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"The Study suggests that taking the time to help children care about each other might just affect their enthusiasm for academic learning."

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"The Study suggests that taking the time to help children care about each other might just affect their enthusiasm for academic learning."

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Ok, in a way this is the simplest of quotes but gets at something fundamental and something very difficult to do. Empathy is always an overt/covert or implicit/explicit part of a classroom. But the way teachers behave and oftentimes the structure of the class can lend itself to the creation of individual focus and competition. Not community, not empathy, not caring. When you're young you're also going through such tumultuous transformation too that to be conscientious of others in a lasting way is tough. I really struggled with teaching for empathy last year. Repeatedly engaging students with questions about it. It may be that this is one of those goals you're always aiming for but never quite reach. Genuine care for others and the classroom or world that follows.

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"The community approach goes beyond teacher-student interaction and asks us to consider the broader question about how everyone gets along together. It also suggest that the way students turn out is a function not only of what each has been taught, but of how their environment has been setup." (Kohn, 105) 

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"The community approach goes beyond teacher-student interaction and asks us to consider the broader question about how everyone gets along together. It also suggest that the way students turn out is a function not only of what each has been taught, but of how their environment has been setup." (Kohn, 105) 

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There were several points of contemplation and "mmhmm" moments in this chapter for me, but I've focused on this quote that stresses the importance of student environment on their learning outcomes because it connects me with an observation that I was able to make while at my middle school placement a couple of years ago that really stuck with me. There were two math courses I was observing at that time; one was a co-taught math class where the teachers (a PSU GTEP graduate and a PSU SPED graduate) had great synergy, care for their students, and cared for connecting content to their specific interests (changing tack for each different class) and class with an old school, my way or the highway, I'm cool with students because I coach sports, dry sense of humor, multi-cultural students need to assimilate type guy.
Anyway, during standardized testing, the co-teachers spent two days of class time pre-teaching testing skills, getting students acclimated to the physical changes that would be in place during the testing (students spaced out, partitions between them, visible math strategy boards covered, water and snack station in the room, lights dimmed) and having students take practice test and facilitated discussions on test strategy, what to do the night before (sleep) and day of (eat breakfast) the test. The other teacher mentioned the test, joked around about failing it, offered no tips on how to be successful on standardized tests and didn't alter his room in any way (fluourescent lights on, room different on day of testing only). Also, the co-taught class, once finished with the test stayed in the room and read books and magazines while the kids in the bro's class got to be excused to another room to watch a movie and have technology time. I literally watched students in that class give up early to watch movies with friends or show visible signs of stress as the numbers of students in class dwindled and they began to feel stupid. It was so sad to me to see these two groups of students experiencing such a disparate academic situation based on their randomly assigned teachers. Needless to say, the students in the co-taught class received MUCH higher marks on their testing, in addition to having much stronger academic outcomes by the end of the year (as shown by end of year audits). This disparity has haunted me as I have never personally witness such a clear, constant, and prolonged academic injustice and been able to have tied it to such clear benefits and deficits before. Place, environment, and community really, really does make a profound difference in academic outcomes (and socio-emotional state) for students. These factors should not be secondary to content and should be prioritized equally as high.

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"If we are committed to moving beyond discipline, we need an engaging curriculum and a caring community. But we need something else as well: the chance for students to make meaningful decisions about their schooling. That, of course, was the subject of the last chapter, but it is worth reiterating here that a community without choices is just as incomplete as choices without community." (Kohn, 118)

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"If we are committed to moving beyond discipline, we need an engaging curriculum and a caring community. But we need something else as well: the chance for students to make meaningful decisions about their schooling. That, of course, was the subject of the last chapter, but it is worth reiterating here that a community without choices is just as incomplete as choices without community." (Kohn, 118)

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I like this quote because going through the chapter, it did seem quite a bit like chapter 6. I understood the point Kohn was trying to make curriculum AND community are essential for effective instruction. Throughout the chapter he gives many examples of this and a couple examples that go against this, but this quote near the end of the chapter kind of sums it all up . Many classrooms only engage the students when the teacher puts them in groups in a cooperative working environment. Why does it need to be segmented? Why can't it be integrated throughout the entire class? Why isn't the teacher an active participant rather than a facilitator? There are a lot of questions that come up and this chapter almost makes me have more questions than before I started. I do like that Kohn touched upon the community should be within the classroom and within the school in general. Every student deserves to be able to go to school, not feel like an outcast, or "other". They need to feel like a part of a community or they will shut down and mentally withdraw. It's definitely up to the teacher and everyone in the school to help foster this type of safe community that focuses on inclusiveness and similarities rather than differences.

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In the reading this week, I was grabbed by the author’s description of a thought experiment in which the teacher asked students to reflect on how they would want others to help them when they did something that was harmful to members of the classroom community. Kohn writes, “Actions that would normally be defined as misbehavior--and therefore as requiring discipline--are reconstrued as signs that somebody needs help. If a student had trouble with long division, after all, we would naturally want to help him understand the procedure (and its rationale), rather than seeking to punish him.” (2006, p. 112) This, to me, is the crux of the author’s argument as it has become clear throughout the text. It was helpful for me to put this idea in terms of the following question: If we don’t punish students for lacking subject-matter skills, why would we punish them for lacking socio-emotional skills? Since there are rarely classes or standards directly devoted to socio-emotional skills, it seems likely that these students who lack these skills have never even been taught how to navigate the nuances of human social interactions. That seems to me to be a failing of our social structures and educational institutions rather than a failing of the individuals. In an article for EdSurge.com, Meghan Collins points out that although every state has some standards for social and emotional learning (SEL), only 8 states continue to incorporate SEL standards throughout grades K-12. The vast majority of states put forth these SEL standards only at the preschool level (Collins, 2019). I very much doubt that students learn all the social and emotional skills they need for their entire lives before Kindergarten, and I think it is time we prioritize SEL through adolescence.

Article link:

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Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a top implementation priority for districts, ed-tech companies and education researchers, and for good reason: Kids need it.

With the rise in youth suicide rates, increased numbers of violent incidents in schools and the growing rate of American youth diagnosed with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, the social emotional instability of America's youth has, according to some experts, become a national crisis. Many are turning to SEL as a means to address this growing concern and spark conversation around sensitive or vulnerable topics.

Today, all 50 states have free-standing standards for SEL, according to a report from the National Conference of State Legislatures. (However, only 8 states currently have standards that address PreK through grade 12.) Many districts and schools throughout the nation have begun to adopt and implement well-researched curricular programs such as Second Step in order to begin to address SEL topics with their students.

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures

But what if you work in a district or school that has yet to place SEL on the priority list? Perhaps you are thinking, "I know SEL is important, but I don't have time to teach another subject on top of what I already do." Implementing SEL in your own classroom does not need to feel so daunting. There's things you can start doing right now.

According to The National Commission on Social, Emotional and Academic Development's January 2019 report, "A Nation at Hope," educators should "explicitly teach social, emotional and cognitive skills" and "intentionally teach specific skills and competencies and infuse them in academic content."

Here are four easy steps to begin the process of addressing SEL within your own teaching practice. In fact, implementing these steps now can be extremely helpful as you near the end of the school year and set learning priorities for your next class of students.

Review the CASEL Framework

Taking time to familiarize yourself with state SEL standards is necessary, but time consuming. Instead, use the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)'s framework for SEL as a starting point.

CASEL is the leading organization in the development and support of social emotional learning research, practices, and policies. The SEL framework includes five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. While reviewing the framework, you may wish to reflect on questions such as:

What are my own strengths and areas for growth?

How might I model this competency to my students? or

How might a student demonstrate this SEL skill?

Becoming familiar with these core competencies will provide you with a frame of reference as you begin to reflect on strengths and opportunities for growth for both you and your students.

Source: CASEL

Take an Inventory

After reviewing CASEL's framework, take time to reflect on your own interactions and those of your students. Self reflection is just as important as observing your students. Take notice and observe how you interact with your students during all parts of your school day. Where do these interactions fit within the five CASEL competencies? Are there moments within your current lessons that allow students to practice certain SEL skills? What student behaviors (both positive and developing) do you observe?

Thinking about all of the competencies at once will be too overwhelming. Instead, select one area to focus on. Then spend a few days (or even a school week) honing the applicable behaviors and interactions that you observe. Documenting your reflections and observations will allow you to identify patterns and gaps in student learning and in your own practice.

Start Conversations

Take your work a step further by explicitly identifying these interactions in a meaningful way. For example, create a visual space where examples of behaviors can be briefly written down. The visual can then be used to start conversations about real interactions. These observable moments may occur outside your formal classroom. Playgrounds, hallways, cafeterias and other social hotspots are great places to observe behaviors in real-time. Starting these conversations will depend on the age of your students and the type of behaviors observed.

Regardless of the means by which you explicitly identify these interactions, the discussions that follow-based on authentic interactions-will allow SEL behaviors to become observable and real to your students.

Broaden the Scope

Conversations about authentic experiences will likely cause a shift in both your thinking and that of your students. However, social emotional learning extends well beyond your classroom. A supportive and engaged school culture and climate are key components in creating environments conducive to social emotional growth. Expand these conversations to include all stakeholders. Classroom teachers, specialists, coaches, administrators and parents should be encouraged to participate in the conversation.

For example, reflecting on authentic data points with other teachers can help inform teaching for your peers. Discussing these findings with parents may help you understand students in a more meaningful way. And sharing this information with administrators can help to recognize patterns of behavior (of both teachers and students) at a school and district level. These conversations can be extremely helpful in making informed decisions when adopting SEL programming on a larger scale.

Like any worthwhile education initiative, implementing social emotional learning into your classroom, school and district takes time, effort and commitment. However, social emotional learning is different; when implemented in a thoughtful and meaningful way, SEL can play a vital role in moving our nation's youth towards a more healthy, stable emotional path. The steps above can assist you in beginning this vital work.

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Not Enough Time to Teach Social-Emotional Learning? Try These 4 Easy Steps. - EdSurge News

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Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a top implementation priority for districts, ed-tech companies and education researchers, and for good reason: Kids need it. With the rise in youth suicide rates, increased numbers of violent incidents in schools and the growing rate of American youth diagnosed with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, the social emotional instability of America's youth has, according to some experts, become a national crisis.

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Pp 105 “If we want to help children grow into compassionate people, we have to help them change the way the classroom works and feels, not just the way each separate member of that class acts. We have to transform not just individuals but educational structures.”

Geez I feel like I’ve been preaching this stuff in all my coaching sessions and planning to incorporate it in a lighter method when teaching in a high school scenario. To create an environment where a student literally transforms his/her mind when stepping into the classroom. He/she knows it is time for business, it’s time to work hard, it’s time to leave it all in the classroom. For them to realize they can be who they want to be at any given moment at any given time, let them understand what   sacrificing every minute is something they wish to learn, to also building chemistry with one another in their class, helping develop each other’s craft by motivating one another, to sentimentality showing their love and beauty for the knowledge they wish to acquire together because the environment is everything. This is why most of us are defined by our parents and how they raised us in their environment.

Pp. 111 “Children are more likely to be respectful when important adults in their lives respect them.”

I’ll be honest, I have a lot of attributes from my father because I respected him and I know with what I’ve acquired by being around him so much, is that he was always trying to create an imaginative structure where his students of the game could always thrive. I think his workaholicsm has also worn off on me because I just bust my ass in everything I do. I push as hard as I can, even if it's the smallest thing, I try to be as perfect as possible and with conviction! I know later down the line, I can’t always push kids out of their comfort zone like how I was pushed. I’ve come to learn over the years that some kids will do whatever it takes, others don’t want to work as hard as others which is ok. Everyone eventually finds their desires over the years. I know I did when I came across the film industry. I felt in the zone. I felt like 25 years I was shooting darts missing the target until finally I landed on a bullseye. Never have I ever worked so hard, tirelessly finding a way to show what I love on the big screen. I think what I’m trying to say is.. I want my passion, my hard work, my love I have for the film community to rub off on my students, so they can become compassionate human beings when finally hitting their bullseye.

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"They have come to think in the plural: they feel connected to each other; they are part of an 'us.' " (Kohn, P. 101)

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"They have come to think in the plural: they feel connected to each other; they are part of an 'us.' " (Kohn, P. 101)

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This chapter so succinctly summed up my philosophy on classroom management and education. I think that community building is of vital importance, and that to ignore it is to fail. I am reminded of my time working with an AmeriCorps program, and one of the values that they espoused. They used the term Ubuntu, which means basically "I am because you are, my humanity is tied to yours." The effect of this was that a cohesive and tight knit community supports and cares for each other as they do for themselves, because we all rise or fall together. I loved this quote above in particular, but not exclusively. On page 103 Kohn writes "Few things stifle creativity like the fear of being judged or humiliated. Thus, a supportive environment will allow people of any age to play with possibilities and challenge themselves to stretch their thinking." I think this is so true, and something I am going to be very intentional with going into this school year. I know a lot of students hold a lot of math trauma from their past experiences, and in my class more than any other class, I want my students to feel safe making mistakes, asking questions, and trying new things. I want them to emerge past that harmful past and I don't think they'll be able to without an effective and real community surrounding them. I am trying to now figure out how to balance that with my decreased contact time and need for including content. I would love ideas of how to balance those two!

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The community approach goes beyond teacher-student interaction and asks us to consider the broader question of how everyone gets along together. It also suggests that the way students turn out is a function not only of what each has been taught, but how their environment has been set up. If we want to help children grow into compassionate people, we have to help them change the way classroom works and feels, not just the way each separate member of that class acts"(Kohn, 2006, pg. 105).

This approach suggests that caring doesn’t depend only on the teachers’ characteristics but also how their environment for learning has been set up. This approach involves student participation in decision taking. Students need to feel themselves comfortable enough in order to increase the sense of community building. Furthermore, this approach suggests that, encouraging competition where one student can succeed only if another fails, doesn’t help building a sense a community. Same situation goes for praising students publicly. According to Khon, this only increases the feeling of being the best without actually caring for each other. However, I think competition is not actually a bad thing when it is applied correctly. As a matter of fact, it encourages healthy development and promotes our neo-humanistic vision. I think the key here is highlighting each student’s effort more than who got the first place.

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Something I’ve been thinking a lot about during quarantine is the concept of individualism. I’m curious to what our reaction as a nation to Covid would have been had we not approached it as separate cities, separate states. What if we reacted as one giant community? As a whole? I remember listening to the first episode of The Civil War podcast and the historians argued that understanding the American Civil War gives you a basis for understanding the nation today because it presents the country as a contradiction of itself. We’re a nation of conflicting ideals. So when President Obama said during the election of 2012 that you [an individual] didn’t build your business alone and Senator Romney argued for entrepreneurs building their business up from nothing by themselves, were they both correct? One pragmatically and one ideologically? I have no idea, but I have a tendency to side with the former president because as Kohn sates “a community not only perceives and nourishes the individuals who compose it but also underscores the relationships among these individuals,” (p. 107). I’m pretty sure that I believe that we are stronger collectively than we are divided, but that shouldn’t mean I don’t value the individual nor would I wish to see them be limited in the name of the community. That’s what I think Kohn gets at with that quote. But it’s difficult because it appears that we can have a difficult time comprehending the idea of community and confuse it for a collective which promotes conformity (Kohn, 2006, p.108). So what does nourishing the individual look like in the classroom while also highlighting the group as well? I suppose one big way is the display and building of relationships between teachers and students. I know that that’s been emphasized here with Kohn but with Pinto (2013), but maybe that’s the point? Maybe the building of relationships should be the number one priority as educators because in turn the environment is created that’s most conducive for critical thought. Maybe this building of relationships with teachers as well as with peers from the students’ perspective can lead to increased amount of awareness of everyone’s contribution to humanity. Enough of an increase so as to when someone argues that the student achieved something on their own the student can be mindful of the role others played in said achievement. Or enough of an increase to at least be mindful of the potential consequences their actions might play on another person.

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p.106 Don’t be surprised if participants nominate competition as the number one community destroyer— not only awards assemblies but spelling bees, charts that rank students against each other, grading on a curve, and other things that teach each person to regard everyone else as obstacles to his or her own success (Kohn 1992).

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p.106 Don’t be surprised if participants nominate competition as the number one community destroyer— not only awards assemblies but spelling bees, charts that rank students against each other, grading on a curve, and other things that teach each person to regard everyone else as obstacles to his or her own success (Kohn 1992).

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I hear Kohn's point and understand how important to create a safe & all students are welcomed classroom community where no competitions and no one feel down. However, I feel this is a kind of not comfortable to hear so much for me to be honest. This remind me that some Japanese schools recently tried to do at the field day/sports day that all students held their hand each other and goal everyone together at 25 M run and everyone got the first place instead of to have 1st to 5th place/rank.  This was killing students self confident, growth, nature of their eager to improve themselves in the competition. I understand in the classroom community, there would be no need to have those competition, but I would like to mention that children/human have the tendency for grow and improvement in competition. How about p.108, “Students won’t always agree on issues, and the fights, arguments, tears, and anger are the crucible from which a real community grows” (Christensen 1994, p. 14). This is much describing the nature of the children and it is simply how they grow. Of course, they should have a classroom community where they feel belong to and feel safe, but I wonder that doesn't mean that they can/are allowed do the arguments, positive competition/feel rival against other students? In the classroom community is where they realize about their limit of their ability(but still fight for it to get better), respect there are other students who can do things better (such as at sports) than other students, but possibly other students are better at other thing (such as at drawing) than those students. I feel the Kohn's quote is too far one side and ignoring the core (nature -)power of the children even to create the strong classroom community. Related to this and the similar approach, was enforced through out in Japan, is called Yutori Education (1980-2004 ES, MS, HS has different enforced years) which made a big academic decline. So I would say a balance is the key, but I just can't 100 % go with the direction of Kohn's strategy, unfortunately.

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In this chapter I found myself relating to the individualistic nature of relating to my community, school and outside of school. Not only have experienced isolation both as a student and educator to varying degrees, but also I have gone far to demonstrate care in the classroom through some of the most isolating times as a teacher and student. "Just as teachers who are controlled from above tend to control those below, so teachers who are not part of a collaborative network of educators find it difficult to help students work together."(p.110) This passage reminded me of an isolating experience that impacted my role as an educator. There was little accountability held, much less direction, and many of the teachers formed cliquey alliances that this reading points to as "a threat to community,"(p.110) and I feel get in the way of the work we are doing. What this experience taught me was to find a way to build community by staying true to myself, though I often wonder if this individualistic nature, or too much of it, could also get in the way of forming comfortable school relationships as well. "Caring teachers converse with students in a distinctive way: they think about how what they say sounds from the students' point of view. They respond authentically and respectfully rather than giving patronizing pats on the head (or otherwise slathering them with "positive reinforcement"). They explain what they are up to and give reasons for their requests. They ask students what they think, and then care about the answers."(p.112) To speak to the aspect of being a caring teacher(what is to me the most important aspect), this was what I believe contributed to my success. Not only caring, but doing so with respect for young people and empathy for the human condition. I think the most impactful part of being a caring teacher is in student responses to questions about what they think, because I feel that when they speak about what they know or observe that they are expressing their mastery over the subject. In encouraging this enthusiasm I see their storytelling skills strengthen, which I find intrinsically helps them to connect with others, and build community in the classroom.

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“After all, how many children can grow – intellectually, emotionally, or any other way – without a supportive environment? Virtually any meaningful long-term goal we might have for students requires us to attend to the climate of the school and, specifically, the extent to which children feel related, as opposed to isolated” (Kohn, 2006, p. 102).

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“After all, how many children can grow – intellectually, emotionally, or any other way – without a supportive environment? Virtually any meaningful long-term goal we might have for students requires us to attend to the climate of the school and, specifically, the extent to which children feel related, as opposed to isolated” (Kohn, 2006, p. 102).

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As soon as I finished reading this excerpt, it resonated with me because I remember feeling related at some points in school and isolated at other times. The difference between relatedness and isolation is the teacher who actively makes the effort to empathize and appreciate every student in the class while incorporating unity among students. Throughout my experiences in the K-12 public education system, there was a disconnect between students and their teachers because of a lack of trust or strong inclination to use discipline-based approaches to gain control and discourage social interactions. However, I did not want to replicate that when I started to teach classes at PSU because it felt uncomfortable and cold for everyone in class.

What did make me concerned is one of the prerequisites to build a community: class size (Kohn, 2006, p. 109). How large is "too large" in a school? What number of students in a classroom is classified as "excessive"? It was on my mind because I can agree that class size does have an impact on an educator's ability to respond effectively to every student's needs and learning styles. With that in mind, I was hoping that there would be more to say about that prerequisite since it is a pressing issue for schools today and in the future, especially when we add district finances and budgets. So far, I have managed well with over 30 students in one class for one academic year, and I had the chance to personally know every student and their needs. Eventually, I may have class sizes that are equal to or much larger than 30 students at once on top of multiple classes in one day. It I needed to dedicate some time to know each student, I can imagine how much time teachers need to know every student from more than one class!

At the end of the day, students are human beings worthy of respect, dignity, and compassion, and we, as educators, must understand that they are just as human and genuine as we are. I can acknowledge that this is easier said than done when class is not going as well as we hoped at first, but those moments test who we are deep down: do we demand obedience and conformity, or do we listen first, understand a student's circumstances and perspectives, and set out a course of action that is equitable and fair? Something as simple as greeting every student by name and asking how they are goes a long way, and it often does.

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“Educators who form truly caring relationships with students are not only meeting emotional needs; they are also setting a powerful example, p. 113”

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“Educators who form truly caring relationships with students are not only meeting emotional needs; they are also setting a powerful example, p. 113”

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This particular section of the chapter stood out to me because I’ve always believed that a community is based on authentic relationships. The section starts with how hard it is to be vulnerable for a teacher, but I would also like to add that it may be just as hard, if not harder for students to be vulnerable. I remember that in most of my own k-12 experience, many of the relationships I had were merely just surface level as I did not really have any strong connections with the staff or other students because I never felt like I “fit in”. I also liked the idea that a teacher is more than just a teacher and bringing other aspects of our lives to the classroom can help provide a connection with our students as they see us for who we really are than the traditional idea of a teacher as an authoritative figure whose only goal is to have students learn the material and see academic achievement. I will work to include more of my non teacher duties as it is something that I  have never really felt comfortable with or had much experience doing. On page 112 it states that teachers should be available as time permits to have private conversations because it can help foster a connection with a student and make them feel respected which in turn can lead them to respect me as their teacher. I have always thought that there needs to be time in class for students to take a break from learning all the time because it can become overwhelming or exhausting and they need social interaction as much as anyone else, but have concerns about where I can create this time. My best guess would be at the start of class on a somewhat regular basis or possibly in between classes when I see them around the school. I will try to be aware of times when I can have personal conversations with students and make sure that I do what I can to make them feel like they are heard and valued in my classroom at the very least and in the whole school community at the most.
I also liked the idea that teachers can teach a powerful lesson by modeling what proper behavior as a member of the community looks like. If we act a certain way in our relationships with students and other members of the school, it can help show whether we truly believe what we say or whether we are wanting to students to perform in a way that benefits us as an authority figure and provides us with a sense power. Students may be really perceptive on how much respect we have for them and they may feel very disrespected if they are asked simply to respond to me simply because I am a teacher and it is what is expected even though I have no other reason to justify being respected. Relationships should not strongly favor one over the other, so it is important that I earn the respect of a classroom through legitimate actions such as knowing their names, remembering details they share and being attentive to what needs they may need at a particular time.

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“… children are more likely to be respectful when important adults in their lives respect them” (Kohn, 2006, p. 110).

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“… children are more likely to be respectful when important adults in their lives respect them” (Kohn, 2006, p. 110).

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I think this is such an important thing to be aware of with kids, and it is really surprising to me how many people struggle with this idea. The common sentiment that “respect must be earned” is such a backwards way of approaching the business of relating to others, and one I have frequently heard amongst teachers and other adults in schools. The teacher’s authority, described by Pinto as “an earned influence that commands respect and confidence” (2013, p. 30) is generally thought of as requiring only unidirectional respect: students must respect the teacher. This is fundamentally wrong-headed idea. Instead I believe it is important to treat everyone with respect at all times, regardless of how they are behaving. The mere act of being a human being makes you worthy of respect.

I think it’s interesting how often I’ve heard this from students themselves actually. Children are acutely aware of not being respected by adults, and many of them are not afraid to call that out when they see it. When we still had students in the physical building, my office was the ISS room and it was also where children ended up when they were sent out of class. I tried to use this space as a safe space for them to check in about what was going on, why they were sent out, etc. Frequently kids will tell me that the reason they were “disrespectful” to their teacher was because the teacher was disrespectful to them first. Many times, I accepted this explanation as probably being accurate: after all, respect is more than just telling someone “I respect you.” In some of these classrooms it was clear that the teachers genuinely did not have much time for the opinions and feelings of their students, and in one case I believe the teacher is actively afraid of children. This is a far cry from what Kohn describes as community. Looking back at these conversations I had, I have some regrets about my responses to this objection: specifically I feel like I carried water for these teachers and said something like, “I’m sure they respect you,” or “I’m sure they value having you in class.” Ultimately, I am not sure I really believed those responses and I think this is a great example of the way that adults in a school tend to take the side of other adults rather than believing the accounts of children. After all, the teacher can’t possibly value the student’s presence that much if they send them out of class every day. I think my tendency to respond this way was probably damaging and detrimental to any relationship I was able to build with those students, and detrimental to forming a real community in the school.

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“A curriculum that holds little intrinsic interest for children forces teachers to use ‘motivators,’ ‘consequences,’ and competition to keep children on-task, thereby undermining community and demonstrating that some children are more valued than others.” and “I can sit students in a circle, play getting-to-know-you games until the cows come home, but if what I am teaching in the class holds no interest for the students, I’m just holding them hostage until the bell rings.” (Kohn, pp. 118)

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“A curriculum that holds little intrinsic interest for children forces teachers to use ‘motivators,’ ‘consequences,’ and competition to keep children on-task, thereby undermining community and demonstrating that some children are more valued than others.” and “I can sit students in a circle, play getting-to-know-you games until the cows come home, but if what I am teaching in the class holds no interest for the students, I’m just holding them hostage until the bell rings.” (Kohn, pp. 118)

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Those two sentences resonate with me a lot. Based on all of the readings associated with our courses, I know more about punishments, rewards, discipline, and other mechanisms of control. The more I have read, the deeper reflection I have done, and the more confusion I have had in my innermost thoughts. Why ought educators to rely on various methods of "controlling" to induce students to the world of learning? Isn't learning supposed to be fun for its own sake? Aren't individuals interested in a vast amount of subject matter knowledge about this vivid world we inhabit and what we relate to? Isn't curiosity naturally rooted in each person's heart, whether they are characterized as assumed intelligent, ambitious, or the complete opposite? Rather than a close rapport between allies, I wondered why education had been interpreted as a power struggle between educators and students? Suppose an educator committed to building a caring community still fails to push students to learn. In that case, the main reason, from my perspective,  should be the absence of appropriate curricula designed to meet students' real learning needs.

In my preceding years of teaching, in addition to working as a public Middle School teacher, I got the chance to run my own training school in my home local city. Without the conventional public school system's confines, I got the opportunity to design my own school curriculum based on my students' academic abilities and learning interests. It was not that easy, or even risky, to challenge the traditional ways of formal instruction to create a brand new one unfamiliar to each student and parent. However, it is surprising that, in turn, the appropriate curriculum had a significantly positive impact on changing students' attitudes toward learning. Indeed, it fostered a vibrant atmosphere of learning, in which every student found their confidence and interest in knowledge by choosing what was genuinely consistent with their needs and by learning at their distinctly different pace. Based on this foundation of confidence, comfortableness, and interest, students were more likely to automatically involve themselves in learning activities as opposed to raising the possibility of misbehavior. Likewise, teachers could place emphasis on knowledge itself, which is supposed to have the magical influence on students to trigger their internal motives of learning rather than resorting to external incentives to confine students in a narrow sense of learning. Thus, all of those contributed to an auspicious circle of students' learning and educators' instructional practices. Consequently, I had a smooth running of my training school, for it had already earned an essentially good reputation.

As Kohn further states on page 118, "If we are committed to moving beyond discipline, we need an engaging curriculum and a caring community." An engaging and innovative curriculum seems like one of the shortcuts in the pursuit of instruction's ultimate success. Therefore, from my point of view, it is vital and well worthy of attempting.

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I really enjoyed reading this chapter, as there were several points that were very insightful. I found many passage important:

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I really enjoyed reading this chapter, as there were several points that were very insightful. I found many passage important:

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“the recipe for community also calls for plenty of opportunity for the whole class to collaborate in common endeavours. Thus, a teacher might have all her students work together to produce a class mural, or collage, or quilt; to choose or even compose a class song; to decide on a name or image that captures the spirit of the class; to write a book, stage a play, or publish a newspaper together; or do some community service activity as a class.” (pp.114).

“Use an early class meeting to begin fostering a sense of community. Begin by asking this question…: What if, sometime this year, you found yourself acting in a way you weren’t proud of? Suppose you hurt someone’s feelings or did something even worse. How would you want us, the rest of the community, to help you then? After everyone has reflected privately on this question, and perhaps discussed it, pose the follow up question: What if someone else acted that way? How could we help that person?” (pp.114).

Both of these passages stood out for me as they talk about how to develop a community which in turn reminded me of Project Base Learning (PBL). I would add to it that in addition to incorporating students in project, it will be important to think of projects that have a focus on improving our community, that way students can further have an ingrained and additional tie to the work as well as build a stronger connection with each other; if the struggle is mutual a deeper bond is made.

The second passage was very well thought of as it focuses on being proactive regarding student management as it relates to behaviour, it includes the students in the process and it allows space and time for them to think, process and learn very valuable skills as they relate to relationships and developing a community; focusing on what can we do for you to assist you instead of the punitive approach.

My concern regarding both of these ideas that Ive shared is if they would be well received by parents/guardians, as at times there at times Ive heard that there should be a distinction between the academic education and home education or manners, socialising and so forth, and/or how would parents feel about having their students being involved in social justice type of PBL. My hope would be that the school as a whole would support and agree in having these styles of education be used in the classrooms and can support teachers.

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“The structural approach has another interesting implication: caring is more than just a characteristic of teachers. Obviously it's very important that the adults in a school be generous, warm people. But it's just as vital to attend to how the classroom or school is arranged. When administrators proudly tell me how caring their teachers are, I am apt to reply, “That's great. But do you have awards assemblies?” If things have been set up so that one student can succeed only if another fails, if the school sets children against each other in a race for artificially scarce recognition, then nice teachers can accomplish only so much. Similarly, the personal qualities of the staff may not be able to mitigate the harm of practices like posting lists of consequences on the wall or singling children out for public praise. While it's important that the teacher is sympathetic, this does not a community make. The questions we ought to be asking, in other words, go well beyond “Does this teacher want the best for her students?” We need to ask as well: How does the classroom system work (Alschuler 1980; Bowers and Flinders 1990)? Are students helped to develop a sense of responsibility for each other? By what means? What happens if a child is reduced to tears by cruel taunts, or by deliberate exclusion? What expectations, norms, and structures have been established to deal with such an incident—and to make it less likely to happen in the first place?” (Kohn, pg 104).

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“The structural approach has another interesting implication: caring is more than just a characteristic of teachers. Obviously it's very important that the adults in a school be generous, warm people. But it's just as vital to attend to how the classroom or school is arranged. When administrators proudly tell me how caring their teachers are, I am apt to reply, “That's great. But do you have awards assemblies?” If things have been set up so that one student can succeed only if another fails, if the school sets children against each other in a race for artificially scarce recognition, then nice teachers can accomplish only so much. Similarly, the personal qualities of the staff may not be able to mitigate the harm of practices like posting lists of consequences on the wall or singling children out for public praise. While it's important that the teacher is sympathetic, this does not a community make. The questions we ought to be asking, in other words, go well beyond “Does this teacher want the best for her students?” We need to ask as well: How does the classroom system work (Alschuler 1980; Bowers and Flinders 1990)? Are students helped to develop a sense of responsibility for each other? By what means? What happens if a child is reduced to tears by cruel taunts, or by deliberate exclusion? What expectations, norms, and structures have been established to deal with such an incident—and to make it less likely to happen in the first place?” (Kohn, pg 104).

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When thinking about the use of awards and competition you create an environment where success is measured against one’s peers, rather than one’s own capabilities and effort. Even in grading “the standard” for what makes a good grade should be subjective to each individual student. As a teacher, your goal is to set each student up for growth. You cannot expect a student to achieve more than they are capable of achieving and so should not grade one student according to the capabilities of your “best” student. Therefore, I think it is more important to grade in regards to effort, participation, and growth, rather than natural abilities or a standard that is set by the most capable students. In this passage, Kohn poses some very important questions to consider, however, like much of this book, Kohn fails to address the answers of the questions. I think there are a lot of missed opportunities in this book and Kohn continually stops short after giving an opportunity to dive deeper into the subjects being addressed and to offer concretely specific solutions. Sure, creating a sense of community and togetherness can result in a self sustaining classroom in a lot of ways and minimize many of the behavioral problems occurring in a punishment, reward based classroom. However, what does happen in situations where “a child is reduced to tears by cruel taunts or deliberate exclusion?” Kids can be close friends or even close friends as well as siblings, yet participate in behavior like this, so being a part of a tight knit community may make is “less likely” to occur, it does not exterminate this sort of behavior altogether. I would like to know how Kohn would address this sort of situation. Kohn really focuses on the proactive phase of classroom management and touches on the follow up, but hardly ever addresses the immediate, which can be frustrating while reading this book. Maybe it is intentional and supposed to get the reader to think about one’s own responses, but I sort of doubt it. I think my immediate response would be simply to have a conversation/meeting with the parties involved and try and come to a solution as a group. If that does not work, maybe I’d think about switching up seating arrangements and/or groups and continue to monitor the situation. I’m wondering what other immediate responses people have for this instance…

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From Kohn, page 103 - "Students need to feel safe in order to take intellectual risks; they must be comfortable before they can venture into the realm of discomfort. Few things stifle creativity like the fear of being judged or humiliated. Thus, a supportive environment will allow people of any age to play with possibilities and challenge themselves to stretch their thinking." This passage reminded me of an amazing middle school social studies teacher because through quirky, silly, no-right-answer, yet thought provoking warm-up questions, he creates such an environment. To give you some examples: "How many holes does a straw have? How do you eat an oreo and why? What fictional world would you want to live in? Is a hot dog a sandwich? Do snakes have butts?" Students look forward to his class to see the attendance question of the day. The beauty, at least I think, is that these questions are engaging but without requiring any specific prior knowledge. These questions allow for many opinions and debate, and these questions allow students to share without it being too personal. For example, the question about a hot dog possibly being a sandwich allowed a class of students to learn that some students hate hot dogs or are vegetarians; others are from Philly, love hoagies and see the similarities of meat and bun, but others are from Chicago and would never compare hot dogs and hoagies; and what about condiments - ketchup or mustard may make different if its a sandwich. Additionally, students talked about the number of holes in a straw - one, two or infinity were common answers - for days later during lunch. Both of those more specific examples show that community and connections start to form, and more than that, students become comfortable with disagreement, with opposing opinions, with forming an argument and supporting it. And somehow, there is less judgment and humiliation because there is an acknowledgment and acceptance that it is all just plain silly and fun. And this sense of community, safety and attitude transfers to when the class returns to studying ancient civilizations or history. 

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From Kohn, page 103 - "Students need to feel safe in order to take intellectual risks; they must be comfortable before they can venture into the realm of discomfort. Few things stifle creativity like the fear of being judged or humiliated. Thus, a supportive environment will allow people of any age to play with possibilities and challenge themselves to stretch their thinking." This passage reminded me of an amazing middle school social studies teacher because through quirky, silly, no-right-answer, yet thought provoking warm-up questions, he creates such an environment. To give you some examples: "How many holes does a straw have? How do you eat an oreo and why? What fictional world would you want to live in? Is a hot dog a sandwich? Do snakes have butts?" Students look forward to his class to see the attendance question of the day. The beauty, at least I think, is that these questions are engaging but without requiring any specific prior knowledge. These questions allow for many opinions and debate, and these questions allow students to share without it being too personal. For example, the question about a hot dog possibly being a sandwich allowed a class of students to learn that some students hate hot dogs or are vegetarians; others are from Philly, love hoagies and see the similarities of meat and bun, but others are from Chicago and would never compare hot dogs and hoagies; and what about condiments - ketchup or mustard may make different if its a sandwich. Additionally, students talked about the number of holes in a straw - one, two or infinity were common answers - for days later during lunch. Both of those more specific examples show that community and connections start to form, and more than that, students become comfortable with disagreement, with opposing opinions, with forming an argument and supporting it. And somehow, there is less judgment and humiliation because there is an acknowledgment and acceptance that it is all just plain silly and fun. And this sense of community, safety and attitude transfers to when the class returns to studying ancient civilizations or history. 

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“We can put such feelings to good use by inviting students to consider carefully why some of their previous school experiences provoked negative reactions. And, of course, the crucial follow-up question is this: “What can we do this year to make sure things go better?” (Kohn, pp. 114-115).

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“We can put such feelings to good use by inviting students to consider carefully why some of their previous school experiences provoked negative reactions. And, of course, the crucial follow-up question is this: “What can we do this year to make sure things go better?” (Kohn, pp. 114-115).

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As of this Wednesday, I will begin my first year as a teacher. One of my positions is in an alternative high school. I have been thinking a lot about the first few days of school and what I can do to connect with my students. I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility because my students are trusting me to offer them something a traditional comprehensive high school did not. I think it would be extremely helpful to learn about their previous school experiences, especially the negative experiences, in order to understand their needs and how I can serve them this school year. However, I question Kohn’s assumption that students will readily offer this information AND be able to put it into words. I remember how I felt about writing my autoethnography and opening myself up to a professor I barely knew just three weeks into the EESJ course. Overall, writing the autoethnography was a positive experience, but achieving that level of vulnerability wasn’t easy. I imagine that inviting a teenager to experience that same level of vulnerability would be even more challenging, especially if they have endured traumatic events. I would, ideally, like to learn about my students’ prior experiences early on in the school year, but I understand that building trust and community, as Kohn mentions in this chapter, takes time. Throughout their respective texts, Pinto and Kohn both emphasize the importance of student choice. Thus, I think the best approach would be to offer students options of how they want to share this information with me: orally or in writing and in their “linguistic comfort zone” (Pinto, p. 171). I plan to offer my students the option of meeting with me in one-on-one HAT meetings (Pinto, p. 143), completing a survey, participating in a group meeting, or using another method of their choice. I will remind them that they are in control of what and how much they share with me. On page 118, Kohn emphasizes the importance of offering “the chance for students to make meaningful decisions about their schooling” (p. 118). But, in order for them to make meaningful decisions, I need to create a safe space in which my students are willing to share their full selves with me. Additionally, I believe that this is not a one-and-done check-in. As Pinto mentions with regards to the HAT meetings on page 143, it is important to hold these meetings on an ongoing basis and to inquire "about how things are going for them both in and out of class." It is not only important to know about a student's past and current views of school, but also to understand what is going on in their non-academic lives.