Identify at least 3 key takeaways or Ah-Hah Moments.
One thing that I thought was super important in We Got This was “We’ve got to listen to them. Especially when it's clear that they are not listening to us.”(We Got This, 80) This was important to me because one thing I used to be frustrated with as a student was feeling my teachers weren't listening to me. I would ask for help, or say that I am not understanding and instead of actually listening to me and realizing that I needed help and another method of teaching me the material would be better.
Another thing that was an ah-hah moment for me was the following quote: “This behavior takes away from our learning and threatens the safety of our classroom community. It will stop. Now. We must move forward, and something must change before we do. I am certain that we can reach an immediate agreement about what that change needs to be. I’ll help you. It does not feel like it right now, but we’re in this together.” (We Got This, 98) This really seemed important to me because instead of being super strict and then losing the student, you explain it as a collaborative matter, and this is more efficient than just blaming the student.
Another thing that really stuck out to me was “there is an implication that through our curriculum we are intentionally being divisive and trying to cause harm to students, particularly white students. Which disconcertingly is an apprehension that is rarely called into question when thinking about the ways that curriculum has historically been damaging for racially marginalized students.” (Critical Race Theory #1)
Talk about at least 2 connections between what you read and something we have learned/read about in class.
The quote “When kids resist being managed, it can feel like they are resisting us as authority figures. Often what they are resisting is the feeling of being institutionalized.” (We Got This) This somewhat made me think back to cognitive development because their brains are still developing, and they are beginning to take more risks and be more rebellious.
“All of the children in our schools, especially the behavioral outliers, are simply trying to cope with all the input that home, school, hormones, and the world are handing them.” (We Got This, 80) We have learned about all of the new hormones that middle schoolers are experiencing the effects of, and all of the social pressures of school at this point in their lives.
What questions do you have? These could be questions about content, questions for the author, or maybe questions you have for yourself about how you will apply this information to your own teaching. (Questions implies more than one).
One thing I am questioning is about designating specific kids to give feedback. I am not sure how I feel about this because why wouldn’t we give all students a voice about their education? Wouldn’t this make students who aren’t chosen feel bad about not being picked?
Another thing I was questioning was shifting the mind-set from Punitive to proactive. The chart was a bit confusing to me, because not every situation is the same, so sure this may help, but this may not be super beneficial? Also, how do you decide which situations are more important to be strict about and make the guideline for?
I think with your first question they may be saying how sometimes students require different types of feedback. I know when I was in school some students couldn't handle raw feedback while some could handle it and would just work with that feedback. I think it shows how important it is to understand your students and their thinking.
I totally agree with you about listening to those who do not listen to us. To know and feel that mutual respect goes a very long way, especially with young adolescence.