Term 1 Week 1 - What does 'good' look like?

Teachers can be really good at expressing their expectations on students that student can often become lost. For me personally, I am really good at telling students what I want, how I want it and when I want it done. My approach this year is to not change that completely as I believe that this is the type of structure that students, willingly or unwillingly desire. However I do want to incorporate more student voice into my teaching practice because I want to know what I can do to help the students more and how I can improve. 

GOOD

Having the required qualities; of a high standard

A good starting point for me is the question 'what does good look like?' Whatever the situation or circumstance, reflecting on what 'good practice' looks like is helpful in that it provides a measure to use to work towards. I met my Year 9 class yesterday and in our first meeting I went through the usual expectations that I have for them and the program that we are going to undertake this year. I expressed my goals for the class and what I want them to achieve in English. In my 12 years of teaching, this has always been the angle that I have taken with all of my classes. I understand now more than ever that teaching is all about relationships. Relationships are built on the concept of give and take, it is a two way street where partners should meet halfway. In the same light so is the relationship between the teacher and the student which prompted me to ask them the following question. I asked the students 'what does a good teacher look like?' Their responses were enlightening and a reminder that I need to them halfway too. Here are some of their responses. 

"A good teacher is helpful when I don't understand what is going on, they need to help"

I asked what does 'help' look like for me as their teacher. They were honest and said that they would like for me to make my instructions clearer and if they are not sure, that I explain it more than once. They also said that they want me to check in on them one on one as they are still shy. 

" Treat everyone the same. I don't like it when they treat kids better because they are brainer, it feels sad"

We spent a lot of our discussion going through this response. One student in particular was very brave and honest in sharing their experience of how they were treated unfairly because they were not doing as well as the others in his class at his previous school. This is a reality of many of our teachers and students and I do not think that there is anything malicious behind it. But it is something that I can even attest to, in that we can often find ourselves making examples of others for their achievement but this can impact those who are not doing well. The complex that it gives our students is very real and I appreciated this response in that it reminds me to be aware of my approach to my students. I do not want to water success and I made this clear, success should be celebrated and it can inspire others. 

" I think a good teacher is easy going. Not always stressed out, that makes us stressed out"

An important part in resolving an issue is to own your part of the problem. I can admit that I have projected my own stress onto students and in turn they are uncomfortable and unsettled. Again this was a good reminder for me in that I need to ensure that my student's well being is supported and projecting my stress is going to have a negative impact on them. 

" A good teacher is someone who is respectful - they know who we are and respect it"

Respect is a value that is very important. Knowing and understanding who your students is a game changer in that you are aware of your student's context. You can navigate your student better through their learning journey better the more you get to know them. Respect comes into play because there is an understanding of who they are and who you are. Another great gem from our discussion. 

" A good teacher is someone who is honest - they don't lie to us"

Integrity is an important value. The student's want me to be honest with them especially with feedback for their work. They want to know if they are failing too and in return advise them on how to improve. Again this was a great reminder to hear it from the students is more confirmation that they do not desire for innovative teaching but simple and effective teaching. 

" They give us the space if we need it, even we are angry and talk to us, not yell"

One of the students shared that they like to have space when they are upset and angry. They want to be able to have space to regroup and to talk about it in their time. I get it. As a dean I know that space and silence is just as effective as talking about the issue. It allows those concerned to reflect, to calm down and to be still. My response to this was that I appreciate it and I may need it too. 

I appreciated this conversation with my students. If building whanaungatanga and relationships is a essential element to our teaching practice, having honest and robust conversations is key to driving that. I look forward to learning more from my students and to seeing what 'good looks like' for them. Sometimes what we think is good is on a totally different page to our students. It is valuable to know their perspective.