A look within

I'm sure that this is not unique to me - I hate to be wrong.

And I think teachers hate to be wrong as well. If you think back, those teachers that were steadfast in their pedagogy, did not take well to criticism. And most likely, their classes were a little bit boring or ineffective. I might argue that it may be due to the fact that they did not want to admit that what they were doing may not be the best for the learners. I believe to their mind it was great, but only because they were not willing to look into themselves, be honest and admit that there might be more than one way to go about things.

I really liked how Willis was willing to look into herself. She realized that the problem was not necessarily with her as a person or with the learners, but rather with her approach. Her willingness to adapt was what changed chaos into a very productive and special class. She modeled mindfulness in that. This is an essential skill for teachers: reflecting, adapting and being okay with being wrong the first time around.

Cultivating a classroom with meaningful involvement will start with a teacher that is meaningfully involved. This involvement starts with meaningful relationships with students. This includes that the teachers have meaningful interactions with the students on various levels.

Teachers should model positive relationships among colleagues and students. Teachers should know to some extent where the children are coming from and who their parents are. They should know how sport and art and music will influence their learners. They should be aware of the relationships and climate among the learners.  That is why communication and trust is so important between teachers and learners. The classroom should be structured in such a way that the emotional climate should be inviting and safe. This can be done by being constant and predictable in your own emotions and by always setting time aside to listen.

It is also important to remember that feedback is a critical part of any meaningful relationship, because it directs the other in their conduct within that relationship. In a teaching context, feedback needs to be both emotional and academic. This feedback is also not just from us to them, but also from them to us. Meaningful interaction will thus only take place if we interact as much as they do on their level. This means that we might actually take directions from them from time to time. Using the curriculum and other tools to your disposal in an innovative way will contribute to this.

Actually, teachers just need to think about everything ever, Then you cannot afford to be arrogant enough to think that you are never wrong. Be brave. Eat some humble pie and have a look at yourself. It may be awkward to be wrong, but we are acting in the interest of other, not to serve our own egos.