Known and Loved
I’ve visited about a dozen classes this week. I’ll pop in and then follow up in a meeting with the teacher to hear more about what they were working on and offer some observations and kudos. In one humanities class, I noticed that two students who are typically on the quiet side were participating actively in a spirited conversation around the table. I asked the teacher about it. He told me how, earlier in the year, he noticed these two students following along quietly but not entering the fray. He pulled each of the students aside outside of class, sharing that he was impressed with the analysis in their written work and encouraging them to pick a spot or two in each class to share out loud. When they did participate, he made a point to thank them for it. The result was what I saw this week.
There is nothing wrong with being quiet in class; students can be deeply engaged with the ideas without entering the conversation. However, there is real growth that comes from testing your ideas against another’s. It builds analytical flexibility, confidence, empathy, and tact. The teacher knew that. He also knew how to reach these two students and made a point to do so.
I am deeply grateful to work with colleagues who take the time to meet each of these young people where they are – getting to know them as individuals, holding them to appropriately high standards, and offering high levels of support as the students strive to meet those expectations.