Chapter 3 details the energy and expectations in Cynthia Nambo’s all-girls middle school science classroom at New Horizons. We learn a bit about her life growing up with a verbally and physically abusive stepfather forced to abandon her Mexican culture, but her commitment to holding students to high expectations and understanding where they come from shines through in her ideas and classroom practices.
I was quite impressed with the richness and depth she planned her lessons with. Students spent time reviewing homework assignments together which involved analyzing and debating research in executive chairs which fit with Nambo’s overall message to the girls “You are important, you should dream big, and if you work hard and persevere, great things await you.” (52). I admire how she acquired classrooms resources and materials that echo this belief. In reading about Nambo’s all-girls classroom and her practice of cross-curricular connections and project-based learning a few questions came to mind. My responses are below and I would like to hear what everyone else thinks.
Do you see disparities between the motivation and performance of girls and boys in the areas of math or science?
New Horizons (Nambo’s charter school) is in response to studies in the 1990s which found preteen and teenage girls learned a “hidden curriculum” which left girls with declining attitudes and achievement in science and math. The girls in Nambo’s class seem relatively engaged with the scientific work considering they brought in outside research and pictures to aid in their at school project, but they also make comments suggesting a slight distaste for the subject matter. I teach elementary and do not really see a difference between the attitudes or performance in boys and girls, but I actually find at this age that both genders really enjoy science probably due to the hands-on activity. What is everyone else’s experience?
How do you think your school or personal classroom balances expectations with student challenges?
Throughout the chapter we see that Nambo expects her students to do work outside of school and spend significant effort completing projects, but pages 63 and 64 clearly speak to the impact of these expectations. Nambo and possibly the school in general seem to “understand the forces that constrain students and show compassion to their situations, yet at the same time insist that they push against those constraints”. In my experience with urban education I have seen two different examples of this. My first two years of teaching I felt handled this line very well. We knew we had students with challenges and limited resources, but we had consistent, school-wide expectations like keeping shirts tucked in; attending conferences; volunteering at least 1 day a school year; and following classroom social contracts. When this was enforced, I saw students doing very well and showing lots of growth because they thrived in the structure. At this same school, I also saw more at-home projects come back to school. In contrast, the urban school I currently teach at seems to stay stuck within the constraint area and allows many things to build up as excuses. I think it’s important that we do not assume children and families cannot access resources at home, but then find ways to be flexible if it really is not possible. If we do not insist on higher expectations then there’s no room for growth.
This silly computer just erased everything I types! Argh! Okay, first I apologize I just trumped your excellent work with my own pithy remarks in a separate post (I jumped the gun when I didn't see anyone had posted in a while this afternoon). Mea culpa.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your first question, I observed the opposite of what the original research suggested. I taught in a low-performing urban middle school (8th grade ELA) My female students (of all races) performed better in all subjects than my male students. I have the opportunity to work on several cross-curricular projects with science and social studies. My top students were almost always female. My male students were more apt to give up easily when faced with the fierce competition of their female peers. I guess since the study was done in the 90s, girls have been trained to blow the boys out of the water. I actually would advocate single sex classrooms for my male students. (I also teach at the grade level where hormones become an issue, so there's that too).
The second question, I have high expectations. That has often put me in direct conflict with the adminstration of the school. The principal has a rather lax attitude towards the students (rather like a placating parent). She'll scold them, then offer them a cookie (no lie, it's happened on more than one occasion). So I don't let students leave my classroom. My thinking is it's more of a punishment for them to have to sit there with me than to go to the office and get a cookie and pat on the back from the principal. The majority of my students (even those who were labeled behavioral problems in previous years) rise to my expectations. Of course there are always those who try to evade them (especially when it comes to projects and grades). The adminstration usually sides with the parents and students on those cases. They reprimand me for expecting students to have the resources to complete a long-term project. (They can walk to the library, right?) Many times I've checked the books out of multiple libraries across the county and keep them in my room, I've purchased posterboard in bulk just to get these kids to do a project without excuses. Of course the more I accommodate them, the more they bemoan the unfairness. Resiliency and resourcefulness are important lessons our students aren't getting enough of.
What did you think about Michie's observation about "warm demanders" (teachers who have high expectations combined with genuine caring)? I thought it characterized my classroom pretty much to a T. I have mostly black and Hispanic students and they seem to respond well to this method of "tough love."
Awesome summary! -Anna
I laughed when I read about the principal and the cookie - it was candy with my principal and I too kept the kids in class for the same reason - in fact, I often got kids from other classes in my room because that was more of a punishment.I was told I was bad for kids self esteem - yet my students performed well and respected me (I know this because I have heard from them often). It sounds like your class is much like mine was. And although I did not teach minority students, I am finding that the book is offering me much insight - because when it comes down to it - kids are kids and if it is not one issue, it is another.
ReplyDeleteI agree. This is just reaffirming for me how much we are all like. We need to forget about all the other junk and realize that we all want the same for our kids. Let's work together to achieve those goals. Nice summary.
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