This month’s guest blog post is from Krista Venza, an elementary school principal, author and presenter. In this post Krista shares her story and her passion with us. Her message ties in with the Engagement principle of Universal Design for Learning - where we work toward creating expert learners who are purposeful and motivated.
Is Your Classroom a Haven for Risk Taking and Growth or a Place Where Kids Can’t Wait to Leave?
by Krista Venza
In high school I had a math teacher who put our tests in order from highest to lowest and passed them out while announcing, “That was the last A... Here is the first D...” I remember feeling very anxious waiting for my test even though mine usually ended up falling in the A or B range. I felt embarrassed and sad for my friends and classmates as they sat looking down at their desks waiting for the humiliation of their test finally being placed in front of them at the bottom of the pile.
It has haunted me ever since that I wasn’t brave enough to speak up about this on behalf of myself and my classmates. I often wonder what my teacher’s motivation was. Was she trying to motivate us? Teach us a lesson for not studying hard enough? Didn’t she know that there were some students who no matter how hard they tried they would struggle to ever have their test to fall in the "A” or “B" range of the stack? Why didn’t she understand that a private conversation with the intention to help, reteach, or teach in a different way would have been much more motivating than announcing, “This is the last test,” as she slapped it down on the desk in front of a mortified student?
This classroom was definitely not a place of joy or a haven where students felt comfortable to take risks. It was a place of dread where kids hated going and couldn’t wait to leave.
Kids do not wake up in the morning and decide they want to struggle in school. They do not come in thinking, “How can I disappoint everyone and make my teacher’s day miserable?” There is always a reason behind the actions (or lack thereof). It is our responsibility to search for that reason, explicitly teach what we want students to do, try strategies and keep trying until it works or we find the right strategy or motivation.
Daily reflection is a strategy that can help us determine if our actions match our desired outcomes. If we take the time to think about our day, the lessons we taught, the activities we assigned, and the ways we interacted with each student and colleague, we will be able to inventory what works, what doesn’t, and analyze why we do what we do. I wonder if my teacher would have changed her practice if she took the time to reflect and put herself in her students’ shoes for a moment.
Sum it Up!
Our students hang on our every word and watch our every move. We have the perfect opportunity, with a captive audience, to model compassion, kindness, respect, taking initiative, working hard, and always giving it our best. We should never squander this opportunity.
There truly is no better profession than education. Each day we are afforded the privilege to help guide and mold the type of people who live in and will eventually lead our communities. Being an educator is pretty amazing.
If you are interested in learning more about Krista and her work, you can check out her podcast Clip It To Your Heart and follow her on Twitter @KristaVenza or Instagram @KristaVenza.
To learn more about authentic engagement through the lens of UDL check out these blog posts:
