Alien Pedagogy

Perhaps a ridiculous or pretentious topic, but there are some things that I’m beginning to notice my students really appreciate.

• Greetings – Even students I don’t teach seem to know my name lately, and I can only think it’s because I greet almost everyone I meet while on duty or heading to class.
• Deadlines – Steady and fair, with room for exceptions.
• Expectations – Lessons that clearly outline what is required for success and formative feedback from that lesson.
• Smiling – Not like a jerk. Just find reasons to laugh at jokes or tech problems.
• Humor – Not sarcastic and not at someone’s expense.
• Noticing hair and fashion changes – And if their hair hasn’t changed, you’ll still get credit for complimenting it.
• Sincerity – Enjoy your subject and reveal how it affects your life.
• Hobbies – Have your own hobbies.
• Ideas – However irresponsible they may be, many students want to discuss responsibility. So invite them to think about ethics.
• Boundaries – Friendliness cannot compromise your advocacy of every student’s rights in the classroom.
• Punctuality – Run lessons efficiently.
• Avoid trap questions and activities. Think, pair, share.
• Food – Even if you don’t share it, many kids seem to respect or identify with adults that eat in public.
• Student feedback – Ask students for their opinion about their learning.
• Get involved in your school community.

I’m not saying I do this every day and this is by no means a complete list — and I haven’t tried to categorize these suggestions. They are just some things that I’ve begun to notice the students at my school really appreciate.

This entry was posted on November 3, 2009 at 5:16 am and is filed under Views From Afar. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.