“The kids who need the most love will ask for it in the most unloving ways.”
We notice the students who day after day continue to challenge our teaching and our thinking. While some teachers see this as a hindrance and distraction to the class, I see it as an opportunity to change the way I am teaching and to reach out and make those needed connections. These students are literally crying out for help and as educators, we are responsible to eliminate those cries for help and instead open the doors of communication to better understand what these students need.
-Brittany Hoffmann
Videos:
- Rita Pierson- educator for 40 years, emphasizes the need for student/teacher relationships and connections. She discusses the need for teachers to make those connections, even admitting they are wrong at times. Give students the voice to speak for themselves. https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion?language=en
- Sherry Turkle- a psychologist that discusses the need to disconnect. When connected by technology, are we really connected? The technology changes what we do as humans and how we do it, and it changes how we communicate, lack of human to human interaction. “Alone Together”- people want to be together, but customize their lives by being connected. We as educators can not let this “disconnection” happen in our classrooms, we need to keep those connections as human as possible and be sure that the students have our undivided attention to ensure that they are feeling the love that they need from us.
