors, anecdotes, stories, and simulations”, (3) “Provide rewards that have informational value”, and (4) “Promote students' sense of control over learning activities” (Hootstein). RISE has been a tremendous aid in my classroom instructional practices and has shown students that learning can have a connection to their lives outside the confines of the four walls of a classroom.
RISE can be an extremely effective model and I have used it in my classroom for many years, adjusting it to student demographics, but never deviating from the premise of the model. For example, I require all my students to sign a “respect contract” at the beginning of each school year. I do so because I want the students to feel as if my classroom is a place of solace, where they can be free to speak their minds, without degrading others, and know that they will be respected and valued for such. I was teaching at a middle school in Northern California with an extremely diverse, at-risk, classroom population. I had special education students, English language learners, economically disadvantaged students, as well as those that had known gang affiliations. We had just completed reading Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and I had asked the students to complete a writing assignment about someone who inspired them just as Mrs. Flowers had inspired Marguerite. They were also expected to share their writing with the class, just as Maya shared hers with the world. I had students in this class that struggled with writing that absolutely astounded me. Not only were they eager to share their writing with the class because the writing was applicable to their lives, but because they felt that they were in a place that was judgement free, other students were able to express their responses to their peers writing in a way that will forever be ingrained in my mind. I had students that put up these rough exteriors to shield the painful experiences, shedding tears for their classmates. I had students that never seemed to make connections with others, identify with their classmates, creating an entirely new classroom dynamic. This one assignment brought my entire class to another level. Not only did they identify with the main character in the story and her inspiration, they proved to me that my simple rule of respecting one another was something that they valued and appreciated. Also, that literature, even though they may consider it to be boring, does have relevant connections to their lives and can teach them skills that can be applied to all facets of their lives.
The term pedagogy can be somewhat overused and misunderstood within the teacher preparation process. However it is a necessary evil in academia. Speaking from my own personal perspective I can honestly say I am guilty of rolling my eyes and sighing when I am at a staff meeting or professional development and the term pedagogy is brought up. I believe that I react in such a manner because so many insist that this term is a “cure all” for a broken educational system. While I believe that there are theories that are associated with pedagogy that can be beneficial within a classroom, it is not the magic wand that is going to solve all the problems that exist in education. When reflecting on my teaching practices and pedagogy I am an avid user of engaged pedagogy because it is detrimental that a classroom is a community of partners and this is the ideology behind engaged pedagogy. Engaged pedagogy is elaborated upon in Teaching Critical Thinking , “engaged pedagogy begins with the assumption that we learn best when there is an interactive relationship between student and teacher. As leaders and facilitators, teachers must discover what the students know and what they need to know. This discovery happens only if teachers are willing to engage students beyond a surface level. As teachers, we can create a climate for optimal learning if we understand the level of emotional awareness and emotional intelligence in the classroom” (hooks). Through experience I have found that engaged pedagogy is a necessary theory in my classroom. Working with at-risk students nothing can be accomplished unless the relationships are built and trust is established. Engaged pedagogy’s practices allow educators and students to establish community, inclusivity, and recognize the power of our voices to our educations. The example that is elicited above relative to RISE methodology also encompasses engaged pedagogy in that the development of community allowed the students to embrace one another’s stories objectively and inclusively.
Learning happens in mysterious ways, and many times when you least expect it to occur. My past teaching experience has encouraged me to embrace the ever-changing world of academia and the methods and ideas that are also changing to meet the challenges and needs of current student populations. RISE and engaged pedagogy are just two of the strategies that have been successful within my classroom. All students can learn if they are given the opportunity and the support necessary to do so. If they are valued and their efforts appreciated, success is inevitable. Although I am considered to be a “veteran” teacher by most standards, I am always open to new learning experiences and find that it is almost pivotal to actively engage in professional development opportunities as some of the best techniques and methodologies I have learned and applied were from other educators, solidifying that connections within a community build life-long learners.
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