1. What do you see as the ultimate benefit of Tom's 'town meetings'?
2. Would you use 'town meetings'? Why? Why not?
Why is it difficult for Cathy to articulate the strategies and methods behind her caring and supportive classroom community?
3. Please include your thoughts regarding the consulting work of Cole.
15 comments:
I thought that this was another great article, and am enjoying the fact that these articles are so practical and directly connected with what we as teachers experience and are sometimes challenged with.
I think that it can be difficult to find others that are so focused on the positive and the real reason why we do what we do, but finding that group of people is what helps people enter and stay in the “enthusiasm and growth” stage of their careers. It seems like negativity and complaining can be easily found and it can be toxic to a school. Everyone seems to have individuals in their school that are the first to find fault with almost anything…that can be extremely frustrating.
I see the ultimate benefit of Tom’s town meetings as kids getting the chance to shine, be heard, and play the role of interactive leaders that under normal circumstances, or in a different environment, may have never had that chance. The impact that this has on students is immeasurable. Town meetings are something that I may like to give a shot, because I think that if students feel like they are respected and heard they then put forth their best efforts academically. I would want to introduce this at the beginning of the year as we are adjusting to routines and focusing on so many other “responsive classroom” type practices.
As far as Cathy’s room, when something comes naturally or is imbedded in the personal beliefs of the teacher I think it shows through to the students. Therefore, without even realizing it has happened, a teacher expects certain things and acts in a way that can’t be explained without reflection. Kids can feel it when someone is genuine and read right through it when they’re not.
I am again thinking that this would be a great article to pass on to administrators. It reminds me to keep looking for all the great things that my colleagues (and I!) are doing every day regardless of the challenges and demands that we experience.
I thought reading Metaphors of Hope was a positive and uplifting article. As educators, we really do need to stop and think of all the wonderful things that we are doing for students instead of focusing on the negatives. It is easy to get pessimistic with everything that goes on from day to day in schools.
I think that the benefit of the town meetings in Mr. T’s classroom is that the students have a sense of community and ownership. To me, that is important in creating a positive rapport with your students. I thought it was a wonderful idea and was inspired to try it out. I agree that to build positive relationships, the teacher must teach in the “key of life” for the town meetings to work. Children respond to situations by following the teacher’s example.
I felt that it was hard for Cathy to articulate her strategy for such a warm and loving environment because she didn’t have a strategy. She taught the students to be kind, sensitive, and respectful of others. Again, modeling this type of behavior rubs off on the students and they follow by example.
Anne and Claudette’s consulting work seems to be helpful to administrators to be sensitive to the needs of their teachers. I think it is a good program and truly feel the same – that a staff will work harder if they are happy and treated with respect. Even though we are adults who have our own families and lives outside of school, we still need praise and affirmation every once in a while (just like our students).
Again this is another great article. As Erin said, I also appreciate that the articles are so relevant to our everyday work as teachers. We work in this profession that should be so rewarding. Every day we are helping our students and providing a safe place for them. Maybe the only place that they really do feel safe. Unfortunately, there is a negative cloud over so many in the profession. Many tend to focus on the negative and what's not working , rather than the positive influence they have on their students. I have found that it is hard to find others that are enthusiastic. I have also had other colleagues look down at the fact that I love my job and take on new challenges with an open mind. I have heard more than once " wait until you have been a teacher a long as I have". I hope I never feel that way.
As for Tom's town meetings, I do think they are good idea. This gives the students and opportunity to feel that they are in control of the situation. It gives the students a voice and a feeling of belonging to a community. I think so many time we have a teacher directed class and forget that with the right guidance we could give a little of the power in the classroom to the students. Town meeting are a great way to do this. Town meetings make for a safe environment that all can feel comfortable to speak their mind.
I would use town meetings in my class. They are something that could be introduced in the beginning of the year while establishing the classroom environment.
It's difficult for Cathy to articulate a strategy because it's just what she does. For some it is just in them to teach kindness and caring without even knowing they are. It is how she presents herself and her expectations of her students. Clearly, she models with her behavior what she expects for her students.
I think the consulting work is a good idea. Administrations sometimes forgets what the staff may need in order to stay positive. It is apparent in schools when there is an administrator who really cares about the best interests of the staff. I am fortunate enough to have an administrator who does and it is nice to know he stands behind us and trusts in our work.
When anyone watches the news’ programs that are on today, or even when you pick a paper up, it’s always the negative news that is promoted and headlined. Why? That’s where the sensationalism lies, and what sells is what goes. The public seems to thrive on the negative…maybe to make their own life situations seem better. That’s sad. So, does that translate to the parent who comes in screaming that her son received a low grade on a test, and it was not his fault because the whole family was out until midnight and he didn't have a chance to study? I think it definitely translates. I think some parents do look for the negative in schools so they can make themselves feel better. I think this is where Chenfield is coming from, especially considering the era she began teaching. She remembers when the positive flourished, schools were always safe havens, and teachers were respected individuals. She’s watched the land that was once lush turn to barren wasteland where only metaphors of hope bloom.
As far as Tenerovich’s town meetings go, I think they are great ideas for teachers who have their own classrooms. That concept is sort of tough for teachers who are departmentalized and only have certain blocks of time with multiple groups of students throughout the day. I did try something like that one year; problem-solving and behaviors were really getting in the way of learning, so I tried the town meeting approach. The kids learned how to use their own voices in appropriate ways instead of bashing each other, and cliques miraculously disappeared. Everyone knew his/her own job, did it, shared it, and then everyone else knew when to applaud it. It did work for a while, but it never crossed over to other subject areas (to other teachers and classes). As a matter of fact, our new principal is instituting town meetings with the whole school, and our first is in a couple of weeks. Why? She really wants the students to know that they are a part of a community within the school, and community cares.
It’s difficult for Cathy to articulate her strategies and methods because it’s just her personality, her way of looking at life. If it’s part of your soul, it’s hard to explain to anyone else. You can’t just read or write a chapter in a book about it because it’s not a method you can simply outline. You have to hold the belief first, then really hold onto it and apply it every day, no matter what pops up.
I think it’s very sad that the country needs to have such consultants as Cole and Price. That may seem a little harsh, but really, it seems like a vicious circle we’ve gotten into. New directives/initiatives/tests come down on administrators, who dump everything on the teachers, who have to make the kids do whatever it is that’s new and brilliant to someone, then the kids get cranky and shut down because they have so much on their plates already, then their parents get upset, call the administrators to complain about the school and the teachers…and so it goes…a vicious circle. So, now we have a need for the Prices and the Coles of the world to remind us that we need to step back and remember why we’re all here. To show schools that the environment that is created within their walls directly affects the teaching and learning cycles, and in today’s world of so much uncertainty and negativity, it also affects the whole lives of their students. If Price and Cole go into a school and are able to build a community of safety and trust between the administration and the faculty and staff, the students will see it, will begin to believe in it, and soon, they, too, will feel safe and will know trust. If they believe in it, they will carry it with them out of school.
I often wonder why negative thoughts and feelings tend to grow at such a faster rate than positive ones. Why is it that the media chooses to highlight the negative and pessimistic? That is why I really appreciated the picture Ms. Chenfeld drew us of those tiny flowers rising midst the desolation. I agree with the author that we must make it a habit to focus on the courageous and persistent and not “sink into despair” when it seems all around us is barren land. We need to look for, find, and focus on those signs of hope, because they are there. Ten years ago our faculty members asked why it was that education and educators seemed to be getting so much negative attention. We decided it was time to let our community know all the positive things that happen in our school. That was the start of publishing weekly newspaper articles and parent/community newsletters. I have to mention here, that there are many local newspapers that print stories from and about the local schools and we are thankful for each one of them.
Ms. Chenfeld describes three classrooms where the teachers have built a culture of caring and cooperation. This relates closely to Noddings “themes of care.” Noddings writes that as schools we need to convey care and “provide continuity and support for relationships of care and trust”. I would agree that teachers like Tom, Cathy and Dee know that building those relationships of trust and care are essential. Tom used the Town Meeting to give the students in his second grade a voice. Ultimately, they learned first hand what a democracy is all about and how important it is that all points of view are allowed to be expressed. Sometimes that can be a little threatening and it takes work to build that kind of trust level. I don’t have a classroom, but we do use the town meeting concept in our middle school. We also have morning meetings each day in each our EEE-grade 6 classrooms as part of the Responsive Classroom and have found them to be quite beneficial for building community. This format allows the students to share their concerns and celebrations and understand each other a little better than they did before.
Cathy built her classroom community based on trust and mutual respect- things she firmly believes and practices on a daily basis. She met each of her students where they were. She understood the fears and frustrations of students coming from foster homes, diverse cultures, or dysfunctional families and created a safe haven in her classroom. She might not have listed or articulated a list of classroom management strategies; instead she created a culture of respect, care, and trust. She formed a relationship with her students and helped them build relationships among themselves. As the author writes, “she just did what she did because of who she was and what she believed.”
Claudette and Anne understand that teachers need to be supported and nurtured just like their students. Like the author says, teachers’ needs must be met before they can meet the needs of their students. That requires teachers feeling secure enough to voice their concerns and fellow teachers and administrators who are willing to listen and respond. I wonder what our faculty meetings might look like if we ran them like Tom’s town meetings. What might students from Cathy’s classroom teach us about handling different points of view? How might we overcome some of the fears Parker Palmer talks about so that we are able to build the kinds of relationships that are based on caring?
I enjoyed reading this article and felt very inspired by it. It’s been a while since I’ve read any of Chenfeld’s work and was glad to see her name again.
The introduction really captured my attention with the story about the flowers growing in the lava hills of Hawaii. If we as educators would take time everyday to find the lava flowers in our own classrooms, then we could accomplish so much. Some children don’t have a lot large accomplishments to boast about, yet every child has small ones that should not be overlooked. All accomplishments are important in our student’s lives.
I loved the idea of Tom’s town meetings and compare them to the Responsive Classroom’s idea of class meetings, which I use in my kindergarten classroom. I’m not sure about using the idea in my kindergarten classroom because I find the class meetings to be successful. However this article reminds me that I need to make sure I am not always the mayor!
In the second story, Cathy is the way every teacher should be. She is respectful and caring and she brings those traits into her classroom naturally. That is why she can’t explain her success – because it comes to her naturally. It reminds me of Parker Palmer’s references to good teachers in the chapters we’ve read so far. If we tell children to be good, loving, caring, fair, and respectful and don’t convey those qualities through our actions, then we have failed to teach them.
The final story really drives home the importance of school climate and how it affects everyone in the building from staff to teachers to parents. This is the story that administrators would benefit from. It reflects the importance of how everyone in a school should be treated - with respect and dignity.
In all four stories, students feel safe. The third story stated “The language in this class is the language of respect, acceptance, courtesy, responsibility, and cooperation.” These are things we should all be working for in our classrooms.
I see great value in the leadership skills that Tom’s town meetings foster. There are many students that remain in the margins, too shy or hesitant to risk putting themselves into a leadership role. Tom’s format for town meetings ensures that each student has the opportunity to lead the class in a meaningful way. I conduct a morning meeting, modeled somewhat after what is taught in the Responsive Classroom program, but have never really allowed students to lead the overall course of the meeting. I certainly believe that my fifth and sixth graders are capable of it- it just never really occurred to me! I think I’ll give it a try. I don’t know about having one student maintain that leadership role for an entire week, but a day might be a good start. Not only would students benefit from learning to lead effectively- it would be equally beneficial for them to learn to work as a team under the direction of a peer rather than an adult. It is this sort of experience that would help to alleviate some of the issues that plague unstructured times, such as recess.
I believe Cathy finds it difficult to articulate the strategies she employs in creating a caring classroom because her interactions with children are likely governed by the moment, and the immediate emotional needs of her students rather than any pedagogy based on a philosophy or research. Just as Parker drives home in the first chapter of his book- effective teaching comes from the heart. Cathy may be able to lay out a sequence of steps that a colleague could follow in an effort to duplicate the effect in their own classroom, but if the message the teacher communicates isn’t genuine, there will be little benefit to children.
Regarding the consulting work of Cole- If what is said in class stays in class- I wish that my administrator would attend one of her seminars. I have heard more than one of our small faculty remark that she is one of the most uncaring individuals they have met- in this world, that’s saying something. I was struck by Chenfield’s statement that “No principal can ask any teacher, student, or parent to travel down the uncertain path of caring if the principal will not lead the way.” Our administrator’s phoniness is so palpable that many of the bravest on our staff refuse to wear the “character counts” buttons that are part of our program of character education. The buttons, issued to us monthly, display such words as respect, trustworthiness, civility, honesty, caring, etc. We cannot bring ourselves to perpetuate the dog and pony show that she puts on for parents, the superintendent, and the board. Even children will not approach her to discuss concerns or ask questions- its not that they fear her, they simply say that she won’t care.
I think that the ultimate benefit of Tom's town meetings is the sense of postive classroom climate. Similar to what John wrote, I too conduct a morning meeting every day with fifth graders. Our school follows the Responsive Classroom Model. I have a different student lead the meeting each day and it does give them a sense of responsibility. The students really seem to enjoy morning meeting. The one thing that I would like to add to our morning meetings would be what Tom does when he asks students to bring classroom concerns and comments to the discussion.
I agree with Price and Cole when they discuss the importance of the staff feeling appreciated and respected. At the school where I teach, the staff receives a lot of support. Administration is very supportive and willing to help out any way that they can. I never hesitate to approach any of the administrators in our building with questions or concerns. I cant imagine working in an environment where that is not the case.
I think its great that Mimi Chenfeld wrote this uplifting article after being in the education field for 52 years!!!! I cant imagine ever having such a positive outlook after that long! I picture myself enjoying retirement and not thinking about school at all in 52 years!
Like most other people, I too, enjoyed this article. It is always inspiring to read positive stories regarding teaching and teachers today. After starting my day with a staff meeting where negative voices are the only ones speaking up, I felt refreshed reading this article.
I love the idea of Tom’s town meeting! I think it creates a warm trusting classroom culture where all kids feel like their voice is heard. How powerful to have Tom pass on the power of mayor to the children. When I was in junior high, I was chosen as a judge in a mock trail during a social studies class. My first reaction to this was horror!! It was a difficult position to be in to have to listen to all sides and not just to my friends. I agonized over it and told the teacher I did not want to do it. She assured me that I could and helped me through the process. I really learned to listen to all sides and obviously still remember it to this day. This experience led me to my beliefs in giving kids a voice and a choice in how their day should unfold. Having all kids play the role of creating choices for their classroom and classmates allows the varied experiences of each member in the room be shared and heard. I do not have my own classroom to allow this practice of town meeting, however, like most other classroom teachers, I have practiced the Responsive Classroom management techniques when I was in the classroom.
Cathy Armant is the kind of teacher that I would most want my own children to have! I think that she had difficulty articulating her strategies because as Chenfield said “she did what she did because of who she was and what she believed”. Many children come to school without knowing mutual respect. It appears that Ms. Armant provides that and much more for her children. I also noted that she spoke about herself being human, and that she shared things from her life with her students. Ms. Armant also provides a positive atmosphere where all children feel safe to take risks and share their thoughts and feelings knowing that they will be listen to and celebrated.
I think that the administrators along with the policies and initiatives that get handed down to schools every year are overwhelming. It is important to create a healthy workplace that inspires teachers to be their best for the students each day. This consulting work is sadly what is needed in today’s school environments.
Like most other people, I too, enjoyed this article. It is always inspiring to read positive stories regarding teaching and teachers today. After starting my day with a staff meeting where negative voices are the only ones speaking up, I felt refreshed reading this article.
I love the idea of Tom’s town meeting! I think it creates a warm trusting classroom culture where all kids feel like their voice is heard. How powerful to have Tom pass on the power of mayor to the children. When I was in junior high, I was chosen as a judge in a mock trail during a social studies class. My first reaction to this was horror!! It was a difficult position to be in to have to listen to all sides and not just to my friends. I agonized over it and told the teacher I did not want to do it. She assured me that I could and helped me through the process. I really learned to listen to all sides and obviously still remember it to this day. This experience led me to my beliefs in giving kids a voice and a choice in how their day should unfold. Having all kids play the role of creating choices for their classroom and classmates allows the varied experiences of each member in the room be shared and heard. I do not have my own classroom to allow this practice of town meeting, however, like most other classroom teachers, I have practiced the Responsive Classroom management techniques when I was in the classroom.
Cathy Armant is the kind of teacher that I would most want my own children to have! I think that she had difficulty articulating her strategies because as Chenfield said “she did what she did because of who she was and what she believed”. Many children come to school without knowing mutual respect. It appears that Ms. Armant provides that and much more for her children. I also noted that she spoke about herself being human, and that she shared things from her life with her students. Ms. Armant also provides a positive atmosphere where all children feel safe to take risks and share their thoughts and feelings knowing that they will be listen to and celebrated.
I think that the administrators along with the policies and initiatives that get handed down to schools every year are overwhelming. It is important to create a healthy workplace that inspires teachers to be their best for the students each day. This consulting work is sadly what is needed in today’s school environments.
Dale It’s sad to think that people are negative and pessimistic and they tend to focus and flourish on the sadness and anguish of others. Their eyes are closed to what goes on in the classrooms that they can’t measure. Chenfeld ‘s “signs of life” occur in every classroom if one chooses to see it in each and every student. These “signs of life” await someone to notice to nurture and care for.
I think that Tom’ town meetings gave students an opportunity to have a voice and feel good about themselves. It enabled students to get to know each other on a personal level and they learned to respect and care about one another. They also gave students opportunities to work out each other’s concerns through collaboration. The students also looked for the good in others. Last year our school prepared a “Thank You” bulletin board. Anyone could write a thank you to someone and post it on the board. Students and staff were more aware of what others were doing and thanked them. The students were thanking others for what they had done for them and what they had observed people doing for others. It was really nice. It made the school community feel good about what was going on within the school.
I would use town meetings. I think that it is important for students to have voice in their environment. It is crucial for them to be a part of their learning experience, as well as staff and administrators. Learning is an interactive process and it is necessary for learning to occur.
It is difficult for Cathy to articulate the strategies and methods behind her caring and supportive classroom community because as Palmer stated, there are no strategies or methods in a good teacher’s bag of tricks. It comes from within, it is authentic caring about students and being respectful.
I enjoyed reading the article by Claudette Cole and Anne Price. I agree with them, I think that the atmosphere of the school and the adults have a big impact on the students we work with. If the staff is respected and has a voice in the school community then they can work collaboratively with administrators to create a positive atmosphere and promote success for students.
“Good teaching is an act of hospitality…that benefits the host even more than the guest.” (See page 50 in The Courage to Teach.) This statement by Parker Palmer was echoed in the readings, “Metaphors of Hope,” and “Teaching Themes of Care.”
I understand that teaching content is important, but building a caring classroom environment is even more important. The teacher is in a position to be generous and warm hearted and welcome students into his/her classroom. Noddings makes this statement in “Teaching Themes of Care.” Mimi Chenfeld eloquently outlined ways teachers do so in “Metaphors of Hope.” As I was reading, I realized I am personally building a caring school community this year between first grade and eighth grade students at my school.
The four scenarios Chenfeld outlines all have to do with creating a safe and caring learning environment. Mr. T conducts Town Meetings in his second grade classroom. This is an approach I use in first grade. About every two weeks we have a Class Meeting. The problems we solve, such as what to do when no one will play with you at recess, are important to the students. By discussing them, we collectively come up with a solution. Even though I may know the solution I think is best, we work the problem out together. Then we come up with a solution even better than the one I had in mind. Why? As Palmer points out (p. 57) the difference is that one approach is a dictatorship and the more effective approach is achieved through a resourceful and interdependent community. I receive the benefit of learning from my students by being a hospitable teacher.
Chenfeld goes on to discuss first graders in a safe classroom environment and sending welcome to my class card to create a safe, encouraging community. Not only do we send cards to our first grade families, but I find it very important to make calls to each family after the first two days of school simply to ask how things are going for the student and answer any questions. By connecting with families right away, I think they realize that we have important work to do and I want to have a positive interaction.
The first grade and eighth grade teachers are developing a program we are calling Bookends the goal of which is to establish a sense of caring, respect, cooperation and support in our school. We were able to pull a standard out of the Vermont Framework to make the need for the program official: H&SS 7-8:14 Students act as citizens by demonstrating positive interaction with group members. Each eighth grade student will be paired up with a buddy from first grade and participate in activities periodically throughout the school year. The expected outcome is for the students to look forward to their time together and perhaps request more time. We will verify their feelings by having each student keep a graph of feelings and journal to reflect on their experiences. If this program is successful, we plan to expand it to have each student in the K-8 school have a buddy. One problem that has already arisen is that teachers worry about taking time away from content area work to spend time on a caring activity. I think the time spent together will end up paying off in dividends for the students in our school community.
After reading Chenfeld’s “Metaphors of Hope” I felt a sense of pride in the ability we have as educators to uplift children. The stories of teachers who demonstrated dedication and devotion to their students were truly inspiring.
I think Tim’s strategy of “Town Meetings” is a great strategy that would highly aid children in developing a deep sense of community, and enhance social skills within the classroom. It also ensures problems solving, turn taking, and fairness within the classroom and allows students to solve problems as a whole. This is a model I would highly recommend to any classroom teacher. However, the unfortunate truth is that there is so much curriculum to be covered and so little time in a school day already, that it would be difficult to give up an hour a week. This is one of the many problems teachers face daily; so many great ideas, but so little time to incorporate them into the day.
I believe Cathy has difficulty articulating her strategies in her classroom because many successful teachers are naturals. They have a deep sense of dedication and support within a classroom that is difficult to describe in words. Seeing the students interact in such a caring and supportive way has much more of an effect than talking about it. Like Chenfeld described “Cathy’s kids, arms around each other, sitting in clusters, listening to Froggy’s First Kiss”, I can imagine the pride Cathy must have felt. However seeing the students myself would have a much more memorable impact. Some of the deepest gratifications cannot be put into words.
Anne and Claudette provide a great level of encouragement for educators to be praised for their hard work. As Kelly said, all teachers have lives outside of school as well, and being praised for their continual dedication to their students is very important. This encourages teachers to continue to strive for their students everyday. Administrators must keep in mind the importance of these encouragements. Although we are grown adults, like children, we still enjoy being praised for a job well done.
Staying positive for students is crucial. They need the constant support of us to guide them to become successful. Often times, students are faced with enough negativity at home.
The ultimate benefits of Tom’s town meetings are enabling the student to learn or strengthen important keys to life: responsibility, decision making, respect, caring, corporation, and support. This is a unique way to teach these attributes. This opportunity for the student allows for introverts and extroverts to succeed. Every student has the chance to play their part for example, have an understanding of how to run a meeting and a general understanding of government.
Tom’s town meetings could be adapted to my classroom. Although teaching at the high school level, I feel as though it would work better in a participation in government class where the application is more direct.
I believe it is difficult for Cathy to articulate the strategies and methods because it is so natural for her. Cathy seems to be the person who exudes caring and support in everything that she does. The students are following their role model.
This article was great to read because it can be adapted to everyone in the school community. If everyone in the school community implemented positive strategies it would create an unquestionably stronger environment.
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