When Things Outside the Classroom Happen
So this is a little off topic...but I think its important and I want to know what you all think. Bear with me.
We have been learning a lot about the ways we might conceivably manage a classroom. We've talked about grading, attendance, classroom policies, expectations, theories behind all of those things, and more. Last semester we addressed these things, we spent class time discussing them, asking questions, clearing up those grey areas as best as we could, and I, personally, came out of it feeling like I was prepared enough to at least try to run my two classes. That being said, a question has come up that I don't believe we were prepared for:
What are we supposed to do when things outside the classroom happen that we know are affecting our students?
There has been a lot of things going on these past 28 days. The impeachment trial, Australia's bush fires, the death of Kobe Bryant, the incident on campus where the faculty member called the police on a student, and more. I noticed in my class this past Monday, that a group of male students in the back were all whispering, distracted, and not paying attention to the lesson. I asked them what's up and they explained to me that they were all still in shock about Kobe Bryant's death and that they just couldn't stop thinking about it. It took me a second, but I began to consider just how much has really happened and how many fairly traumatic things had gone on these past few weeks.
Instead of curtailing that discussion, I decided that it might be more beneficial to take a moment and talk to my students and ask how they were doing - ask if they had anything they just wanted to talk about. Were there things that they needed to just get out of their systems at that moment? Could I help in any way? Could I answer any questions? We talked as a class for about 10 minutes, topics ranged from the impeachment trial making friendships & family relations a little weird, to the death of Kobe being extremely traumatic and how they felt their grief was real but weird, to the incident on campus, questions about it and if they were allowed to do the walkout. It was mostly my students just having a vent session - which I think we can all relate to. After everyone was through talking, and I'd answered any questions to the best of my ability, my students came back together and settled into Monday's lesson with a focus that really impressed me. [We were working on developing research questions out of their primary research, and they worked hard and came up with some really cool stuff!]
All of this being said, I don't think that I was very well prepared to have these conversations. I'm not sure that we have been instructed much on how we are to deal with these types of things. We all know that our students have outside lives and traumas and victories that they are carrying into our classrooms. I think that letting these things sit and fester without recognition can deter the learning of our students. Especially pertaining to the incident on campus, I don't believe we were given any specific instruction on how to interpersonally address outside stressors on our students in the classroom.... and I think that's a bummer. I think this could have been a learning opportunity for us as students/teachers who will be dealing with these kinds of things happening in our careers. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I want to know for the future how we address internal institutional turmoils with our students as well as address other things that they are bringing to our classrooms. I want my students to know that I am not clueless, apathetic, or removed from what is happening in the world around them.
I know we're just English teachers. This isn't really in the job description. I want to know what you guys think though. Have you addressed anything like this in your classes? Should we? How would you? Lemme know.
This has been Sarah Espinoza on Espinoza Radio FM signing off!
See ya'll in class.
We have been learning a lot about the ways we might conceivably manage a classroom. We've talked about grading, attendance, classroom policies, expectations, theories behind all of those things, and more. Last semester we addressed these things, we spent class time discussing them, asking questions, clearing up those grey areas as best as we could, and I, personally, came out of it feeling like I was prepared enough to at least try to run my two classes. That being said, a question has come up that I don't believe we were prepared for:
What are we supposed to do when things outside the classroom happen that we know are affecting our students?
There has been a lot of things going on these past 28 days. The impeachment trial, Australia's bush fires, the death of Kobe Bryant, the incident on campus where the faculty member called the police on a student, and more. I noticed in my class this past Monday, that a group of male students in the back were all whispering, distracted, and not paying attention to the lesson. I asked them what's up and they explained to me that they were all still in shock about Kobe Bryant's death and that they just couldn't stop thinking about it. It took me a second, but I began to consider just how much has really happened and how many fairly traumatic things had gone on these past few weeks.
All of this being said, I don't think that I was very well prepared to have these conversations. I'm not sure that we have been instructed much on how we are to deal with these types of things. We all know that our students have outside lives and traumas and victories that they are carrying into our classrooms. I think that letting these things sit and fester without recognition can deter the learning of our students. Especially pertaining to the incident on campus, I don't believe we were given any specific instruction on how to interpersonally address outside stressors on our students in the classroom.... and I think that's a bummer. I think this could have been a learning opportunity for us as students/teachers who will be dealing with these kinds of things happening in our careers. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I want to know for the future how we address internal institutional turmoils with our students as well as address other things that they are bringing to our classrooms. I want my students to know that I am not clueless, apathetic, or removed from what is happening in the world around them.I know we're just English teachers. This isn't really in the job description. I want to know what you guys think though. Have you addressed anything like this in your classes? Should we? How would you? Lemme know.
This has been Sarah Espinoza on Espinoza Radio FM signing off!
See ya'll in class.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteWhat great questions! I absolutely think about these things all the time. They usually come in the form of some sort of binary dichotomy. I really care about my students’ mental and physical health, but I also know that boundaries are important. I want students to succeed in class, but I can’t control the effort they put forth. I think opening up these types of conversations in the classroom can go either way, but I think your instincts were spot on. You felt that the students needed a moment to talk and you paused what you had planned for the day and didn't barrel through the syllabus. You listened to what they had to say and then you all benefited afterwards with a collective refocusing. I don't know the answers either, but I agree that it is an important conversation to have. Thanks so much for sharing your insights.
Mary
These are really difficult topics to tackle; my students have coughed up trauma after trauma (openly) and while it has been lovely to feel like my classroom and presence is safe, comfortable space for them, I often feel under-equipped to have the conversations. What if it is making somebody else in the room uncomfortable? What if I'm enabling an unhealthy coping mechanism by oversharing? What if it gets too controversial and everyone starts throwing chairs? (Hasn't happened yet). It is really nice that you were able to read the room and figure out that was the right time for that conversation to happen; it is a skill that I don't think I have yet! I definitely think that it was probably validating for your students to hear that you understand and acknowledge that there are things happening outside of the classroom that will affect the classroom.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm always worried about when difficult topics come up! I think it also become a question of, "do we have time to talk about this and still explain the things they need to know to be successful/do the activity I have planned today?" Since I have a MWF, I always feel like I never have enough time to beginning with, but I also want to be able to devote time to talking about hard things/how they feel because I think that's really worth while in a classroom. Do you guys have any strategies for doing this? The only thing I can think of it appropriating a discussion board for when that happens, so that they're stilling getting an activity that will help with their projects, but it leaves space in class for discussion.
DeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI really like these thoughts. I think that as English profs, writers, studiers of literature, and so on, we have a chance to open up a bit about issues like these - we've put years into studying humanity! Like you said, it's not in the job description, but to an extent, our classes are a place that is open to that kind of discussion more so than a math or science classroom. As a creative writer myself, I believe that writing is pretty vulnerable and sometimes scary. Our classrooms are a place in which we are somewhat close to our students - we are all constantly communicating. Bringing in outside discussion about hot topics or troubling things shouldn't be excluded. To be honest, I wouldn't know how to start/facilitate a discussion on some challenging topics, but I agree with you that the English classroom should be a place where students feel safe to bring it up. It's hard, though! In the role of a teacher, it's our responsibility to facilitate and direct conversation that is productive and healthy. In your example, I think it was definitely the right decision to open discussion about the current issues. I guess it's all just up to the teachers and how their classes run. I will keep thinking about this -- I think there is a lot here to dissect. What are our roles? What can / should we do?
Kristen
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSarah,
ReplyDeleteI think you made the right move in the situation – if students are distracted by something, they’re not going to do their best learning in that moment, so taking ten minutes to address what was concerning them probably made the entire class more productive as a whole than if you had just barreled on into the material. And separately but just as importantly, these types of things are important issues to address that students might not find addressed anywhere else; I don’t think other classrooms are quite so flexible and open as ones in the English department.
I think Kristen’s reflection on just what the role of a teacher entails is an important one. We serve far more purposes than just someone to relay concepts about writing, but meeting students’ needs as we become aware of them, one of which can sometimes be a therapist of sorts (though obviously we’re not qualified for actual therapy and should direct them to a resource if there’s a real need). But if the best thing we can do for them on that day listen for a little while (or mediate discussion), I say go for it (whether that be in the classroom, a one-on-one conference, or even just through email).
-Jessie
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI've also struggled with how to address issues that happen outside of the classroom within the classroom. I find it hard to bring up topics with my students because even though I am only 5 years older than most of them, that age gap feels huge when trying to bring up something relevant to them. I fear that if I bring something up, they are going to have no idea what I'm talking about. I also fear that they may make assumptions about me if I bring up certain topics but not others. I've struggled a lot with blending inside and outside classroom life.
As instructors, I think we owe it to our students to address the things that are bothering them, especially if they pertain to the university directly like they did this week. Just because they don't come in crying doesn't mean that they don't have some strong emotions that need to be addressed before they can truly learn. Taking the time to discuss these issues usually pays off later when the students are able to focus and still feel heard.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate what you did in your class. It's really great to understand your students and gave them that space. Because sometimes we are stressed out. We need some space to talk, to share our thought. It's true that that's not in our job description but if we think from the perspective of mental health, that's all we are acquainted of. I think mental health is above everything. And mental health is not only some specific personal issues. That's beyond those.So, I would say whatever you did, that's amazing. You handled the situation so beautifully taking the right decision. However, your decision turned effective too as you said your students later came up with awesome ideas. Probably they really needed that break and your decision to get them that space before getting into class helped. That lightened their pressure.
Being teachers, we all should be concerned about these things. Teaching is not academic always, it's more than that.
Thanks.
I appreciate that you took the opportunity in this post to talk about this useful digression. I am realizing more and more that one of the greatest things I am trying to teach my students this semester is that what happens in the classroom and what happens outside of it should not be separate. I have been trying to show them that their writing in this class should go beyond it, should mean something to them and to others outside of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteFrom your post I’m beginning to see that one very effective way to demonstrate this is by bringing the real world and real issues that mean something in people’s lives into the classroom itself. It’s about showing students that issues matter and our thoughts and feelings should never be separate from our writing. Especially in a 104 class where students are doing research, many of them have asked me if they can include their own personal opinions and experiences/life histories in their projects. I think it all just comes back to our perceptions of what is acceptable to discuss in certain situations. Really, these “digressions,” these inclusions of personal thoughts and feelings are essential if we are even going to think about achieving anything meaningful.
Thanks for the thoughts, they gave me some good ones to ponder.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI understand your anxieties, totally. I think it is often difficult for courses like ID 601 to prepare incoming teaching assistants for the responsiveness that teaching requires. It seems that most of us are in relative agreement that composition serves as an appropriate platform to discuss the “public sphere,” at least to some extent, right? Yet how do we practically apply our critical pedagogy desires and dreams?… Herein lies the difficulty.
If, in our teaching philosophies, we are to privilege social activism, writing as a social agent, even rhetoric as an important (and fundamental) concept to composition, then how much do we overtly express this in our day-to-day? You briefly mentioned the student walkout and that is what I will spend the rest of my post addressing.
In my teaching philosophy, I explicitly state that I privilege student learning environments as vulnerable contact zones that mandate teacher support. On the day of the walkout, I began class by asking my students if they had heard of the name Mufasa Benson. One or two raised their hands and I asked them to explain why they knew that name to inform others in class of the situation that had occurred. Where gaps in contextual knowledge occurred, I filled in as much as I could, explaining that of course, I was not present in the classroom where the event transpired.
We then took time in class to review instructor/BSU faculty policy regarding the limitations of instructor/faculty powers in times of “disruption.” I informed my students of the walkout that was to occur in the moments following the end of our class. It was here that questions regarding attendance arose. Though these students would not have to worry about missing my course meeting, if they desired to attend the walkout, most would miss the class that was to follow mine. This prompted a discussion on risk and investment in activism.
While I informed students that I could in no way protect them against an unexcused absence, I did (to my absolute delight) manage to create a dialogue that naturally lent itself towards questioning what it meant to believe in something enough to risk anything (be it attendance points in this situation, or something more extreme in other situational circumstances). We were able to relate this concept back to our course theme, “If you could change anything in the world, what would it be and why?” and it was truly a great day.
Though I decided to disregard the readings for that day and pick these up the following course meeting, my fears of “content setback” were alleviated when I noticed my students level of engagement when discussing this event and activism in general. This level of critical engagement you cannot plan for. I don’t think anyone can. I made it clear that student well-being was my top concern and that providing support was absolutely part of my job. I think this is the best we can do.