(This is Part Two in a two-part series about the expectations of learning relationships. Please check our previous post in Part One: "5 Things Students Expect From Their Teachers.")

More and more in recent years, we've started referring to the kids in our classes as "learners" rather than "students." It began unintentionally but became more and more frequent. We gradually realized that the relationship between learner and educator is not always the same as between student and teacher. As we explored earlier in the "5 Things Students Expect From Their Teachers," we are shaping our goals for new school year, and we're trying to consider an even more nuanced connection between any learner and his or her guide.

A learner is someone who seeks knowledge, who solicits professional development, who values links from a Twitter PLN, or who watches YouTube videos to hone a skill. Employees and entrepreneurs, welders and poets all further themselves by seeking insights from a trusted specialist. Any interaction that results in greater understanding or proficiency forges a learner/educator bond.

The word "learner" suggests an open-mindedness and a self-initiation. The word "student," however, implies a hierarchy. It defines a status, where one is the instructor and the other is the pupil. This difference is akin to actively enrolling in a class versus being at the mercy of a class. It is the difference between training and tutelage, between aficionado and authority.

We’ve all experienced the letdown of learning, whether at disappointing conferences or half-hearted meetings. As both educators and life-long learners, therefore, we want to make every effort to cultivate scholarship by aligning realistic expectations.

What do learners expect from their educators?

Expertise

Any learner who willingly admits that they do not know something is relying on the expertise of the person at the podium or the webcam. A genuine educator needs a reflexive, virtuoso mastery of the content, so they can then focus on the complicated business of information delivery. Their prowess should be evident and even taken for granted, so the learners can feel safe. Novices can know they won't be led astray or put to the mercy of someone bluffing through sessions in exchange for a paycheck.

Clearly Delineated Goals

To march hand-in-hand with a coach means that there should be targeted, mutually agreed upon goals. Physical therapists and personal trainers know this, but sometimes traditional classrooms or webinars avoid this crisp delineation in favor of generalized discussion. Jointly designed benchmarks and precise assessments can ensure that every moment matters. For both adult learners and middle schoolers, a specific end is critical to seeing a process through with motivation.

Mentorship

Hesitation and insecurity are natural byproducts of learning. Coming to grips with a difficult skill often requires asking for help. In this confession, the apprentice hopes for a mentor's empathy. Mentorship means partnership. A mentor's role is one part confidante and another part older sibling. It involves the sharing of wisdom and the patience of listening. Even in a crowded classroom, a teacher can try to remember this counseling, advising mindset that lets every learner feel heard.

Feedback

Feedback is perhaps the most difficult thing to give and, therefore, the rarest dynamic in learning. Authentic feedback takes time. It requires a bias-free, assumption-free language to offer constructive advice. Knee-jerk criticism and empty praise are not feedback. In fact, they do more harm than good. Feedback is one-to-one, honest, actionable input about what went well, what didn't, and what steps can be taken to go forward.

Deftness With Necessary Tools

A valued educator needs a fluency with the most apt resources for his or her field. Even a talented professional will draw skepticism if he can't nimbly negotiate the tools of his trade. A chef with a sophisticated palate will still be circumspect if she can't effectively wield her knives. An architect with a revolutionary design will still invite worry if he couldn't safely construct his home. This agility refers both to the latest instruments and the time-honored implements. We can't force children to use typewriters just because we did when we were their age.

(This is Part One in a two-part series about the expectations of learning relationships. Please check out Part Two: "5 Things Learners Expect From Their Educators.")

As the summer is winding down, we’ve begun mapping out the first few weeks of classes in September and also sketching out our goals for the new school year. This planning has inspired us to reflect on our personal aspirations as professionals and life-long learners. It occurs to us to ask if there’s a difference between a “student” and a “learner,” between a “teacher” and an “educator.”

Teachers want their students to be responsible and curious. They expect their students to follow class rules and do their homework. But what about the reverse? What do students want from their teachers?

If we gave students a choice about which classes to attend each day, would they choose our subject? Would they view our pedagogical approach as worthwhile and interesting? A teacher’s job is not to be an entertainer, obviously. Gail Godwin’s quote, that “Teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater,” holds true only on a certain level. But the role of the teacher is undoubtedly to engage each child and inspire interest.

The partnership between student and teacher relies on expectations. When these needs are met, they create decades of learning and admiration. When unmet, however, they foment years of delay and resentment.

What do students expect from their teachers?

1. Moments Of Wonder

Students yearn to feel inspired by what they are learning. They want to know that their time in our classroom is worthwhile. Instances of surprise and enlightenment, even if brief, can make all the different in motivating children to explore and delve deeply. One "ah ha" moment is worth one hundred perfect test scores. Arousing astonishment and eliciting revelation are the hallmarks of a talented teacher. We want to give our students an intriguing tidbit to fill the conversation void when parents ask at the dinner table, "So, what did you learn at school today....?"

2. An Understanding Of Their World

Students, especially middle schoolers, will always look at their teachers with a charitable disdain for their patently uncool status. Adults, in their minds, have no idea what it's like to be a child today, and they couldn't possibly listen to the right music or wear the right clothes. Still, a teacher has a duty to figure out how to convey an understanding and an appreciation for children's worlds. This means being able to navigate pop culture and especially being deft with technology. Essentially, it means not alienating young eyes by being deliberately out of touch with what is important to them.

3. Mutual Trust

The most common complaint from students of any age is, "That's not fair!" The students are right. Too much homework and too difficult tests are not fair. Double standards with class rules and draconian punishments for misdemeanors are not fair. Fairness equates to trust. Trust means clear expectations. And sticking to these expectations is the best way to let students know that, no matter how hard the test is, they are well prepared and validated along the way. If students don't trust that we as teachers are going to keep our word, treat them with decency, and give them the benefit of the doubt, then they will tune out everything else we try to communicate.

4. A Bit Of Humor

The most critical element in creating a successful learning community is the mood of the class. What is the tone of the instructor's language? What is the tenor of the student-teacher relationship? Laughter is a key to keeping this mood light and productive. Even the toughest of teachers wins points from her students if she can crack an unexpected joke. Witty banter and a dose of silliness go a long way toward keeping children engaged. They make the minutes tick by with less tedium, and hopefully maybe even some anticipation.

5. A Lively Environment

The environment of the class is a close cousin to the mood. This atmosphere refers to both the physical space and the personality of the teacher. Is the room decorated in a visually stimulating style, with enriching posters and relevant student work? Is the layout lively and pleasing, and the design kid-friendly and complementary? Furthermore, is the temperament of the teacher upbeat and joyful, with a stimulating sense of optimism about the journey the child and the adult are about to take together?

Source: Washington Post, ASIDE

As more and more states opt out of the Common Core requirements, the question mark looming over U.S. education grows more and more daunting. Each evening our Twitter PLN lights up with creative ideas about project-based learning, flipped engagement, and BYOD flexibility. But these are not the national norms. The morning news, in fact, registers exactly the opposite, with more and more stories about regrettable school closures, bungled teacher ratings, and bubble-sheet scandals.

The coast-to-coast consensus on a direction for student learning seems as unattainable as ever. Public, parochial, independent, charter, and home school options are all good-faith models of teaching and learning. But it's like the debate over school vouchers -- with so many options, who is being left behind?

The Common Core initiatives at their best are attempts to elevate skill expectations and to implement desired outcomes across the country. At their worst, however, these new standards simply replace old standards. One size still fits all, and rote testing becomes both the symptom and the prescription for the lingering malaise.


We recently came across a motion graphic from Public Impact, made in conjunction with Column Five Media, which offers several novel proposals for upending America's schools. These suggestions differ by focusing on the teacher. They imagine how the best educators could apply their training and their time to best effect. We don't yet know much about Public Impact as an organization, and we're trying to read up more about the group's point of view. The Advisory Team does feature some respected names, and as a stand-alone video, the clip presents notions worth considering.

Source: Public Impact

A few of the stated aims include:

• Specialization - where the single-teacher, contained elementary classroom is broken apart
• Multi-Classroom Leadership - where teacher-leaders are encouraged to guide bottom-up teams
• Time-Technology Swaps - where the flipped or MOOC model is brought back into the classroom to maximize teacher time allocation

According to Public Impact, these changes could instill an "Opportunity Culture," which would subsequently lead to higher salaries. We like this scheme more than, say, the "Teachers Pay Teachers" construct, which turns educators into corporations. Some of the Opportunity Culture details do seem still in the conceptual phase. It's also unclear how exactly a small handful of teachers would be labeled "expert" among the larger pool of "other" teachers. But as fuel for the continued educational discussion, these propositions seem worth adding to the fire.

For other resources, please check out the following:

• GPA, SAT, ACT ... RIP
• The End of the Test?

What Teachers Make - Taylor Mali

In solidarity or perhaps empathy, we thought it worth mentioning Taylor Mali's book What Teachers Make: In Praise Of the Greatest Job In the World, published in April 2012. The title for the book was taken from his well-known poem "What Teachers Make," originally published in 1998. This passionate poem in defense of teachers was written in response to an arrogant lawyer who insulted Mali and the entire teaching profession at a dinner party. Equally as popular is the poet reading it in front of a live audience. We've posted the video below.

In his book, Mali continues the conversation in support of teachers. He celebrates the teaching profession, and his words are a poignant reminder of why we do what we do. Of particular note are his chapters on "The Value of What You Cannot Test," "The Importance of Mentoring," and "There Can Never Be a 'Lost' Generation." Since Mali was an educator himself, he offers valuable insights into ideas from his own lessons over his years of teaching. This book should be in every school library, but perhaps more importantly in every teacher's book collection, too. Kirkus Reviews described it as "big, bright life lessons in a pocket-sized package" that "delivers a powerfully positive message, but it's also a valentine to teachers everywhere."

The book, What Teachers Make, values the profession and recognizes the care and dedication of teachers in what Mali describes as a "hobbled American education system." Likewise, it is also a reality check for parents who view "their child's teachers as little more than educational stepping stones." If we had to add to this, What Teachers Make should be put on the mandatory reading list for legislators and government officials who make educational policy decisions and base teacher evaluations on standardized test results.

Each time we watch Mali read his poem, we get inspired and feel a sense of pride. We've posted it here.



For additional techniques on teaching poetry, click here for lesson plans by Taylor Mali.