"The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice" -Peggy O'Mara. I think that this was the quote that I kept repeating in my head as I read this week and watched the video. How we speak to children becomes their inner voice, very insightful into how powerful and life changing our jobs can be.
1. What role does school play in building students’ agency and identity?
School is a culturing process. We as children learn how to speak, play, learn, interact, disagree with one another. We are also taught how to think and we learn a lot from how the adults of a school interact with us as children. Schools start to teach us how we should see ourselves, how we should value ourselves and what is important and worth our attention. School makes up most of our day as children, we spend 8 hours with adults other then our parents 180 days a year. This amount of time is ample to ensure that school has a significant affect on our identity and agency. Schools teach us how we should treat ourselves and others with a code of conduct (identity) and how we should approach our actions and goals (agency). If schools are not careful we could end up with a negative identity towards ourselves and others and not see the value of effort, but the value of only the right answer.
2. How aware are you and your colleagues of the impact our choice of words have on developing students’ agency and identity? Can you give examples?
On a whole I would say that educators are not aware of the power of their words and what they can do to a student. I for a long time had no idea the power my words held, mainly because I didn't think that they held any power personally. When I entered education seven years ago, I was authoritative borderline rude with my words with the best intention, but not the best practices. I was told from a coach how much you can change the feel and mood or a person by telling them what you wanted instead of what you didn't want them to do. For example: "Class can you please pause your voices, so we can talk about something" vs. "Class stop talking, I need to tell you something". While they are very close in diction, the result is drastic. The first shows a sense of community and respect asking them to "pause" their voice so "we can talk", the second shows a sense of authority with "stop" the talking so "I can tell you".
Once I switched from using the second example to the first my behavior problems shifted so fast, students were kinder to me, they respected me more and were in general more fun to be around, the reason was because I was kinder to them, respected them more and was more fun to be around. We as educators need to be the change that we want to see. I believe that if we can start to use more powerful communication techniques that illustrates that we care about our students we can start to show them how they can also behave. This is a example of identity.
Studying Carol Dweck I learned from her that students who were praised on effort were willing to work harder and persevere through failure then students who were praised on the right answer. In math I am still trying to make this shift to being someone who praises effort over the right answer. I think the biggest challenge is that the pedagogy of grading is not supportive of effort, but the right answer. I am still trying to encourage and support students on effort rather then their answer.
3. What would you do, if anything, to make using choice words a more conscious and accountable school wide practice if you were the school leader?
I would have at least 15 minutes at every PD dedicated to POPC which is Principles Of Powerful Communication. POPC is focused on making sure that words are used efficiently and are used to promote a sense of "big me, big you" which is a culture that builds yourself up as your build the other person up as well, much like a win-win only with words. POPC takes time, accountability, effort, and reminders to become a habit and part of the culture. There would be murals painted throughout the school using POPC words and there would be posters in the school displaying words as well.
4. What could you do, if anything, to make the use of choice words a more conscious and accountable personal practice as well as one embraced by others on your site? Are those things within your sphere of influence?
The first step for me is to have a vision of what I want to see and make sure that it is visible. A poster in my room that is a physical reminder of the words we use have power and a choice. "The way we talk to our kids becomes their inner voice" would be a great poster that I would hang to not only be a reminder for me, but a vision for others to see.
The second step would be to model all of the interactions I have on site, keeping in mind that words are a choice. Making sure that I have a attitude and try to promote a sense of "big me-big you" empowering others to try and see my vision through my actions.
I think that this would have a very positive affect on students and staff. I think that this is also within my sphere of influence not as a leader on the site but just as a regular person who can become a leader of words through actions.
5. Commit to 5 things you are willing to do this semester that will make your school choose words wisely?
1. Make sure that my words are dedicated to purpose of "Do No Harm".
2. Encourage and praise students' effort as the priority over the correct answer.
3. Make sure that I model my actions using POPC and leading others to do the same.
4. Talking to students in way to promote their identity in a positive direction; "Now your thinking like a scientist!"
5. Ensuring that all language used by me or by students in my class is supportive of a positive identity for everyone in the class.
1. What role does school play in building students’ agency and identity?
School is a culturing process. We as children learn how to speak, play, learn, interact, disagree with one another. We are also taught how to think and we learn a lot from how the adults of a school interact with us as children. Schools start to teach us how we should see ourselves, how we should value ourselves and what is important and worth our attention. School makes up most of our day as children, we spend 8 hours with adults other then our parents 180 days a year. This amount of time is ample to ensure that school has a significant affect on our identity and agency. Schools teach us how we should treat ourselves and others with a code of conduct (identity) and how we should approach our actions and goals (agency). If schools are not careful we could end up with a negative identity towards ourselves and others and not see the value of effort, but the value of only the right answer.
2. How aware are you and your colleagues of the impact our choice of words have on developing students’ agency and identity? Can you give examples?
On a whole I would say that educators are not aware of the power of their words and what they can do to a student. I for a long time had no idea the power my words held, mainly because I didn't think that they held any power personally. When I entered education seven years ago, I was authoritative borderline rude with my words with the best intention, but not the best practices. I was told from a coach how much you can change the feel and mood or a person by telling them what you wanted instead of what you didn't want them to do. For example: "Class can you please pause your voices, so we can talk about something" vs. "Class stop talking, I need to tell you something". While they are very close in diction, the result is drastic. The first shows a sense of community and respect asking them to "pause" their voice so "we can talk", the second shows a sense of authority with "stop" the talking so "I can tell you".
Once I switched from using the second example to the first my behavior problems shifted so fast, students were kinder to me, they respected me more and were in general more fun to be around, the reason was because I was kinder to them, respected them more and was more fun to be around. We as educators need to be the change that we want to see. I believe that if we can start to use more powerful communication techniques that illustrates that we care about our students we can start to show them how they can also behave. This is a example of identity.
Studying Carol Dweck I learned from her that students who were praised on effort were willing to work harder and persevere through failure then students who were praised on the right answer. In math I am still trying to make this shift to being someone who praises effort over the right answer. I think the biggest challenge is that the pedagogy of grading is not supportive of effort, but the right answer. I am still trying to encourage and support students on effort rather then their answer.
3. What would you do, if anything, to make using choice words a more conscious and accountable school wide practice if you were the school leader?
I would have at least 15 minutes at every PD dedicated to POPC which is Principles Of Powerful Communication. POPC is focused on making sure that words are used efficiently and are used to promote a sense of "big me, big you" which is a culture that builds yourself up as your build the other person up as well, much like a win-win only with words. POPC takes time, accountability, effort, and reminders to become a habit and part of the culture. There would be murals painted throughout the school using POPC words and there would be posters in the school displaying words as well.
4. What could you do, if anything, to make the use of choice words a more conscious and accountable personal practice as well as one embraced by others on your site? Are those things within your sphere of influence?
The first step for me is to have a vision of what I want to see and make sure that it is visible. A poster in my room that is a physical reminder of the words we use have power and a choice. "The way we talk to our kids becomes their inner voice" would be a great poster that I would hang to not only be a reminder for me, but a vision for others to see.
The second step would be to model all of the interactions I have on site, keeping in mind that words are a choice. Making sure that I have a attitude and try to promote a sense of "big me-big you" empowering others to try and see my vision through my actions.
I think that this would have a very positive affect on students and staff. I think that this is also within my sphere of influence not as a leader on the site but just as a regular person who can become a leader of words through actions.
5. Commit to 5 things you are willing to do this semester that will make your school choose words wisely?
1. Make sure that my words are dedicated to purpose of "Do No Harm".
2. Encourage and praise students' effort as the priority over the correct answer.
3. Make sure that I model my actions using POPC and leading others to do the same.
4. Talking to students in way to promote their identity in a positive direction; "Now your thinking like a scientist!"
5. Ensuring that all language used by me or by students in my class is supportive of a positive identity for everyone in the class.