The school that I work for allows students to carry and use cell phones between classes. They are also allowed to use ipods and other MP3 players in the halls. On a weekly basis, I am shown a new cell phone, app, or other technology that is completely foreign to me. Most hours of the day, my students are mindlessly entertained by screens and ear buds.
How can Shakespeare and sentence diagramming compete with that?
I can’t possibly create music videos, video games, or iphone apps for every (or any!)lesson. Some days a handout with clip art is as visually stimulating as my class gets. But I think I may have an answer for those who are frustrated by the media-engulfed teens of today.
Relevance.
It sounds obvious. We need to make our lessons relevant. But I don’t know how many teachers actually ask themselves on a daily basis whether or not they teaching to relevance.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t really care about things that don’t affect me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve skipped over a news headline or changed the channel or passed on a book - simply because that subject was completely irrelevant to my life. But if someone came along and explained that my life could be greatly improved upon simply by my learning something about quantum mechanics or the history of the coffee bean, I may just listen to them. And teenagers are exactly the same.
So, what does a relevant classroom look like? First of all, I think it’s conversation-driven. I’m not talking about scheduled discussions about content. I’m talking about an open dialogue between students and teacher. I love when my students ask me why in the world they need to know what an appositive is. And I know that in other classrooms, that kind of question is met with frustration. When students feel safe enough to ask the “why” questions and are given thoughtful answers, they can begin to see the discipline as a part of their lives instead of an obligation.
Secondly, a relevant classroom is an intentional one. A teacher that designs “real world” assignments will be far more successful than one who simply strives to hit all of the state standards. Although this may take a little more time on the planning end, it is well worth the effort. Teenagers are by nature very self-centered. They need to be told that this is about them!
Thirdly, a relevant classroom acknowledges culture. I am so thankful for the English department at my current school because they have striven to teach books with so-called “controversial” content - books that discuss depression, sex, drugs and alcohol, and rape. Pretending that those things don’t exist in their lives is one way to instantly alienate them - and cause you to be irrelevant to them. But a teacher who acknowledges the presence of “controversial” content in students’ lives is more able to be a good role model and speak truth about those issues. When I address these issues in my classroom, I am well aware of the fact that I may be the only one giving them a responsible answer. And my students listen.
I truly don’t believe that an effective teacher has to have the greatest technology and even incredibly entertaining subject matter. An effective teacher needs to simply illustrate an understanding of her students and a desire to be applicable to them. Who knows? They may even forget about their ipods for awhile.
It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. It just has to matter.
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