Re-labeling

In The Awesome Power to Re-Label from Success In the Classroom, Sam shares,

“…we have an awesome opportunity to “re-label” these kids, and this “re-labeling” power can be life-changing.”

Sam talks about how teachers can help to re-label the students and I agree that it is important. But I also feel like we need to help students re-label themselves.

I have also heard they didn’t believe in themselves because they have heard other people say negative things about them. When you hear negative things enough, you start to believe in it.

One way that I tried to help students is by finding a statement that they can say to fight the negative thoughts. I call it – Fighting the stinkin’ thinkin’!

I had a class motto – “I am a Born Winner!”

Every day, I had the class say the motto together before we started class.

I had all of my students write this on every paper that they turned in for a grade.

Sometimes I would quiz the students orally and one of the questions would be about the class motto.

At first the students were resistant to saying the motto or even writing it down. Once they knew that I would not move on to the next student and I would not accept their work, they would do what was required.

Eventually, it got easier for them and by the end of the year; I think they even believed it. I think it helped build their confidence and make them more willing to take risks.

It takes time but eventually the students were able to re-label themselves.

Do you help students re-label themselves? If so, how do you do it? Please share.

IQ and Labels

(Today’s post is for the letter I in the A-Z challenge.)
IQ isn’t all it is cracked up to be. It also seems like it isn’t as prevalent as it was when I was growing up and even when I went to college. Or maybe it is but they call it something different now. It scares me when I hear some teachers talk about some students in relation to their IQ. For some reason in my classroom, IQ never really matched with who was a good student, who studied harder, who was better behaved, who learned easier than others, who was more motivated, or even who liked to learn.
Years ago, I had this teenage girl in my high school class that had been tested and because of her IQ and other factors; she was classified as having a learning disability. For years she was assigned to a self contained class with other students who also had learning disabilities. She learned job skills along with improving her reading, math and writing skills. Her willingness to try and not give up really helped her go further than her family expected. In fact, many times her grades were better than some of the others in the class. Then it was time for her 3 year reevaluation and testing was required. All of a sudden, her IQ was much lower and she was switched to a class for students with mental disabilities. These students learned more functional skills rather than academic skills and were much lower academically than what this girl was used to. Within the year, she ended up pregnant and dropped out of school. I was so disappointed and angry because I felt like the school placed too much emphasis on this girl’s IQ rather than what her needs were.
Now fast forward through time, in another self contained class where students of all different disabilities were grouped together. Again, students had to be classified with a specific disability (it sure helps get federal funding) but I didn’t focus on their labels as much as I did on their needs. I had this girl who was classified with a mental disability because of her IQ but she probably was the sharpest student in my class. She loved a challenge and worked hard to grow in her knowledge and skills. She always completed her assignments, did her homework, and came for extra help if she needed it. Often times, I would hear her encourage other students, help them with their work, and even fuss at the others if they weren’t doing what they should. On a field trip, I could always trust her to remind me when someone needed to get their medicine or if we needed to be at a certain place at a certain time. She was a joy to teach! She also taught me that it was more important to teach to a student’s needs rather than to their IQ.
Many times when my students were assigned general ed classes, I would have that teacher come running to my room and try to explain why my student should not be there. Without even meeting the students, all that was seen were IQ scores and labels of their disability. I hope with better knowledge and understanding that general ed teachers can look beyond these factors and look at the individual student. I am not asking that the curriculum be watered down for my students but that a teacher is willing to make accommodations and let my student try. Sometimes we need to have higher expectations for our students and help them rise to the occasion rather than to lower our expectations and not help our students grow.
How do you see IQ, labels, and teaching fit together? Please share!
Image: 'the principles of the divine'
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What’s In A Name?

In Who’re you gonna call? The “school librarian” from AASL Blog, it is stated that,

“After a discussion that involved all members of the board, AASL has redefined the term that describes the certified person who runs a school library (or library media center — that term wasn’t addressed) as a “school librarian”. Gone is the term “school library media specialist” which has been our official designation going back to the first Information Power…”

This made me think about my own title. I have been called a teacher, an educator, a special education teacher, an exceptional needs specialist, and an adjunct instructor, among many other things that I can not mention out loud. For me, it doesn’t matter what I’m called but I have always considered myself a teacher. I am proud of that title and I remember when my parents first saw me in this role. It was an eye opener for them because I was no longer just their little girl. It was amazing for them to see me in control of a classroom. It was my shining moment to show my parents that I was now a grown up!

Yet as a teacher, I wanted to be even more. I wanted to be the one to make a difference. I wanted to have an impact in lives that even though they might not remember me, they would remember what I had to teach them. I’m not sure there is even a name for this.

I wanted to be a friend to parents of my students. I had seen some teachers in an adversarial position with parents and that is not what I wanted at all. I wanted to be part of a team and work with parents to help their children succeed. By doing this, I felt it was the only way for a student to really achieve success. Just as in a divorce, if both parents are constantly fighting, it is the child who loses. In a school situation, if the school and the parents are constantly at odds, it is the student who comes out the loser. School should not be all about power struggles.

Then as I think about how adults struggle with their own titles, I think about all the titles that my own students have had to face. My students have been labeled too much in their young lives. They have labeled students with disabilities, or handicaps. For federal funding and statistics, the labels get even more detailed. Among their peers, they are labeled losers, retards, dumbo, etc. and my students have heard it all at a very early age. By their parents or guardians, many of my students have been labeled lazy, dumb, or slow.

I realize that it doesn’t matter what I am called or what my students are called. We need to get beyond the labels. I need to find out exactly what their needs are and leave their labels at the door. My students need to realize that we will never be able to get rid of the labels, but we don’t need to let the focus of our lives revolve around these labels. These labels do not define anyone’s life. It is our actions that do that.

Just as in the library, I will go to the person in charge (whatever their title is) and ask for help because I know that they have more knowledge than I do in the library. They may be able to help find the answers I need.

In the classroom, whatever I am called, I will be there for my students. I will help them find the answers to their questions.

No matter what my students are called, I will encourage their quest for knowledge. I think this quest is something we are all born with and it doesn’t matter what our labels are, this can’t be ignored. This thirst for knowledge can be encouraged and nurtured. I need to put aside any label that I may have associated with this student and delve into the real person to find out what must be done to meet this student’s needs.

If I can do this, my job as a teacher will be successful.

What labels do you have? How does it affect your teaching? How do you cope with this?

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: 'Monster Stickers to color'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17587393@N03/2490196390