Making Classrooms "Safe" for Adolescent Learning

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Making Classrooms "Safe" for Adolescent Learning
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(No Transcript)
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Todays Youth

• Diverse
• Language
• Family Structure
• Social Status
• Culture
• Ability
• Interest
• Personal Needs

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Adolescence

• Fast-Paced Change
• Identity Confusion
• Social Orientation
• Experimentation
• Self-Efficacy Under Construction

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Contemporary Teens

• Independent Minded
• Technology Savvy
• Experienced and Information Rich
• Intellectually Capable
• Need Emotional Guidance

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Engendering Resilience

• Competence
• Belonging
• Usefulness
• Potency
• Sagor, R. (1996). Building resilience in
  students. Educational Leadership. 54(1). 38-43

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Good Instructional Strategies

• Service Learning
• Authentic Assessment
• Cooperative Learning
• Goal Setting
• Student-Led Conferences

• Perspective-taking
• Debate
• Role-playing
• Decision-making
• Civic Action Projects
• Discussion
• Problem-Based Learning

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One Size Does Not Fit All!

• Ms. Kelleys students often choose the formats of
  book reports (dramatic skits, booktalks, poetry,
  musical composition).
• Mr. McMahons art class chose an artist of
  interest to research and emulate artistic style
  for a culminating project.

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Personalize Learning Opportunities

• Allow them to learn and show their learning in
  multiple ways.
• Give choices and opportunity for input.
• Encourage them to develop and share original
  ideas.
• Give opportunities to pursue areas of interest.

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Create Connections and

• Mr. Greenes health class collaborated to develop
  a peer survey to find out reasons for smoking.
  They designed a marketable plan anti-smoking ad
  campaign.

• Ms. Keslers ground rules for debate and
  discussion are
• Listen to Others Perspectives
• Present Your Views with Clarity
• Support Your Ideas with Reasoning

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Build Relationship

• Provide opportunity for interpersonal networking.
• Plan learning experiences that require
  cooperation, collaboration and consensus
  building.
• Immerse adolescents in real or realistic problems
  beyond the classroom.

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The Good High School

• The feelings of anonymity seem diminished by
  the personal encounters in classrooms.
• 
  Lightfoot, S., 1983, p. 347

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Belonging, or the right to belong, is a moral
right of adolescence.

• Sizer, T., Sizer, N. (1999). The students are
  watching p. 98

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Promote Inner Management

• Mr. Elliots students selected 3 traits from a
  list (diligent, tolerant, trust-worthy,
  resourceful, etc.) they hoped others would use to
  describe them.
• Ms. Han helped students to recognize the
  difference between outersense (interaction with
  others) and innersense (own individuality)..

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For Better Outer Management

• Create opportunities to express personal
  perspectives and expect that they consider the
  views of others.
• Provide time to discuss logical consequences of
  decisions and actions.
• Encourage moral development and foster empathy.
• Build in time for personal reflection.

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For Adolescents to Feel Safe

• Ms. Blues class crafted a class constitution,
  that included a covenant to speak and act in
  nonembarrassing ways, treat others with fairness,
  and maintain orderly personal habits.

• Mr. James engages students in 20-minute seminars
  on topics generated by students. These have
  included peer pressure, conflict at home, death
  and school violence.

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Create Emotional Security

• Celebrate differences.
• Foster an environment of caring, respect and
  acceptance.
• Listen to and help them to believe in the power
  of their ideas.
• Try first to understand and then to be
• Laugh together.

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Engage, Intrigue and

• The loss of communication with the Mars Polar
  Lander has prompted NASA to assemble a team of
  scientists to investigateYour mission..
• Dr. DNA was unexpectedly killed by a van as he
  crossed the street to deliver his findings at an
  international meeting. Only these few papers were
  retrieved

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Teach Well

• Plan learning experiences that arouse curiosity
  and promote inquiry.
• Make learning relevant and meaningful.
• Engage emotions and cultivate interest.
• Provide for and expect involvement and
  interaction.
• Extend resources.

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Share Ownership for Learning

• Expect More
• Allow Some Choice
• Support As Needed
• Hold Accountable
• Check Progress
• Schedule Time for Reflection
• Extend Context.

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A Creative Tension

• Openness and Boundary
• Hospitable and Charged
• Little Stories of Students and the Bigger Stories
  of the Disciplines
• Individuality and Voice of Group
• Outward Exchange and Inner Reflection
• Palmer, P. 1998 The courage to teach. San
  Fransiciso Jossey-Bass,74-77.

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Todays Adolescents Need

• The dance of youth is timeless and beautiful in
  its awkwardness.
• Sizer, T. 1996. Horaces Hope.147.

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A Safe Space to Learn.
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For Full Text Article

• www.elon.edu/beamon/professional