This article discusses a struggling school fitting the stereotypes of an inner city institution, low income, high drop out rates and low test scores and expectations. However, the attitude changed drastically and the school now outperforms 90% of school in its state. This inspirational story shows that all children can learn and that no school is beyond redemption. I liked how the article said that the teachers were encourage to say "when you go to college..." everyday. This inspires the students to perform well and continue their education. We all know schools that we would not like to work at, because of the dangers the children pose, the sub par test scores and the low expectations the children have as a result of their community and their own attitudes. This article inspired me to consider these schools as potential places of employment because it fits the goals I have for myself as a teacher.
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3 comments:
It's strange to think that even the smallest words a teacher says can have an impact on students. Part of me thinks that encouraging students through saying, "when you go to college..." doesn't really make a difference. The other part of me says, "why not try it at least?" In my block education class (which Jess and Kyle are in), our professor has talked about some of the phrases that teachers use. We may not even think about it but addressing a group of people as, "you guys," could be sexist.
Either way I like the idea of changing schools starting with the teachers. Not only that but the smallest aspect of the teacher: the language used in front of class. Like George Carlin said, "language always gives you away." If you can use language to "give away" that you're a caring teacher with hopes that all your students will go to college, I think that's a good place to start in improving teacher quality.
This is indeed an inspirational school. My experiences have been that a smaller school is better at attending to the needs of students, and that the larger high school that I went to made it very easy for students to exercise "their right to fail." Maybe I was assuming that size and student achievement are linked. This article reveals that the size/achievement theory might be a fallacy. The Brockton teachers actively encouraged their students to reach their full potential by providing them with ample opportunities to demonstrate and reinforce their knowledge. I really liked the part about writing across the curriculum. I'd be interested to know what the students though, however. I feel like I might have hated writing in a gym or math class.
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