I started writing this as I was sitting in a great training session for the Intel Teach program - I was obviously not paying attention, right? I mean, someone was talking at the front of the room and I was writing. a. blog. post.
Would I be the student that all teachers shake their heads at and get annoyed with because I’m “off task” and not learning? Yes, of course.
Let’s just put this out there - I’m not a good student. Don’t confuse that with being a successful student, though - I’ve always been a very successful student with good grades, an active participant in discussions and a thirst for knowledge. I help others when they’re struggling and share resources and ideas with others. I do my homework and talk to my teachers when I need help. I’m also a hard worker and go above and beyond requirements in almost all of my work. I earned awards and scholarships. I passed AP tests and was in Gifted and Talented in grade school. I was very successful in college and my post-bacc work. I learn every single day.
Here’s where I am considered a bad student:
I can’t sit still. I can’t listen for more than 3 minutes straight. I can’t stop talking to the people around me.
This is how I have been since kindergarten and as soon as I was reading, would hide books under my desk and read during class. I’ve been a talker in class and a fidgeter. I’ve gotten detentions for talking too much and detentions for doing other homework while a teacher was lecturing. I work ahead when I’m not supposed to and also spend too much time finishing one thing before moving on with the rest of the class.
But I earn good grades. I learn. I participate. I share. I create.
I like learning. I hate sitting. I like talking. I can’t listen for very long. I like doing. I don’t like watching for very long. I like touching. I have a hard time learning without feeling and being hands-on.
I’m like a large portion of the students we teach - why am I considered a bad student? Why do the good students and teachers get so frustrated with me because I don’t fit the mold?
I’m asking these questions not because I’m frustrated with the training I was in - the training was great and I was with an excellent group of educators. I just felt, as usual, that I was the oddball because I was having such a difficult time staying on task during the 2 full days.
Did I learn? Yes. Did I apply my knowledge? Yes.
Did I write multiple blog entries? Yes. Did I twitter? Yes. Did I talk while the teacher was talking? Yes. Did I email? Yes.
Am I excited to complete the rest of the training and then use this information to train other teachers? Yes.
Was I a good student? No.
Do I need to be fixed or does the standard?
Is there a place for students like me (the same way I’ve been since kindergarten) in traditional education?
Is your first response to prescribe me drugs? What if I were 8 years old and you were reading this?
I’m very successful and highly functioning. I’m an overachiever.
Do I need to be fixed or does the standard?
Do I need a label? Can I just be me?
I’m 27 years old and it’s the same thing as when I was 5.
And yes, analyzing myself and my learning style makes me a better teacher, manager and professional, I’m sure of that. Try it sometime.
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Just saw your tweet and read your post. I took the Intel course a few years ago, and if they haven’t changed it, I can understand why you would want to multi-task. For me, it was good content and material, but way too structured. I often zone out when presented with too much of this type of structured content. At least you posted a blog and twittered. Like you, I think about what this must be like for our students.
Janice Stearnss last blog post..EdubloggerCon and the Blogger’s Cafe at NECC
Love this post, Kate. I often think about how I am as a student and I know it helps me be a better teacher. I do not concentrate. I get easily distracted. I never listen properly to instructions. I never never never get my work in on time. I would be a much more flexible teacher if I could, based on my understanding of my own behavior as a student. But I find that institutional policies constrain me.
Beautifully said, Kate! Like you, I also have my attention issues. Unlike you, instead of turning to my neighbor to talk, I would turn inward and be silent. I’m sure most of my teachers thought I was a great student if only for the fact that I caused them no trouble. I had wonderful grades, although I’m still not sure why. But what did I learn? I learned quiet=good.
When I was in eighth grade, a teacher made fun of me in front of the entire class for a response I made. That quiet child learned another lesson. Speaking=bad.
In my second year of teaching (just this past year) I struggled quite a bit with classroom management. I so wanted my students to be those quiet=good students that I had been. But after reading your post I feel I really need to rethink that. As an adult now, I ask myself “how do I learn?” I learn by doing. I learn by asking.
Doing = action.
Asking = talking.
And now I think, when I grow up I want to be just like Kate!
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“What if I were 8 years old and you were reading this?”
I would be absolutely amazed by your vocabulary and participation in an Intel workshop.
On a less serious note, I can’t tell you how many “evil eyes” and frowns that I have received in workshops and trainings. I do try not to be disruptive!
Hi Kate,
I think the term “bad” is far too subjective - as is “good” for that matter. It’s relative to the expectations and convenience of the institution or instructor rather than an accurate judgment on the quality of performance.
I’d call you a self-directed learner who rally’s against the management of learning or measures implemented primarily to accommodate administrative conveniences. I also don’t see anything wrong with that.
This is the beauty of trends like Personal Learning Environments and Lifelong Learning. Students study what interests them or about which they’re passionate, lets them pursuit the questions they want and in the manner that they want. It should be embraced not discouraged.
Sure there are students who like to follow a strict curriculum plan and do exactly as their told. That’s fine too. The issue for educators seems to be how to deal with the extremes of the ultra-independent learner/thinker along site those who seek direction; and how to facilitate their learning paths so as to maximise the opportunities for them.
Cheers,
Mike
Mike Bogles last blog post..Edublogs.TV
Wow!It’s like you are describing me! I am a teacher that is not a particularly ‘good student’. I was always in trouble for talking and fidgeting and doodling. And yet I was an ‘overachiever’. Interesting. Thank you for this!
Erin Freemans last blog post..Unnamed (weekly)
No cobbler at the next training for you!
It is hard enough being “trained” let alone trained in the summer and trained on things that we may have familiarity with.
Yes, I too get bored easily.
But I think you define “Good Student” too narrowly as do many educators. maybe the question you should ask is “does my behavior detract others who are near me from learning?”
As you define good student (quiet, pays attention, hand and feet in corect place, etc…) I’ll take good LEARNER over good STUDENTS an day of the week.
You were a good LEARNER!
And except for that coments about treats on Day 2 afternoon…………a fine student as well.
SJC
Kate-
I would have been sitting next to you in class cracking silly jokes. That is the same description of me as a learner. Kindred spirits? I guess that is why I chose a subject that is totally interactive with the students for the majority of every class period(Middle School Spanish for those that don’t know me).
Lindas last blog post..Fiscal Education for everyone.
Kate,
I’m going to pass this post along to a former colleague of mine. A long time ago, his doctoral student did her dissertation on “learning styles” and ultimately ended up developing and founding a “program” called Let Me Learn (http://www.letmelearn.org/). The program, and the accompanying instrument called the Learning Combinations Inventory, are about MUCH more than “learning styles” and is a really powerful program that works in all areas (corporate sector included; Dupont is using it). From your description of yourself, I’d say you “lead with” technical learning and also use “precision” as needed (that’s LML language; it may not make sense right now). Schools are NOT designed/structured to serve “technical” lead students; they are classically organized as favoring “sequential” and “precise” learners. My colleague and others who’ve worked with LML are certain that the vast majority of kids who don’t fully succeed, especially the ones coded as “behaviorally challenged,” are technical learners whose learning needs are not being met.
I could go on…there’s a TON of stuff to think about. As a self-employed person, you might consider doing the LML training. They really need good consultants to spread the LML word. I can put you directly in touch with folks there if need be.
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Kate,
You remind me of the story Ken Robinson tells in his TED Talk, when the Doctor tells the mother, “You’re child’s not slow, she’s a dancer.” In order to learn, she had to move.
It’s not ADD, or ADHD. I’m not convinced it’s learning style (although I’m an advocate of understanding Gardner’s material). It’s not a measure of good vs. bad on a standardized scale. It’s not any other typical labeling practice that educational and societal entities use to categorize people.
It’s who you are. It’s also who I am. It’s likely to be who most education-based blog readers are; people who are able to soak up more information, in a variety of ways, and believe they have something of value to share with others.
It’s not an issue of right or wrong…just different. And that’s all good. =)
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I have always loved learning but for many years I hated school. There are still plenty of things about school I don’t care for; your post reminds me of some of them. It’s only through a series of happy accidents that I eventually attended college as a non-traditional student and ultimately became a college teacher.
There is plenty of research suggesting that long periods of dispensing information goes against the way the brain processes and learns. I try to have my class sessions broken into roughly ten minute segments of different activities & discussions (as much for my own benefit as my students!)
@Jon Becker - thanks for the tip on Let Me Learn… I’m checking that out right now.
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@Bill - at my last university, we used LML with our doctoral students. The process is equally about understanding ourselves (i.e. the “teachers”) as learners as it is about understanding the students as learners. That is, for teachers to work with students according to how they learn, they have to understand themselves as learners first. So many times, I was able to catch myself and say things like, “of course this student is struggling with the lit. review for the dissertation…I avoid sequence and she/he needs sequence to accomplish that particular task and I haven’t provided it…” It’s really powerful stuff…
Jon Beckers last blog post..Gladwell on hiring in sports, education and law
@Jon I love the philosophy you’re describing. Learning is a deeply personal act. The notion that we can “teach” anything without considering the ones who will be doing the learning is absurd, but it’s amazing how often that approach is taken.
I’ve bookmarked the LML site, and will probably be checking out some of the books offered there in the near future. Thanks again!
Oh my gosh, I am the same way (must be the age/Scorpio thing). ;-)
I get so distracted and hate sitting still in any kind of classroom/learning environment. And yet, I love learning, and I have always done well in school.
See? Another reason we’re soul sistas.
Jane
Jane - Mom Generationss last blog post..Who is the Hottest Male Blogger? (It’s double standard time!)
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