Carrie’s TEBlog

After reading the article “Defensive Teaching and Classroom Control”, I was kind of upset by the Variations and Differences section. It, for one, totally contradicted all of the Brophy readings and what we learned in previous teaching courses. At the same time it did not surprise me. Teachers have so much on their plates, why would they want to even try to teach a mix level of students. I guess it is a good theory that teachers can teach every individual student on their level, but it does seem like it would be tough to actually follow in the real setting. The teachers that were part of the research knew the students in their classrooms had mixed ability and discussed it openly with staff and the researchers. Yet, when it came time to actually acknowledge these differences in the classroom, none showed much consideration for them. I think it is sad that so many of the examples were teachers who just expected so little out of their classes. It was easier for them to simply give trivial work or lectures, so that is what they did. I think that teachers who put in the effort actually get better results from their class. If teachers can find the connections of school and students outside lives, they can engage their students more and gain more interest and effort. Even the teachers who obviously loved their subject area would somehow water down their lectures or their requirements for coursework. It seems so weird to me. Why would a teacher who cares so much not try to pass on that passion to their students? Students become bored if the lecture material or work is trivial. They need to see the passion and why something is being asked of them. To me learning means being challenged. Students are not being challenged if teachers teach trivially or at a mediocre level. Students will only care about a class if a teacher shows that they care about the students and wants them to learn.