HOW CBSE’S GRADING SYSTEM WILL WORK?
THE NEW ORDER
With Board exams being made optional from the academic year 2010-11, a new system of evaluation – Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) – based on grades has been approved. It comprises formative and summative assessment of the student to be done over two terms – first and second -during the year-long academic calendar.
Summative Assessment Based on the term-end examination
1) There will be two evaluations each in the first and second terms.
2) Each evaluation will carry 10 marks apiece.
Formative Assessment To evaluate and grade class work, homework, assignment and project work
1) There will be one term-end exam for each term.
2) The first term-end exam will carry 20 marks.
3) The second term-end exam will carry 40 marks.
EVALUATIONStudents of class IX and X will be evaluated on a 9-point grading system. Each grade, given on the basis of both formative and summative assessments, will correspond to a range of marks as indicated below:
A1 95 and above
A2 90 to 94
A3 85 to 89
B1 80 to 84
B2 70 to 79
C1 60 to 69
C2 50 to 59
C3 33 to 49
D Less than 33
Points to Remember:
(i) Assessment of theory/practical papers in external subjects shall be in numerical scores.In addition to numerical scores, the Board shall indicate grades in the marks sheets issued to the candidates in case of subjects of external examinations. In case of internal assessment subjects, only grades shall be shown.
(ii) Subjects of internal examination in Class X the assessment shall be made on a five point scale I.e. A,B,C,D & E.
(iii) The grades shall be derived from scores in case of subjects of external examination. In case of subjects of internal assessment, they shall be awarded by the schools.
(iv) The qualifying marks in each subject of external examination shall be 33% . However at Senior School Certificate Examination, in a subject involving practical work, a candidate must obtain 33% marks in the theory and 33% marks in the practical separately in addition to 33% marks in aggregate, in order to qualify in that subject.
(v) For awarding the grades, the Board shall put all the passed students in a rank order and will award grades as follows:
• A1 : Top 1/8th of the passed candidates
• A2 : Next 1/8th of the passed candidates
• B1 : Next 1/8th of the passed candidates
• B2 : Next 1/8th of the passed candidates
• C1 : Next 1/8th of the passed candidates
• C2 : Next 1/8th of the passed candidates
• D1 : Next 1/8th of the passed candidates
• D2 : Next 1/8th of the passed candidates
• E : Failed candidates
Important:
(a) In case of a tie, all the students getting the same score, will get the same grade. If the number of students at a score point needs to be divided into two segments, the smaller segment will go with the larger.
(b) Method of grading will be used in subjects where the number of candidates who have passed is more than 500.
(c) In respect of subjects where total number of candidates passing in a subject is less than 500, the grading would be adopted on the pattern of grading and distribution in other similar subjects.
07 September, 2009
06 September, 2009
Collaborative Learning and It's Benefits
By C. Radhakrishnan
What is Collaborative Learning?
Collaborative learning is a common term for a variety of educational approaches involving joint intellectual effort by students, or students and teachers together. Usually, students are working in groups of two or more, mutually searching for understanding, solutions, or meanings, or creating a product. Collaborative learning activities vary widely, but most centre on students’ exploration or application of the study material, not simply the teacher’s presentation or explanation of it.
Collaborative learning represents a significant shift away from the typical teacher centred or lecture-centred setting in school/college classrooms. In collaborative classrooms, the lecturing/ listening/note-taking process may not disappear entirely, but it lives alongside other processes that are based in students’ discussion and active work with the topic. Teachers who use collaborative learning approaches tend to think of themselves less as expert transmitters of knowledge to students, and more as expert designers of intellectual experiences for students.
Benefits of Collaborative Learning:
CL benefits the learner in many ways. Some of them are listed below. These benefits reinforce the need to use this technique in our day-to-day teaching-learning process.
1. Develops higher level thinking skills
2. Promotes student-teacher interaction and familiarity
3. Increases student retention
4. Builds self esteem in students
5. Enhances student satisfaction with the learning experience
6. Promotes a positive attitude toward the subject matter
7. Develops oral communication skills
8. Develops social interaction skills
9. Promotes positive race relations
10. Creates an environment of active, involved, exploratory learning
11. Uses a team approach to problem solving while maintaining individual accountability
12. Encourages diversity understanding
13. Encourages student responsibility for learning
14. Involves students in developing curriculum and class procedures
15. Students explore alternate problem solutions in a safe environment
16. Stimulates critical thinking and helps students clarify ideas through discussion and debate
17. Enhances self management skills
18. Fits in well with the constructivist approach
19. Establishes an atmosphere of cooperation and helping school wide
20. Students develop responsibility for each other
21. Builds more positive heterogeneous relationships
22. Encourages alternate student assessment techniques
23. Fosters and develops interpersonal relationships
24. Modelling problem solving techniques by students' peers
25. Students are taught how to criticise ideas, not people
26. Sets high expectations for students and teachers
27. Promotes higher achievement and class attendance.
28. Students stay on task more and are less disruptive
29. Greater ability of students to view situations from others' perspectives (development of empathy)
30. Creates a stronger social support system
31. Creates a more positive attitude toward teachers, principals and other school personnel by students and creates a more positive attitude by teachers toward their students
32. Addresses learning style differences among students
33. Promotes innovation in teaching and classroom techniques
34. Classroom anxiety is significantly reduced
35. Test anxiety is significantly reduced
36. Classroom resembles real life social and employment situations
37. Students practice modelling social and work related roles
38. CL is synergistic with writing across the curriculum
39. CL activities can be used to personalise large lecture classes
40. Skill building and practice can be enhanced and made less boring through CL activities in and out of class.
41. CL activities promote social and academic relationships well beyond the classroom and individual course
42. CL processes create environments where students can practice building leadership skills.
43. CL increases leadership skills of female students
44. In schools/colleges where students commute to school and do not remain on campus to participate in campus life activities, CL creates a community environment within the classroom.
What is Collaborative Learning?
Collaborative learning is a common term for a variety of educational approaches involving joint intellectual effort by students, or students and teachers together. Usually, students are working in groups of two or more, mutually searching for understanding, solutions, or meanings, or creating a product. Collaborative learning activities vary widely, but most centre on students’ exploration or application of the study material, not simply the teacher’s presentation or explanation of it.Collaborative learning represents a significant shift away from the typical teacher centred or lecture-centred setting in school/college classrooms. In collaborative classrooms, the lecturing/ listening/note-taking process may not disappear entirely, but it lives alongside other processes that are based in students’ discussion and active work with the topic. Teachers who use collaborative learning approaches tend to think of themselves less as expert transmitters of knowledge to students, and more as expert designers of intellectual experiences for students.
Benefits of Collaborative Learning:
CL benefits the learner in many ways. Some of them are listed below. These benefits reinforce the need to use this technique in our day-to-day teaching-learning process.
1. Develops higher level thinking skills
2. Promotes student-teacher interaction and familiarity
3. Increases student retention
4. Builds self esteem in students
5. Enhances student satisfaction with the learning experience
6. Promotes a positive attitude toward the subject matter
7. Develops oral communication skills
8. Develops social interaction skills
9. Promotes positive race relations
10. Creates an environment of active, involved, exploratory learning
11. Uses a team approach to problem solving while maintaining individual accountability
12. Encourages diversity understanding
13. Encourages student responsibility for learning
14. Involves students in developing curriculum and class procedures
15. Students explore alternate problem solutions in a safe environment
16. Stimulates critical thinking and helps students clarify ideas through discussion and debate
17. Enhances self management skills
18. Fits in well with the constructivist approach
19. Establishes an atmosphere of cooperation and helping school wide
20. Students develop responsibility for each other
21. Builds more positive heterogeneous relationships
22. Encourages alternate student assessment techniques
23. Fosters and develops interpersonal relationships
24. Modelling problem solving techniques by students' peers
25. Students are taught how to criticise ideas, not people
26. Sets high expectations for students and teachers
27. Promotes higher achievement and class attendance.
28. Students stay on task more and are less disruptive
29. Greater ability of students to view situations from others' perspectives (development of empathy)
30. Creates a stronger social support system
31. Creates a more positive attitude toward teachers, principals and other school personnel by students and creates a more positive attitude by teachers toward their students
32. Addresses learning style differences among students
33. Promotes innovation in teaching and classroom techniques
34. Classroom anxiety is significantly reduced
35. Test anxiety is significantly reduced
36. Classroom resembles real life social and employment situations
37. Students practice modelling social and work related roles
38. CL is synergistic with writing across the curriculum
39. CL activities can be used to personalise large lecture classes
40. Skill building and practice can be enhanced and made less boring through CL activities in and out of class.
41. CL activities promote social and academic relationships well beyond the classroom and individual course
42. CL processes create environments where students can practice building leadership skills.
43. CL increases leadership skills of female students
44. In schools/colleges where students commute to school and do not remain on campus to participate in campus life activities, CL creates a community environment within the classroom.
Benefits of Cooperative Learning In Relation to Student Motivation
Dr.Theodore Panitz
Cooperative Learning (CL) is an instructional strategy that employs a variety of motivational techniques to make instruction more relevant and students more responsible. This chapter outlines the benefits of CL in terms of its motivational impact.
Introduction
General guidelines for classroom motivation (for example, Forsyth and McMillan, 1994) suggest emphasis on challenging, engaging, informative activities and the building of enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility in learners. Well-developed instructional strategies such as Cooperative Learning (CL) offer many potential benefits to learners (Panitz, 1998).
The definition of CL as a motivational strategy includes all learning situations where students work in groups to accomplish particular learning objectives and are interdependent for successful completion of the objective. Forsyth and McMillan (1994) emphasize intrinsic motivation as a key element in teaching and learning, as does Wlodkowski (see Chapter 1 of this issue), noting that successful intrinsic motivation develops attitude, establishes inclusion, engenders competence, and enhances meaning within diverse students. How can CL be a positive motivator for a diverse student population? This chapter attempts to answer that question.
Developing attitude: creating a favorable disposition toward thelearning experience through personal relevance and choice
A primary benefit of CL is that it enhances students' self esteem which in turn motivates students to participate in the learning process (Johnson & Johnson 1989). Cooperative efforts among students result in a higher degree of accomplishment by all participants (Slavin 1987). Students help each other and in doing so build a supportive community which raises the performance level of each member (Kagan 1986). This in turn leads to higher self esteem in all students (Webb 1982)
Cooperation enhances student satisfaction with the learning experience by actively involving students in designing and completing class procedures and course content (Johnson and Johnson 1990). Effective teams or groups assume ownership of a process and its results when individuals are encouraged to work together toward a common goal, often defined by the group. This aspect is especially helpful for individuals who have a history or failure (Turnure & Zigler 1958).
CL promotes mastery while passive acceptance of information from an outside expert often promotes a sense of helplessness and reliance upon others to attain concepts. In a typical college classroom emphasizing lecturing, there is little time for reflection and discussion of students' errors or misconceptions. With the CL paradigm students are continuously discussing, debating and clarifying their understanding of the concepts.
CL reduces classroom anxiety created by new and unfamiliar situations faced by students (Kessler, Price & Wortman 1985). In a traditional classroom when a teacher calls upon a student, he/she becomes the focus of attention of the entire class. Any mistakes or incorrect answers become subject to scrutiny by the whole class. In contrast, in a CL situation, when students work in a group, the focus of attention is diffused among the group. In addition, the group produces a product which its members can review prior to presenting it to the whole class, thus diminishing prospects that mistakes will occur at all (Slavin & Karweit 1981). When a mistake is made, it becomes a teaching tool instead of a public criticism of an individual student.
Test anxiety is significantly reduced (Johnson and Johnson 1989). CL provides many opportunities for alternate forms of student assessment (Panitz and Panitz, 1996). This situation leads to a reduction in test anxiety because the students see that the teacher is able to evaluate how they think as well as what they know. Through the interactions with students during each class, the teacher gains a better understanding of each student's learning style and how he/she performs and an opportunity is created whereby the teacher may provide extra guidance and counseling for the students.
CL develops positive student-teacher attitudes (Johnson & Johnson 1989). The level of involvement of all the participants in a cooperative system is very intense and personal. Teachers learn about student behaviors because students have many opportunities to explain their actions and thoughts to the teacher. Lines of communication are opened and actively encouraged. Teachers have more opportunities to explain why policies are established and the system allows students to have more input into establishing policies and class procedures. The empowerment created by the many interpersonal interactions leads to a very positive attitude by all parties involved.
CL sets high expectations for students and teachers (Panitz and Panitz 1998). Being made responsible for one's learning and for one's peers presumes that one has that capability. By setting obtainable goals for groups and by facilitating group interaction, teachers establish high expectations which become self fulfilling as the students master the cooperative approach, learn how to work well together in teams, and demonstrate their abilities through a variety of assessment methods.
CL Establishes inclusion, creating a learning atmosphere in which learners feel respected and connected to one another. CL creates a strong social support system (Cohen & Willis 1985). CL techniques use students' social experiences such as warm-up exercises and group building activities to encourage their involvement in the learning process. The teacher plays a very active role in facilitating the process and interacting with each student while moving around the class and observing students interacting (Cooper et. al. 1985). Teachers may raise questions with individuals or small groups to help advise students or explain concepts. In addition, a natural tendency to socialize with the students on a professional level is created by CL. Students often mention offhandedly that they are having difficulties outside of class related to work, family, friends, etc. Openings like this can lead to a discussion of those problems by the teacher and student in a non-threatening way due to the informality of the situation, and additional support from other student services units in such areas can be a beneficial by-product (Kessler & McCleod, 1985).
CL develops students' social interaction skills.
A major component of learning elaborated by Johnson, Johnson and Holubec (1984) includes training students in the social skills needed to work cooperatively. In our society and current educational framework, competition is valued over cooperation. By asking group members to identify what behaviors help them work together and by asking individuals to reflect on their contribution to the group's success or failure, students are made aware of the need for healthy, positive, helping interactions (Panitz 1996; Cohen & Cohen 1991).
According to Kessler and MaCleod (1985 page 219) "CL promotes positive societal responses .... reduces violence in any setting .... eliminates fear and blame, and increases honor, friendliness, and consensus. Process is as important as content and goal. CL takes time to master, and facilitators who have done the personal work that allows sharing of power, service to the learners, and natural learning, find CL a joy."
Sherman (1991) makes the observation, "Most social psychology text books contain considerable discussions about conflict and its resolution and/or reduction. Almost all introductory educational psychology text books now contain extended discussions of effective pedagogies for improving racial relations, self-esteem, internal locus of control and academic achievement (Messick & Mackie, 1989).
Cooperative learning fosters student interaction at all levels (Webb 1982). Research has shown that when students of high ability work with students of lower ability, the former benefit by explaining or demonstrating and the latter benefit by seeing an approach to problem solving modeled by a peer (Johnson & Johnson 1985, Swing, Peterson 1982; Hooper & Hannafin, 1988). Warm-up and group building activities help students to understand their differences and to learn how to capitalize on them rather than use them as a basis for antagonism.
CL helps majority and minority populations in a class learn to work with each other (Felder 1997, Johnson & Johnson 1972, Slavin 1980). Because students are actively involved in exploring issues and interacting with each other on a regular basis in a guided fashion, they are able to understand their differences and learn how to resolve social problems which may arise (Johnson & Johnson 1985). Training students in conflict resolution is a major component of learning training (Aronson 1978; Slavin 1987).
CL establishes an atmosphere of cooperation and helping school-wide (Deutsch 1975). CL focuses attention on the accomplishments of the group as well as the individual. Teamwork is the modus operandi and inter-group cooperation is encouraged. Even when group competitions are used (Slavin 1987), the intent is to create a positive helping environment for all participants. In CL environments, students are taught how to criticize ideas, not people (Johnson, Johnson & Holubec 1984). A function of cooperative learning is to help students resolve differences amicably. They need to be taught how to challenge ideas and advocate for their positions without personalizing their statements. In cooperative classes, students may be assigned roles in order to build interdependence within the groups. These roles often model societal and work related roles which students will encounter in real life. Adult motivational theory has shown that the direct applicability of classroom small group problem-solving to students' lives will enhance motivation to learn (Wlodowski 1985).
Cooperative learning is particularly effective at increasing the leadership skills of female students and for getting male students used to turning to women for help in pressure situations (Bean 1996). This benefit is especially important in mathematics classes where men generally dominate class discussions and presentations. The Johnsons (1990, p121) point out that, "Students tend to like and enjoy math more and be more intrinsically motivated to learn more about it continually." CL also helps to develop learning communities within classes and institutions (Tinto 1997). Community colleges and many four-year colleges are primarily commuter schools. Students do not remain on campus for extracurricular or social activities. Many students have jobs and/or family pressures which also limit their ability to participate in campus life. Thus it falls to the classroom teacher to create an atmosphere of community within the college. The previous discussion of the social benefits of CL make it clear that creating a community of learners is easily accomplished using CL techniques. There is a significant benefit to CL which is not always apparent because it takes place outside of the classroom. If groups operate long enough during a course, the people in them will get to know each other and extend their activities outside of class. Students will exchange phone numbers and contact each other to get help with questions or problems they are having, and they will often sign up together for classes in later terms and seek out teachers who use CL methods (Bean, 1996;Felder, 1997).
Engendering competence: creating an understanding that learners are effective in learning something they value
CL develops higher level thinking skills (Webb 1982). Students are engaged in the learning process instead of passively listening to the teacher. Pairs of students (followed by threesomes and larger groups) working together represent the most effective form of interaction (Schwartz, Black, Strange 1991). When students work in pairs one person is listening while the other partner is discussing the question under investigation. Both are developing valuable problem solving skills by formulating their ideas, discussing them, receiving immediate feedback and responding to questions and comments (Johnson, D.W. 1971; Peterson & Swing 1985). This aspect of cooperative learning does not preclude whole class discussion. In fact whole class discussion is enhanced by having students think out and discuss ideas thoroughly before the entire class discusses an idea or concept. In addition, the teacher may temporarily join a group's discussion to question ideas or statements made by group members or to clarify concepts or questions raised by students.
Cooperative learning fosters higher levels of performance (Bligh 1972). Critical thinking skills increase and retention of information and interest in the subject matter improve (Kulik & Kulick 1979). This creates a positive cycle of good performance building higher self esteem which in turn leads to more interest in the subject and better performance (Keller, 1983). Students share their success with their groups, thus enhancing both the individual's and the group's self esteem.
Skill building and practice can be enhanced and made less tedious through CL activities used both in and out of class (Tannenberg 1995). In order to develop critical thinking skills, students need a base of information to work from. Acquiring this base often requires some degree of repetition and memory work. When this is accomplished individually the process can be tedious, boring or overwhelming. When students work together the learning process becomes interesting and fun despite the repetitive nature of the learning process. Male (1990) for example, has documented the positive impact of CL in drill-and-practice computer use.
CL Develops students' oral communication skills (Yager, Johnson and Johnson 1985). When students are working in pairs one partner verbalizes his/her idea while the other listens, asks questions or comments upon what she/he has heard. Clarification and explanation of one's ideas is a very important part of the cooperative process and requires higher order thinking skills (Johnson, Johnson, Roy, Zaidman 1985). Students who tutor each other must develop a clear idea of the concept they are presenting and orally communicate it to their partners (Neer 1987).
Enhancing meaning: creating challenging, thoughtful learning experiences that include learner's values and perspectives and contribute to an equitable society.
The focus of cooperative learning is to actively involve students in the learning process (Slavin 1980). Whenever two or more students attempt to solve a problem or answer a question they become involved in the process of exploratory learning. Promotive interaction, a basic principle of CL, builds students' sense of responsibility to themselves and their group members through reliance upon each other's talents, and CL assessment processes reward both individuals and groups thus reinforcing this interdependence (Baird & White 1984).
During the cooperative process, students can become involved in developing curriculum and class procedures (Kort 1992). They are often asked to assess themselves, their groups, and class procedures (Meier & Panitz 1996). Teachers can take advantage of this immediate formative input without having to wait for the results of exams or course evaluations. Students who participate in structuring the class assume ownership of the process and their opinions and observations are given credibility. CL helps students wean themselves away from considering teachers as the sole sources of knowledge and understanding (Felder 1997)
The primary foci in CL are the process of learning and the means by which individuals function independently and within groups. The high level of interaction and interdependence among group members leads to "deep" rather than "surface" learning (Entwistle and Tait, 1994), and to more emphasis on higher order learning (see Donald in this issue). CL is student centered, leading to an emphasis on learning as well as teaching and to more student ownership of responsibility for that learning. In contrast, other teaching paradigms consist of individual student effort, competitive testing to assess competence and an evaluation hierarchy based upon "grade orientation" rather than "learning orientation" (Lowman, 1987).
Students who develop personal professional relations with teachers by getting to know them, and who work on projects outside of class, achieve better results and tend to stay in school (Cooper 1994, Hagman & Hayes 1986). Teachers who get to know their students and to understand their learning styles and problems, and can often find ways of dealing with those problems and inspiring students (Janke 1980). According to (Felder, 1997) additional benefits accrue to students in areas of grade improvement, retention of information, information transfer to other courses and disciplines, and improved class attendance. There is a strong positive correlation between class attendance and success in courses (Johnson and Johnson 1989) which may help account for the improved performance.
Students who are actively involved in the learning process are much more likely to become interested in learning and make more of an effort to attend school (Astin 1977). A class where students interact fosters an environment conducive to high student motivation and participation and student attendance(Treisman 1983, 1992).
Cooperative learning inherently calls for self-management by students (Resnick 1987). In order to function within their groups students are trained to come prepared with assignments completed and they must understand the material which they are going to contribute to their group. They are also given time to process group behaviors such as checking with each other to make sure homework assignments are not only completed but understood. These promotive interactions help students learn self-management techniques.
CL increases students' persistence and the likelihood of successful completion of assignments (Felder 1997). When individuals get stuck they are more likely to give up, but groups are much more likely to find ways to keep going. This concept is reinforced by the Johnsons (1990 p121) who state, "In a learning situation, student goal achievements are positively correlated; students perceive that they can reach learning goals if and only if the other students in the learning group also reach their goals. Thus, students seek outcomes that are beneficial to all those with whom they are cooperatively linked."
Conclusion
CL provides many advantages to teachers and learners. Many of these advantages arise from the intrinsic motivational strengths of CL and the extent to which CL fosters student interest, behavioral and attitudinal change, and opportunities for success. As Keller demonstrates (1983) this set of outcomes results from the successful incorporation of motivational issues into instruction.
Cooperative Learning (CL) is an instructional strategy that employs a variety of motivational techniques to make instruction more relevant and students more responsible. This chapter outlines the benefits of CL in terms of its motivational impact.
Introduction
General guidelines for classroom motivation (for example, Forsyth and McMillan, 1994) suggest emphasis on challenging, engaging, informative activities and the building of enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility in learners. Well-developed instructional strategies such as Cooperative Learning (CL) offer many potential benefits to learners (Panitz, 1998).
The definition of CL as a motivational strategy includes all learning situations where students work in groups to accomplish particular learning objectives and are interdependent for successful completion of the objective. Forsyth and McMillan (1994) emphasize intrinsic motivation as a key element in teaching and learning, as does Wlodkowski (see Chapter 1 of this issue), noting that successful intrinsic motivation develops attitude, establishes inclusion, engenders competence, and enhances meaning within diverse students. How can CL be a positive motivator for a diverse student population? This chapter attempts to answer that question.
Developing attitude: creating a favorable disposition toward thelearning experience through personal relevance and choice
A primary benefit of CL is that it enhances students' self esteem which in turn motivates students to participate in the learning process (Johnson & Johnson 1989). Cooperative efforts among students result in a higher degree of accomplishment by all participants (Slavin 1987). Students help each other and in doing so build a supportive community which raises the performance level of each member (Kagan 1986). This in turn leads to higher self esteem in all students (Webb 1982)
Cooperation enhances student satisfaction with the learning experience by actively involving students in designing and completing class procedures and course content (Johnson and Johnson 1990). Effective teams or groups assume ownership of a process and its results when individuals are encouraged to work together toward a common goal, often defined by the group. This aspect is especially helpful for individuals who have a history or failure (Turnure & Zigler 1958).
CL promotes mastery while passive acceptance of information from an outside expert often promotes a sense of helplessness and reliance upon others to attain concepts. In a typical college classroom emphasizing lecturing, there is little time for reflection and discussion of students' errors or misconceptions. With the CL paradigm students are continuously discussing, debating and clarifying their understanding of the concepts.
CL reduces classroom anxiety created by new and unfamiliar situations faced by students (Kessler, Price & Wortman 1985). In a traditional classroom when a teacher calls upon a student, he/she becomes the focus of attention of the entire class. Any mistakes or incorrect answers become subject to scrutiny by the whole class. In contrast, in a CL situation, when students work in a group, the focus of attention is diffused among the group. In addition, the group produces a product which its members can review prior to presenting it to the whole class, thus diminishing prospects that mistakes will occur at all (Slavin & Karweit 1981). When a mistake is made, it becomes a teaching tool instead of a public criticism of an individual student.
Test anxiety is significantly reduced (Johnson and Johnson 1989). CL provides many opportunities for alternate forms of student assessment (Panitz and Panitz, 1996). This situation leads to a reduction in test anxiety because the students see that the teacher is able to evaluate how they think as well as what they know. Through the interactions with students during each class, the teacher gains a better understanding of each student's learning style and how he/she performs and an opportunity is created whereby the teacher may provide extra guidance and counseling for the students.
CL develops positive student-teacher attitudes (Johnson & Johnson 1989). The level of involvement of all the participants in a cooperative system is very intense and personal. Teachers learn about student behaviors because students have many opportunities to explain their actions and thoughts to the teacher. Lines of communication are opened and actively encouraged. Teachers have more opportunities to explain why policies are established and the system allows students to have more input into establishing policies and class procedures. The empowerment created by the many interpersonal interactions leads to a very positive attitude by all parties involved.
CL sets high expectations for students and teachers (Panitz and Panitz 1998). Being made responsible for one's learning and for one's peers presumes that one has that capability. By setting obtainable goals for groups and by facilitating group interaction, teachers establish high expectations which become self fulfilling as the students master the cooperative approach, learn how to work well together in teams, and demonstrate their abilities through a variety of assessment methods.
CL Establishes inclusion, creating a learning atmosphere in which learners feel respected and connected to one another. CL creates a strong social support system (Cohen & Willis 1985). CL techniques use students' social experiences such as warm-up exercises and group building activities to encourage their involvement in the learning process. The teacher plays a very active role in facilitating the process and interacting with each student while moving around the class and observing students interacting (Cooper et. al. 1985). Teachers may raise questions with individuals or small groups to help advise students or explain concepts. In addition, a natural tendency to socialize with the students on a professional level is created by CL. Students often mention offhandedly that they are having difficulties outside of class related to work, family, friends, etc. Openings like this can lead to a discussion of those problems by the teacher and student in a non-threatening way due to the informality of the situation, and additional support from other student services units in such areas can be a beneficial by-product (Kessler & McCleod, 1985).
CL develops students' social interaction skills.
A major component of learning elaborated by Johnson, Johnson and Holubec (1984) includes training students in the social skills needed to work cooperatively. In our society and current educational framework, competition is valued over cooperation. By asking group members to identify what behaviors help them work together and by asking individuals to reflect on their contribution to the group's success or failure, students are made aware of the need for healthy, positive, helping interactions (Panitz 1996; Cohen & Cohen 1991).
According to Kessler and MaCleod (1985 page 219) "CL promotes positive societal responses .... reduces violence in any setting .... eliminates fear and blame, and increases honor, friendliness, and consensus. Process is as important as content and goal. CL takes time to master, and facilitators who have done the personal work that allows sharing of power, service to the learners, and natural learning, find CL a joy."
Sherman (1991) makes the observation, "Most social psychology text books contain considerable discussions about conflict and its resolution and/or reduction. Almost all introductory educational psychology text books now contain extended discussions of effective pedagogies for improving racial relations, self-esteem, internal locus of control and academic achievement (Messick & Mackie, 1989).
Cooperative learning fosters student interaction at all levels (Webb 1982). Research has shown that when students of high ability work with students of lower ability, the former benefit by explaining or demonstrating and the latter benefit by seeing an approach to problem solving modeled by a peer (Johnson & Johnson 1985, Swing, Peterson 1982; Hooper & Hannafin, 1988). Warm-up and group building activities help students to understand their differences and to learn how to capitalize on them rather than use them as a basis for antagonism.
CL helps majority and minority populations in a class learn to work with each other (Felder 1997, Johnson & Johnson 1972, Slavin 1980). Because students are actively involved in exploring issues and interacting with each other on a regular basis in a guided fashion, they are able to understand their differences and learn how to resolve social problems which may arise (Johnson & Johnson 1985). Training students in conflict resolution is a major component of learning training (Aronson 1978; Slavin 1987).
CL establishes an atmosphere of cooperation and helping school-wide (Deutsch 1975). CL focuses attention on the accomplishments of the group as well as the individual. Teamwork is the modus operandi and inter-group cooperation is encouraged. Even when group competitions are used (Slavin 1987), the intent is to create a positive helping environment for all participants. In CL environments, students are taught how to criticize ideas, not people (Johnson, Johnson & Holubec 1984). A function of cooperative learning is to help students resolve differences amicably. They need to be taught how to challenge ideas and advocate for their positions without personalizing their statements. In cooperative classes, students may be assigned roles in order to build interdependence within the groups. These roles often model societal and work related roles which students will encounter in real life. Adult motivational theory has shown that the direct applicability of classroom small group problem-solving to students' lives will enhance motivation to learn (Wlodowski 1985).
Cooperative learning is particularly effective at increasing the leadership skills of female students and for getting male students used to turning to women for help in pressure situations (Bean 1996). This benefit is especially important in mathematics classes where men generally dominate class discussions and presentations. The Johnsons (1990, p121) point out that, "Students tend to like and enjoy math more and be more intrinsically motivated to learn more about it continually." CL also helps to develop learning communities within classes and institutions (Tinto 1997). Community colleges and many four-year colleges are primarily commuter schools. Students do not remain on campus for extracurricular or social activities. Many students have jobs and/or family pressures which also limit their ability to participate in campus life. Thus it falls to the classroom teacher to create an atmosphere of community within the college. The previous discussion of the social benefits of CL make it clear that creating a community of learners is easily accomplished using CL techniques. There is a significant benefit to CL which is not always apparent because it takes place outside of the classroom. If groups operate long enough during a course, the people in them will get to know each other and extend their activities outside of class. Students will exchange phone numbers and contact each other to get help with questions or problems they are having, and they will often sign up together for classes in later terms and seek out teachers who use CL methods (Bean, 1996;Felder, 1997).
Engendering competence: creating an understanding that learners are effective in learning something they value
CL develops higher level thinking skills (Webb 1982). Students are engaged in the learning process instead of passively listening to the teacher. Pairs of students (followed by threesomes and larger groups) working together represent the most effective form of interaction (Schwartz, Black, Strange 1991). When students work in pairs one person is listening while the other partner is discussing the question under investigation. Both are developing valuable problem solving skills by formulating their ideas, discussing them, receiving immediate feedback and responding to questions and comments (Johnson, D.W. 1971; Peterson & Swing 1985). This aspect of cooperative learning does not preclude whole class discussion. In fact whole class discussion is enhanced by having students think out and discuss ideas thoroughly before the entire class discusses an idea or concept. In addition, the teacher may temporarily join a group's discussion to question ideas or statements made by group members or to clarify concepts or questions raised by students.
Cooperative learning fosters higher levels of performance (Bligh 1972). Critical thinking skills increase and retention of information and interest in the subject matter improve (Kulik & Kulick 1979). This creates a positive cycle of good performance building higher self esteem which in turn leads to more interest in the subject and better performance (Keller, 1983). Students share their success with their groups, thus enhancing both the individual's and the group's self esteem.
Skill building and practice can be enhanced and made less tedious through CL activities used both in and out of class (Tannenberg 1995). In order to develop critical thinking skills, students need a base of information to work from. Acquiring this base often requires some degree of repetition and memory work. When this is accomplished individually the process can be tedious, boring or overwhelming. When students work together the learning process becomes interesting and fun despite the repetitive nature of the learning process. Male (1990) for example, has documented the positive impact of CL in drill-and-practice computer use.
CL Develops students' oral communication skills (Yager, Johnson and Johnson 1985). When students are working in pairs one partner verbalizes his/her idea while the other listens, asks questions or comments upon what she/he has heard. Clarification and explanation of one's ideas is a very important part of the cooperative process and requires higher order thinking skills (Johnson, Johnson, Roy, Zaidman 1985). Students who tutor each other must develop a clear idea of the concept they are presenting and orally communicate it to their partners (Neer 1987).
Enhancing meaning: creating challenging, thoughtful learning experiences that include learner's values and perspectives and contribute to an equitable society.
The focus of cooperative learning is to actively involve students in the learning process (Slavin 1980). Whenever two or more students attempt to solve a problem or answer a question they become involved in the process of exploratory learning. Promotive interaction, a basic principle of CL, builds students' sense of responsibility to themselves and their group members through reliance upon each other's talents, and CL assessment processes reward both individuals and groups thus reinforcing this interdependence (Baird & White 1984).
During the cooperative process, students can become involved in developing curriculum and class procedures (Kort 1992). They are often asked to assess themselves, their groups, and class procedures (Meier & Panitz 1996). Teachers can take advantage of this immediate formative input without having to wait for the results of exams or course evaluations. Students who participate in structuring the class assume ownership of the process and their opinions and observations are given credibility. CL helps students wean themselves away from considering teachers as the sole sources of knowledge and understanding (Felder 1997)
The primary foci in CL are the process of learning and the means by which individuals function independently and within groups. The high level of interaction and interdependence among group members leads to "deep" rather than "surface" learning (Entwistle and Tait, 1994), and to more emphasis on higher order learning (see Donald in this issue). CL is student centered, leading to an emphasis on learning as well as teaching and to more student ownership of responsibility for that learning. In contrast, other teaching paradigms consist of individual student effort, competitive testing to assess competence and an evaluation hierarchy based upon "grade orientation" rather than "learning orientation" (Lowman, 1987).
Students who develop personal professional relations with teachers by getting to know them, and who work on projects outside of class, achieve better results and tend to stay in school (Cooper 1994, Hagman & Hayes 1986). Teachers who get to know their students and to understand their learning styles and problems, and can often find ways of dealing with those problems and inspiring students (Janke 1980). According to (Felder, 1997) additional benefits accrue to students in areas of grade improvement, retention of information, information transfer to other courses and disciplines, and improved class attendance. There is a strong positive correlation between class attendance and success in courses (Johnson and Johnson 1989) which may help account for the improved performance.
Students who are actively involved in the learning process are much more likely to become interested in learning and make more of an effort to attend school (Astin 1977). A class where students interact fosters an environment conducive to high student motivation and participation and student attendance(Treisman 1983, 1992).
Cooperative learning inherently calls for self-management by students (Resnick 1987). In order to function within their groups students are trained to come prepared with assignments completed and they must understand the material which they are going to contribute to their group. They are also given time to process group behaviors such as checking with each other to make sure homework assignments are not only completed but understood. These promotive interactions help students learn self-management techniques.
CL increases students' persistence and the likelihood of successful completion of assignments (Felder 1997). When individuals get stuck they are more likely to give up, but groups are much more likely to find ways to keep going. This concept is reinforced by the Johnsons (1990 p121) who state, "In a learning situation, student goal achievements are positively correlated; students perceive that they can reach learning goals if and only if the other students in the learning group also reach their goals. Thus, students seek outcomes that are beneficial to all those with whom they are cooperatively linked."
Conclusion
CL provides many advantages to teachers and learners. Many of these advantages arise from the intrinsic motivational strengths of CL and the extent to which CL fosters student interest, behavioral and attitudinal change, and opportunities for success. As Keller demonstrates (1983) this set of outcomes results from the successful incorporation of motivational issues into instruction.
Life Skills – Decides the future
Life skills play a very important in an Adolescence life ( age 12 - 18 ). These skills play a very vital role in the child’s life; in fact 80% of the future is dependent on these life skills and 20% on text books.
The list below includes the psychosocial and interpersonal skills generally considered important. The choice of, and emphasis on, different skills will vary according to the topic and local conditions (e.g., decision-making may feature strongly in HIV/AIDS prevention whereas conflict management may be more prominent in a peace education program). Though the list suggests these categories are distinct from each other, many skills are used simultaneously in practice. For example, decision-making often involves critical thinking ("what are my options?") and values clarification ("what is important to me?"). Ultimately, the interplay between the skills is what produces powerful behavioural outcomes, especially where this approach is supported by other strategies such as media, policies and health services.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Interpersonal communication skills
• Verbal/Nonverbal communication
• Active listening
• Expressing feelings; giving feedback (without blaming) and receiving feedback
Negotiation/refusal skills
• Negotiation and conflict management
• Assertiveness skills
• Refusal skills
Empathy
• Ability to listen and understand another's needs and circumstances and express that understanding
Cooperation and Teamwork
• Expressing respect for others' contributions and different styles
• Assessing one's own abilities and contributing to the group
Advocacy Skills
• Influencing skills & persuasion
• Networking and motivation skills
Decision-Making and Critical Thinking Skills
Decision making / problem solving skills
• Information gathering skills
• Evaluating future consequences of present actions for self and others
• Determining alternative solutions to problems
• Analysis skills regarding the influence of values and attitudes of self and others on motivation
Critical thinking skills
• Analyzing peer and media influences
• Analyzing attitudes, values, social norms and beliefs and factors affecting these
• Identifying relevant information and information sources
Coping and Self-Management Skills
Skills for increasing internal locus of control
• Self esteem/confidence building skills
• Self awareness skills including awareness of rights, influences, values, attitudes, rights, strengths and weaknesses
• Goal setting skills
• Self evaluation / Self assessment / Self-monitoring skills
Skills for managing feelings
• Anger management
• Dealing with grief and anxiety
• Coping skills for dealing with loss, abuse, trauma
Skills for managing stress
• Time management
• Positive thinking
• Relaxation techniques
The list below includes the psychosocial and interpersonal skills generally considered important. The choice of, and emphasis on, different skills will vary according to the topic and local conditions (e.g., decision-making may feature strongly in HIV/AIDS prevention whereas conflict management may be more prominent in a peace education program). Though the list suggests these categories are distinct from each other, many skills are used simultaneously in practice. For example, decision-making often involves critical thinking ("what are my options?") and values clarification ("what is important to me?"). Ultimately, the interplay between the skills is what produces powerful behavioural outcomes, especially where this approach is supported by other strategies such as media, policies and health services.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Interpersonal communication skills
• Verbal/Nonverbal communication
• Active listening
• Expressing feelings; giving feedback (without blaming) and receiving feedback
Negotiation/refusal skills
• Negotiation and conflict management
• Assertiveness skills
• Refusal skills
Empathy
• Ability to listen and understand another's needs and circumstances and express that understanding
Cooperation and Teamwork
• Expressing respect for others' contributions and different styles
• Assessing one's own abilities and contributing to the group
Advocacy Skills
• Influencing skills & persuasion
• Networking and motivation skills
Decision-Making and Critical Thinking Skills
Decision making / problem solving skills
• Information gathering skills
• Evaluating future consequences of present actions for self and others
• Determining alternative solutions to problems
• Analysis skills regarding the influence of values and attitudes of self and others on motivation
Critical thinking skills
• Analyzing peer and media influences
• Analyzing attitudes, values, social norms and beliefs and factors affecting these
• Identifying relevant information and information sources
Coping and Self-Management Skills
Skills for increasing internal locus of control
• Self esteem/confidence building skills
• Self awareness skills including awareness of rights, influences, values, attitudes, rights, strengths and weaknesses
• Goal setting skills
• Self evaluation / Self assessment / Self-monitoring skills
Skills for managing feelings
• Anger management
• Dealing with grief and anxiety
• Coping skills for dealing with loss, abuse, trauma
Skills for managing stress
• Time management
• Positive thinking
• Relaxation techniques
Tips for Reinforcing Good Problem Solving Skills
A big part of the job as an educator is to discover effective ways to help children make it through the difficult times of their academic lives. Students must have the ability to problem solve effectively is very important in helping them learn self-respect and self-esteem, overcome feelings of helplessness, and promote a generalized sense of capability. Equipping students with the right problem solving skills will promote resiliency and solution-focused problem solving shifts away from emphasizing problems and toward helping students discover the considerable power and possibilities they have in themselves.
The solution-focused problem-solving perspective emphasizes that children can become stuck by focusing on their past and current "bad" behavior and failures versus focusing on future solutions. It is important that educators will increase student performance by removing obstacles to student learning. Children accomplish more when they concentrate on their successes and strengths rather than their failures and deficits. There are so many advantages for students who know how constructively problems solve. Students should be looked at as being good and capable of rational thought but without any influence from teachers or significant adults a student will likely focus more on their own negative side.
Once educators begin to shift to the positives of the good things that are going on in a student's life, the student's usually will switch to that, open up and talk about it too. Students do have the capacity to act on common sense if given the opportunity to identify common sense problem-solving strategies. Solution-focused problem solving is based on the theory that small changes in behavior lead to bigger changes in behavior. Solution-focused problem solving emphasizes a role shift for students. Small shifts in role by a student will cause shifts in other places. The best advice that can be given to an educator in regards to teaching problem solving skills to a student is to develop an alliance with the student and work together to determine the problem and the cause. Identify the student's strength, everyone has at least one, and then they can build strengths and foundations which will lead to positive changes. When the plan does not seem to be working and the student seems to be repeating the same pattern or does not have the ability to control compulsive behaviors then the educator has to watch for a pattern and reinforce with positive.
Solution-focused problem solving pursues the positive and students are more likely to find a solution to a problem when they concentrate on their successes rather than their failures. Students must realize that they play a huge part in the success of their problem solving process and that change will occur. Once the changes begin to happen then the student will realize that their lives can be very different. Then it is time to have the students set goals and then monitors their progress. Good problem solvers use a variety of processes and strategies as they read and represent the problem before they make a plan to solve it. They then use comprehension strategies to translate the linguistic and numerical information in the problem and come up with a solution. For example, good problem solvers may read the problem more than once and may reread parts of the problem as they progress and think through the problem. They identify the important information and even underline parts of the problem.
A systematic, research-based problem-solving program makes problem solving easy to teach. Students are provided with the processes and strategies that make problem solving easy to learn, and they become successful and efficient problem solvers. They also gain a better attitude toward problem solving when they are successful and develop the confidence to persevere.
The solution-focused problem-solving perspective emphasizes that children can become stuck by focusing on their past and current "bad" behavior and failures versus focusing on future solutions. It is important that educators will increase student performance by removing obstacles to student learning. Children accomplish more when they concentrate on their successes and strengths rather than their failures and deficits. There are so many advantages for students who know how constructively problems solve. Students should be looked at as being good and capable of rational thought but without any influence from teachers or significant adults a student will likely focus more on their own negative side.
Once educators begin to shift to the positives of the good things that are going on in a student's life, the student's usually will switch to that, open up and talk about it too. Students do have the capacity to act on common sense if given the opportunity to identify common sense problem-solving strategies. Solution-focused problem solving is based on the theory that small changes in behavior lead to bigger changes in behavior. Solution-focused problem solving emphasizes a role shift for students. Small shifts in role by a student will cause shifts in other places. The best advice that can be given to an educator in regards to teaching problem solving skills to a student is to develop an alliance with the student and work together to determine the problem and the cause. Identify the student's strength, everyone has at least one, and then they can build strengths and foundations which will lead to positive changes. When the plan does not seem to be working and the student seems to be repeating the same pattern or does not have the ability to control compulsive behaviors then the educator has to watch for a pattern and reinforce with positive.
Solution-focused problem solving pursues the positive and students are more likely to find a solution to a problem when they concentrate on their successes rather than their failures. Students must realize that they play a huge part in the success of their problem solving process and that change will occur. Once the changes begin to happen then the student will realize that their lives can be very different. Then it is time to have the students set goals and then monitors their progress. Good problem solvers use a variety of processes and strategies as they read and represent the problem before they make a plan to solve it. They then use comprehension strategies to translate the linguistic and numerical information in the problem and come up with a solution. For example, good problem solvers may read the problem more than once and may reread parts of the problem as they progress and think through the problem. They identify the important information and even underline parts of the problem.
A systematic, research-based problem-solving program makes problem solving easy to teach. Students are provided with the processes and strategies that make problem solving easy to learn, and they become successful and efficient problem solvers. They also gain a better attitude toward problem solving when they are successful and develop the confidence to persevere.
04 September, 2009
THE JOY OF TEACHING - Laughing like we were still children
by, Janice Fletcher Ed.D
Remembering small encounters such as the 6 year old that called me Dr. Mrs. Fletcher after I became a doctor. Or the 12 year old girl that came to me with her business card in hand wanting an appointment with the principal to discuss strategies of how to market her babysitting skills at our school. There was the second grader that explained to the rest of the class that her fellow Spanish speaking classmate was talking in “cursive”. It was always fun to be introduced as “the president “of the school by the first graders. Some moments are cute, some are poignant, some are just plain funny. If they bring a faint smile or a belly whopping laugh, they are moments of joy.
Each year teachers are faced with the challenge of creating an atmosphere, environment, circumstances and lessons that will allow students to succeed. Most teachers find this endeavor exciting, fun and fulfilling, with laughter, smiles and humor the natural ingredients. Finding and capturing that joy is the essence of a long fulfilling career as a teacher.
Joy, according to Webster, is a very glad feeling; happiness; delight. A “very glad feeling” is a good indicator of the joy of teaching. There are so many of these moments during teaching, making this the most rewarding of professions. Every teacher could write a book about the funny things students say or do. Schools should share those experiences everyday; it’s a nice way to spread the joy.
There were the three cub scouts that donated their homemade birdhouse to the school for their environmental project. They explained that they weren’t strong enough to make a hole for the birds to enter so the birds would have to live on the outside.
James Barrie says, “Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.” Most teachers teach because that is what they’d “rather” be doing.. A teacher not teaching is a like a fish out of water. Teachers find themselves teaching wherever they are. Sometimes they are painstakingly teaching their spouse how to… or on vacations, it is the teacher in the group of tourists that will have the most questions and be taking notes. It is the really great teachers that use those notes in their lesson plans. I remember my teacher mother never answering questions like all the other moms. She would say “What do YOU think the answer is Janice?” There is great joy in it for generations of teachers have been drawn to it, are natural at it and find such fulfillment in it.
It is the laughter and joy in the profession that keeps teachers teaching year after year. When one experiences extreme joy they have a reaction called laughter. It is the result of overflowing joy and is defined by The American Heritage dictionary as, “Laughter: the act of laughing, the sound produced by laughing. The sounds and facial movement to express mirth”. Some people do it more than others. Some create laughter for others. Unfortunately, some people fail to experience the profound feeling of expressing mirth through laughter.
I recall the “class clown”, an eighth grader, who when I ordered him to sit down, he followed my direction, literally, and sat down exactly where he was standing, on the floor, across the room from his desk and chair. We had to laugh.
It is helpful for us to remember a moment, situation, an experience when we laughed the hardest. Recall the hurting stomach and cheek muscles as well as the overflowing laughter tears. How often is that happening in our lives? Do we have these moments in our classrooms? We know that the more FUN we make learning the more learning takes place.
We could chart these moments. Diets, finances, bad behavior, grades and weather are charted. What about our laughter quotient? Why? Because laughter is an essential part of life that is usually treated as an aside or an extra. Because when it slips from life, often times, sadly, it is not missed Because laughter is the manifestation of joy and if a teacher is not laughing, it is doubtful that the joy of teaching is being experienced and that students are learning as much as they are able.
A teacher that has captured the spirit of joy and laughter and expresses it through teaching will naturally create a joy of learning within his/her classroom. Humor and laughter greatly create many benefits in a classroom.
Historically, schools were not considered appropriate places for laughter. Remember the old adage of “Don’t smile at the students before Christmas?’ No laughter, not even smiles were permitted in classrooms. How unnatural that was. Laughter is not only a welcome addition to the classroom but a necessary one as well.
Laughter is instinctual. Fear, danger, surprise, stupidity, absurdity, disrespect, frustration, and even suspense, are all some of the causes of laughter, which are all natural emotions and things that are deeply rooted within our minds, just like instincts. Greville states: “Man is the only creature endowed with the power of laughter.”
Laughter occurs when energy is built-up, tension rises, then the situation changes, and there is no longer a need for the tension and finally laughter results as a release of the pent-up energy. I recall, as a child, during my piano recital I froze and couldn’t remember the next note. After two agonizingly long minutes I began to laugh and laugh and laugh.
Teachers deal with all the other emotions as they work with students. When a child comes into our classrooms fearful or in tears, they get attention. We react differently when faced with the emotion of laughter. Classrooms have been conducted with “a fear of laughter” attitude. Great literary works will cause us to laugh. It is a part of life that we have ignored in education. Laughter has always been a great barometer to measure the amount of joy in life.
Nietzsche suggests: “You must laugh ten times during the day, and be cheerful; otherwise your stomach, the fretter of affliction, will disturb you in the night.” My first year teaching, in a rural area we had pet day. Students were allowed to bring their pets to school for a visit. I walked into work to see that George and his “pet” horse were standing in the school lobby.
The Magazine Reader’s Digest has for decades had a section called “Laughter is the Best Medicine”. Looking at life’s situations with a sense of humor and laughter provides perspective and helps keep things in balance when life seems unfair. We have many of those moments teaching, don’t we? Life seems unfair? Humor and laughter are a source of power, healing and survival. We often forget this when we are caught up in the troubles and trauma of life in the classroom. The actor/ comedian Bill Cosby said,” If you can find humor in anything, you can survive it.” When one feels like losing control, allow a little “humor time”. By finding what’s funny in a situation, upsets won’t seem as important as they once did.
“Humor time” can be added to lesson plans. It follows the concept of show and tell, a historical activity for the very young students. Students have an opportunity to share, show and tell about their life. But teachers cease this practice in the later grades. It is one of things that people do very often as an adult. Listen to the conversations at parties. They contained elements of show and tell! “The other day I was on my new boat or… The funniest thing happened to me when I was… Lesson plans can include appropriate times to share funny moments. Students are just like adults, only smaller. If they have some news or funny story they will share it whether there is an appropriate time or not. Be an effective teacher, and reap the benefits of the joy and laughter it produces.
Humor also gives a sense of power. There are many things in life that we have no control over and can’t change. One can either let that fact become a frustration or use a sense of humor to minimize any difficult situation. Humor has the power to turn any situation around.
Students and teachers alike will find needs for coping skills. Laughter is one of the best coping skills.
As a principal, I was faced with a parent outraged that their child had been mistreated at the bus stop. As the parent screamed the tension rose. My coping skills and patience were reaching their limit. I invited the “mistreated” student in to “tell the story”. Shannon explained that she wasn’t mad at her friend for hitting her with her bookbag and bruising her arm, that she had done the same to her the week before. Our laughter over the explanation ended the animosity.
Gail Sheehy notes in her best seller, Pathfinders , “that the ability to see humor in a situation was one of the four coping devices that, people who overcame life’s crises, used as a protection against change and uncertainty.” When you are dealing with a difficult, student, parent or fellow employee, using humor in difficult times can be one of the smartest ways of coping. No, this does not give you permission to make fun of your principal next time you have a difference of opinion.
Humor can be used to establish rapport, an essential tool for successful teaching. Humor knows no cultural boundaries. It is true that one doesn’t have to speak the same language to laugh together. Laughter also helps “break the ice” in a group. It is one of the forms of communication that everyone can relate to. It’s not necessary to be a stand-up comedian in the classroom. But, the sharing of laughter will increase the level of communication.
During an ESOL class the students were learning the concept of silverware. After ten frustrating minutes of showing the students knives and forks and the Indian student responding by sticking her hand in the teacher’s face, it was discovered that the student’s culture used their fingers as silverware. The class laughed in understanding.
Educators need to remember that, humor relieves tension. Humor dispels anger and aggression in ourselves and others. Think about the number of squabbles and fights in schools! It helps to use humor when dealing with an angry child. Teachers have found lower scores on aggression for students viewing a humorous videotape.
Humor also increases learning and retention. Because laughter stimulates both sides of the brain, people get the message quicker and remember it longer. Humor can also be used as a “diagnostic tool”. If teachers pay attention to when and at what students joke around about, what is bothering them becomes apparent. Humor is an important and overlooked tool in education.
George Burns said “you can’t help getting older, but you can help getting old. Chronologically, the clock is going to keep on ticking for all of us, but if we take a lick of humor, we can prevent a hardening of the attitudes. If we savor humor, humor can be a lifesaver.” Teachers and their careers, ultimately students, can be “saved” by embracing the attitude of humor as a necessary, logical and easy addition for successful learning experiences.
There are a group of executives in India that have started a laughing club. After learning all the benefits of laughter from physical, to emotional they began gathering a few at a time outside during lunch. They began to “ha ha and he he” to one another until the laughter overtook them and they stood around belly laughing for about ten minutes as laughing is a contagious condition. They then walk back into work refreshed and tension free. The group is growing.
The individual teacher has the ability to create a joyful teaching experience. The attitudes and laughter are within a person, not an article, curriculum guide or textbook. Teacher and students alike will benefit from the addition of smiles, chuckles, giggles and big whopping belly laughs.
Wilfreed T. Grenfell says: “Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile.”
Teachers don’t have an easy job and certainly don’t get rich. The praise is far and few between. Real joy is realized by knowing the worth of the teaching profession is unparalleled in its importance for the future.
It is important that to find joy in work. Teachers are some of the most blessed souls on earth to be given the joy of teaching children. If one could relearn from children how to be happy and free in our attitudes and laughter, it would be a lesson well learned and a career worthy of praise.
Someone recently suggested a way to approach life that sounds quite joyful. It is: “Dance like no one is looking; work like you don’t need the money; love as though you’ve never been hurt.” One could conclude that we should add, laugh as though we were still children.
Source Courtesy: Queensland Teaching Magazine, Australia 1999
Remembering small encounters such as the 6 year old that called me Dr. Mrs. Fletcher after I became a doctor. Or the 12 year old girl that came to me with her business card in hand wanting an appointment with the principal to discuss strategies of how to market her babysitting skills at our school. There was the second grader that explained to the rest of the class that her fellow Spanish speaking classmate was talking in “cursive”. It was always fun to be introduced as “the president “of the school by the first graders. Some moments are cute, some are poignant, some are just plain funny. If they bring a faint smile or a belly whopping laugh, they are moments of joy.
Each year teachers are faced with the challenge of creating an atmosphere, environment, circumstances and lessons that will allow students to succeed. Most teachers find this endeavor exciting, fun and fulfilling, with laughter, smiles and humor the natural ingredients. Finding and capturing that joy is the essence of a long fulfilling career as a teacher.
Joy, according to Webster, is a very glad feeling; happiness; delight. A “very glad feeling” is a good indicator of the joy of teaching. There are so many of these moments during teaching, making this the most rewarding of professions. Every teacher could write a book about the funny things students say or do. Schools should share those experiences everyday; it’s a nice way to spread the joy.
There were the three cub scouts that donated their homemade birdhouse to the school for their environmental project. They explained that they weren’t strong enough to make a hole for the birds to enter so the birds would have to live on the outside.
James Barrie says, “Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.” Most teachers teach because that is what they’d “rather” be doing.. A teacher not teaching is a like a fish out of water. Teachers find themselves teaching wherever they are. Sometimes they are painstakingly teaching their spouse how to… or on vacations, it is the teacher in the group of tourists that will have the most questions and be taking notes. It is the really great teachers that use those notes in their lesson plans. I remember my teacher mother never answering questions like all the other moms. She would say “What do YOU think the answer is Janice?” There is great joy in it for generations of teachers have been drawn to it, are natural at it and find such fulfillment in it.
It is the laughter and joy in the profession that keeps teachers teaching year after year. When one experiences extreme joy they have a reaction called laughter. It is the result of overflowing joy and is defined by The American Heritage dictionary as, “Laughter: the act of laughing, the sound produced by laughing. The sounds and facial movement to express mirth”. Some people do it more than others. Some create laughter for others. Unfortunately, some people fail to experience the profound feeling of expressing mirth through laughter.
I recall the “class clown”, an eighth grader, who when I ordered him to sit down, he followed my direction, literally, and sat down exactly where he was standing, on the floor, across the room from his desk and chair. We had to laugh.
It is helpful for us to remember a moment, situation, an experience when we laughed the hardest. Recall the hurting stomach and cheek muscles as well as the overflowing laughter tears. How often is that happening in our lives? Do we have these moments in our classrooms? We know that the more FUN we make learning the more learning takes place.
We could chart these moments. Diets, finances, bad behavior, grades and weather are charted. What about our laughter quotient? Why? Because laughter is an essential part of life that is usually treated as an aside or an extra. Because when it slips from life, often times, sadly, it is not missed Because laughter is the manifestation of joy and if a teacher is not laughing, it is doubtful that the joy of teaching is being experienced and that students are learning as much as they are able.
A teacher that has captured the spirit of joy and laughter and expresses it through teaching will naturally create a joy of learning within his/her classroom. Humor and laughter greatly create many benefits in a classroom.
Historically, schools were not considered appropriate places for laughter. Remember the old adage of “Don’t smile at the students before Christmas?’ No laughter, not even smiles were permitted in classrooms. How unnatural that was. Laughter is not only a welcome addition to the classroom but a necessary one as well.
Laughter is instinctual. Fear, danger, surprise, stupidity, absurdity, disrespect, frustration, and even suspense, are all some of the causes of laughter, which are all natural emotions and things that are deeply rooted within our minds, just like instincts. Greville states: “Man is the only creature endowed with the power of laughter.”
Laughter occurs when energy is built-up, tension rises, then the situation changes, and there is no longer a need for the tension and finally laughter results as a release of the pent-up energy. I recall, as a child, during my piano recital I froze and couldn’t remember the next note. After two agonizingly long minutes I began to laugh and laugh and laugh.
Teachers deal with all the other emotions as they work with students. When a child comes into our classrooms fearful or in tears, they get attention. We react differently when faced with the emotion of laughter. Classrooms have been conducted with “a fear of laughter” attitude. Great literary works will cause us to laugh. It is a part of life that we have ignored in education. Laughter has always been a great barometer to measure the amount of joy in life.
Nietzsche suggests: “You must laugh ten times during the day, and be cheerful; otherwise your stomach, the fretter of affliction, will disturb you in the night.” My first year teaching, in a rural area we had pet day. Students were allowed to bring their pets to school for a visit. I walked into work to see that George and his “pet” horse were standing in the school lobby.
The Magazine Reader’s Digest has for decades had a section called “Laughter is the Best Medicine”. Looking at life’s situations with a sense of humor and laughter provides perspective and helps keep things in balance when life seems unfair. We have many of those moments teaching, don’t we? Life seems unfair? Humor and laughter are a source of power, healing and survival. We often forget this when we are caught up in the troubles and trauma of life in the classroom. The actor/ comedian Bill Cosby said,” If you can find humor in anything, you can survive it.” When one feels like losing control, allow a little “humor time”. By finding what’s funny in a situation, upsets won’t seem as important as they once did.
“Humor time” can be added to lesson plans. It follows the concept of show and tell, a historical activity for the very young students. Students have an opportunity to share, show and tell about their life. But teachers cease this practice in the later grades. It is one of things that people do very often as an adult. Listen to the conversations at parties. They contained elements of show and tell! “The other day I was on my new boat or… The funniest thing happened to me when I was… Lesson plans can include appropriate times to share funny moments. Students are just like adults, only smaller. If they have some news or funny story they will share it whether there is an appropriate time or not. Be an effective teacher, and reap the benefits of the joy and laughter it produces.
Humor also gives a sense of power. There are many things in life that we have no control over and can’t change. One can either let that fact become a frustration or use a sense of humor to minimize any difficult situation. Humor has the power to turn any situation around.
Students and teachers alike will find needs for coping skills. Laughter is one of the best coping skills.
As a principal, I was faced with a parent outraged that their child had been mistreated at the bus stop. As the parent screamed the tension rose. My coping skills and patience were reaching their limit. I invited the “mistreated” student in to “tell the story”. Shannon explained that she wasn’t mad at her friend for hitting her with her bookbag and bruising her arm, that she had done the same to her the week before. Our laughter over the explanation ended the animosity.
Gail Sheehy notes in her best seller, Pathfinders , “that the ability to see humor in a situation was one of the four coping devices that, people who overcame life’s crises, used as a protection against change and uncertainty.” When you are dealing with a difficult, student, parent or fellow employee, using humor in difficult times can be one of the smartest ways of coping. No, this does not give you permission to make fun of your principal next time you have a difference of opinion.
Humor can be used to establish rapport, an essential tool for successful teaching. Humor knows no cultural boundaries. It is true that one doesn’t have to speak the same language to laugh together. Laughter also helps “break the ice” in a group. It is one of the forms of communication that everyone can relate to. It’s not necessary to be a stand-up comedian in the classroom. But, the sharing of laughter will increase the level of communication.
During an ESOL class the students were learning the concept of silverware. After ten frustrating minutes of showing the students knives and forks and the Indian student responding by sticking her hand in the teacher’s face, it was discovered that the student’s culture used their fingers as silverware. The class laughed in understanding.
Educators need to remember that, humor relieves tension. Humor dispels anger and aggression in ourselves and others. Think about the number of squabbles and fights in schools! It helps to use humor when dealing with an angry child. Teachers have found lower scores on aggression for students viewing a humorous videotape.
Humor also increases learning and retention. Because laughter stimulates both sides of the brain, people get the message quicker and remember it longer. Humor can also be used as a “diagnostic tool”. If teachers pay attention to when and at what students joke around about, what is bothering them becomes apparent. Humor is an important and overlooked tool in education.
George Burns said “you can’t help getting older, but you can help getting old. Chronologically, the clock is going to keep on ticking for all of us, but if we take a lick of humor, we can prevent a hardening of the attitudes. If we savor humor, humor can be a lifesaver.” Teachers and their careers, ultimately students, can be “saved” by embracing the attitude of humor as a necessary, logical and easy addition for successful learning experiences.
There are a group of executives in India that have started a laughing club. After learning all the benefits of laughter from physical, to emotional they began gathering a few at a time outside during lunch. They began to “ha ha and he he” to one another until the laughter overtook them and they stood around belly laughing for about ten minutes as laughing is a contagious condition. They then walk back into work refreshed and tension free. The group is growing.
The individual teacher has the ability to create a joyful teaching experience. The attitudes and laughter are within a person, not an article, curriculum guide or textbook. Teacher and students alike will benefit from the addition of smiles, chuckles, giggles and big whopping belly laughs.
Wilfreed T. Grenfell says: “Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile.”
Teachers don’t have an easy job and certainly don’t get rich. The praise is far and few between. Real joy is realized by knowing the worth of the teaching profession is unparalleled in its importance for the future.
It is important that to find joy in work. Teachers are some of the most blessed souls on earth to be given the joy of teaching children. If one could relearn from children how to be happy and free in our attitudes and laughter, it would be a lesson well learned and a career worthy of praise.
Someone recently suggested a way to approach life that sounds quite joyful. It is: “Dance like no one is looking; work like you don’t need the money; love as though you’ve never been hurt.” One could conclude that we should add, laugh as though we were still children.
Source Courtesy: Queensland Teaching Magazine, Australia 1999
02 September, 2009
Happy Teacher's Day
Hi,
Wish you all a very happy teacher’s day!
I believe, teachers are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth. We are the people who decide the destiny of future generation. We are really the mother of every thing we have today. So our responsibility to the world is huge. Do we really coping to the expectation of the present society? Each one of us must introspect. ‘Change’ should be the guiding word for educators all over the world. For that we have to change our mindset. Adapt and accept the fast changing global conditions. If we fail in that how can we train and prepare the future generation? What will be the future of children under our care today? Dear friends we have to ponder into these questions.
We are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times many of us accomplish this impossible task.
Below are few wonderful quotes on our noble profession. Read and cherish.
The art of teaching is the art of assisting in discovery.
Behind every successful student is an exhausted teacher!
Blessed are the teachers, for they open minds, touch hearts and share the future.
Children are a great deal more apt to follow your lead than the way you point.
Children love to learn, but hate to be taught.
Discover wildlife: be a teacher!
Example isn't another way to teach, it is the only way to teach. (Albert Einstein)
For every person wishing to teach there are thirty not wanting to be taught.
A good teacher deserves an apple. You deserve the whole tree!
A great teacher loves teaching others to love learning.
He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.
He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.
History Teachers are our link with the past!
Home, Sweet Classroom!
I am not a teacher, but an awakener. (Robert Frost)
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think. (Socrates)
I touch the future. I teach.
I will not yell in class.
I will not throw things.
I will not get mad. I will be good...because I am the teacher.
If you can count your blessings, thank a teacher!
If you can read this, thank a teacher!
If you have knowledge, let others light their candle by it. (Margaret Fuller)
I'm as lucky as can be 'cause the world's greatest teacher is teaching me!
It's sad but true...teachers have homework, too!
Leading a child to learning's treasures,gives a teacher untold pleasures.
Like all great teachers, you let me learn from my own mistakes.
Math Teachers make your life add up!
Math Teachers really count!
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. (William Arthur Ward)
A million computers can't replace one outstanding teacher.
No written word nor spoken plea Can teach our youth what they should be Nor all the books on all the shelves,
It's what the teachers are themselves.
The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without his teacher. (Elbert Hubbard)
One good teacher outweighs a ton of books. (Chinese Proverb)
One of the most important things a teacher can do is to send the pupil home in the afternoon liking himself just a little better than when he came in that morning. (Ernest Melby)
Only the educated are free. (Epictetus)
Preschool teachers enjoy the little things in life!
Real learning begins with one good teacher.
Science Teachers have the right chemistry!
Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
A special teacher is remembered forever!
Summer vacation is the time when parents realize that teachers are grossly underpaid.
Teach from the Heart!.
A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. (Henry Brooks Adams)
A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind, and touches a heart
Teacher's Aide: A welcome addition!
Teachers are angels in training.
Teacher cannot live by apples alone...she needs 'kisses' too! (to go with a gift or Hershey's Kisses)
Teachers change the world one child at a time.
Teachers don't impact for a year, but for a lifetime.
Teachers help students blossom.
Teachers help us to learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
Teachers make the little things count.
Teachers plant seeds of knowledge that will grow forever.
A teacher's purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image.
A teacher's task it so take a lot of live wires and make sure they are well-grounded.
Teachers that love to teach, create kids that love to learn.
Teachers work in classy places.
Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best. (Bob Talbert)
Thank you for the encourage-'mint' you gave my child. (with a gift of mints)
Thank you for your commit-'mint' to my child's education. (with a gift of mints)
There's no one quite like a special teacher,and no teacher quite as special as you.
Three good reasons to be a teacher: June, July and August!
Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I may not remember. Involve me and I'll understand. (Native American proverb)
Time spent teaching is never lost.
To learn is a blessing. To teach and do it well, it is a gift.
To teach is to learn again.
To waken interest and kindle enthusiasm is the sure way to teach easily and successfully. (Tyron Edwards)
A truly special teacher is very wise,she sees tomorrow in every child's eyes!
We teach what we live.
What a teacher writes on the blackboard of life can never be erased!
When all else fails, ask a teacher!
The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards. (Anatole France)
A wise teacher makes learning fun.
A wise teacher teaches by example.
The world need's more teachers like you.
You can't scare me - I teach school!
You can't teach every child to be a leader, but you can help children to know which leader to follow.
Wish you all a very happy teacher’s day!
I believe, teachers are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth. We are the people who decide the destiny of future generation. We are really the mother of every thing we have today. So our responsibility to the world is huge. Do we really coping to the expectation of the present society? Each one of us must introspect. ‘Change’ should be the guiding word for educators all over the world. For that we have to change our mindset. Adapt and accept the fast changing global conditions. If we fail in that how can we train and prepare the future generation? What will be the future of children under our care today? Dear friends we have to ponder into these questions.We are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times many of us accomplish this impossible task.
Below are few wonderful quotes on our noble profession. Read and cherish.
The art of teaching is the art of assisting in discovery.
Behind every successful student is an exhausted teacher!
Blessed are the teachers, for they open minds, touch hearts and share the future.
Children are a great deal more apt to follow your lead than the way you point.
Children love to learn, but hate to be taught.
Discover wildlife: be a teacher!
Example isn't another way to teach, it is the only way to teach. (Albert Einstein)
For every person wishing to teach there are thirty not wanting to be taught.
A good teacher deserves an apple. You deserve the whole tree!
A great teacher loves teaching others to love learning.
He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.
He who dares to teach must never cease to learn.
History Teachers are our link with the past!
Home, Sweet Classroom!
I am not a teacher, but an awakener. (Robert Frost)
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think. (Socrates)
I touch the future. I teach.
I will not yell in class.
I will not throw things.
I will not get mad. I will be good...because I am the teacher.
If you can count your blessings, thank a teacher!
If you can read this, thank a teacher!
If you have knowledge, let others light their candle by it. (Margaret Fuller)
I'm as lucky as can be 'cause the world's greatest teacher is teaching me!
It's sad but true...teachers have homework, too!
Leading a child to learning's treasures,gives a teacher untold pleasures.
Like all great teachers, you let me learn from my own mistakes.
Math Teachers make your life add up!
Math Teachers really count!
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. (William Arthur Ward)
A million computers can't replace one outstanding teacher.
No written word nor spoken plea Can teach our youth what they should be Nor all the books on all the shelves,
It's what the teachers are themselves.
The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without his teacher. (Elbert Hubbard)
One good teacher outweighs a ton of books. (Chinese Proverb)
One of the most important things a teacher can do is to send the pupil home in the afternoon liking himself just a little better than when he came in that morning. (Ernest Melby)
Only the educated are free. (Epictetus)
Preschool teachers enjoy the little things in life!
Real learning begins with one good teacher.
Science Teachers have the right chemistry!
Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
A special teacher is remembered forever!
Summer vacation is the time when parents realize that teachers are grossly underpaid.
Teach from the Heart!.
A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. (Henry Brooks Adams)
A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind, and touches a heart
Teacher's Aide: A welcome addition!
Teachers are angels in training.
Teacher cannot live by apples alone...she needs 'kisses' too! (to go with a gift or Hershey's Kisses)
Teachers change the world one child at a time.
Teachers don't impact for a year, but for a lifetime.
Teachers help students blossom.
Teachers help us to learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
Teachers make the little things count.
Teachers plant seeds of knowledge that will grow forever.
A teacher's purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image.
A teacher's task it so take a lot of live wires and make sure they are well-grounded.
Teachers that love to teach, create kids that love to learn.
Teachers work in classy places.
Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best. (Bob Talbert)
Thank you for the encourage-'mint' you gave my child. (with a gift of mints)
Thank you for your commit-'mint' to my child's education. (with a gift of mints)
There's no one quite like a special teacher,and no teacher quite as special as you.
Three good reasons to be a teacher: June, July and August!
Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I may not remember. Involve me and I'll understand. (Native American proverb)
Time spent teaching is never lost.
To learn is a blessing. To teach and do it well, it is a gift.
To teach is to learn again.
To waken interest and kindle enthusiasm is the sure way to teach easily and successfully. (Tyron Edwards)
A truly special teacher is very wise,she sees tomorrow in every child's eyes!
We teach what we live.
What a teacher writes on the blackboard of life can never be erased!
When all else fails, ask a teacher!
The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards. (Anatole France)
A wise teacher makes learning fun.
A wise teacher teaches by example.
The world need's more teachers like you.
You can't scare me - I teach school!
You can't teach every child to be a leader, but you can help children to know which leader to follow.
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