The Active Teacher — Inside and Outside of the Classroom
Students are developing in many ways both inside and outside of the classroom. Why should teachers be any different?
School is not an isolated independent setting. Students develop personally, socially, and emotionally at school, at home, and in their community as well. Their experiences in these settings affect their academics, behaviors, and emotions at school. Therefore, teachers should engage themselves, directly or through discussions with the child, with the community, home, and experiences of their students. This is so teachers can see a more comprehensive picture of students and they can better understand, teach, and encourage them.
The Basics: Cultural Competency
I think one of the best starting places is for teachers to gain a higher sense of cultural competency so they can understand students’ culture, values, and beliefs with appreciation and without judgement. When students feel like they are understood and appreciated as a whole in the classroom, they will be more engaged and excited about school. Additionally, when teachers integrate students cultural values into classroom lessons, events, and conversations, students may increase their interest in school and trust in the teacher. For example, incorporating more Spanish speaking books into a classroom with primarily English as a Second Language (ESL) learners would be very beneficial in teaching them content and connecting with their means of communication. Or, knowing when their families work or are the busiest, teachers can be more flexible with office hours or parent-teacher conferences which also engages the parent.
The Teacher as an Active Learner
Teachers encourage active learning in their students with the academic material, but teachers should also be active learners of their students. One way for teachers to be active is engaging in the surrounding community that their students experience daily. Teachers may live in or near the area, but they likely live a different daily life than their students, particularly if they have a different race, culture, language, religion, etc. Trying to step into the shoes of the students is an amazing way to create a deeper connection with them so students feel safe in the school environment. For example, a student may visit a local market with their family every Sunday afternoon or a student may have to do their homework at the local library every day because of their lack of internet issues. Or perhaps it is not a physical place, maybe students visit a website often or play a particular game. Whatever the medium, it is important that teachers use their skill of cultural competency during engagement so they can experience something different while still valuing that experience and not associating that activity or student with lower value. Visiting these places and talking to their students about them is very important in holistically understanding the students and creating a safe space for them.
Another active method I believe would be beneficial for student success is for the teacher to make visits to the home or make intentional efforts to engage the parents in the school environment. I think seeing the home, which is the other primary setting for students, is important in knowing their situation, understanding their culture and background, and developing a personal connection. Of course some families may not be comfortable with this, so actively bringing the parents into the school at convenient times is also a feasible method. I believe academic, social, and personal success is fostered when the family is more involved in school, when the family and student feel comfortable and safe in school, and when the teacher can see the students’ true self. Again, cultural competency is CRUCIAL in this step. Sometimes, a negative interaction is worse than no interaction.
Both of my implications of teacher active learning have involved the teacher emerging themselves in non-classroom environments. However, active learning can and should still occur inside the classroom. Discussion of students’ home life, personal problems, culture and values, and opinions can be implemented into the academic setting. Providing simple personal check-in worksheets about the family and community are certainly feasible and creating practice problems or examples that relate to the students is a must.
“The How”
I am a strong advocate for the connectivity of family, community, and school, so these are my ideal teacher-student relationships. However, I recognize the under-pay and over-work of teachers. On the other hand though, I believe my ideas should be required or “the minimum”. Therefore, teachers definitely should be paid more and responsibilities need to shift (e.g. teachers do not need to purchase classroom supplies out of their own pocket) so they can make room for students, communities, and families.
