114: Let's Give Our Teaching Language a Makeover

The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast

Jennifer Gonzalez

Education, Teaching, Instruction, Classroommanagement, Educationreform

4.8 • 2.4K Ratings

🗓️ 3 February 2019

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

To master this craft, we need to choose our words carefully. This mini-makeover shows how revising our language in four common classroom scenarios can send a completely different message.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Jennifer Gonzalez welcoming you to Episode 114 of the Cult of Pedagogy Podcast.
0:05.6	In this episode we're going to do a little makeover of the language we use in our classrooms.
0:22.7	Consider two classrooms, room one and room two.
0:26.8	The students in both rooms are working in groups on an activity and in each room one of the groups
0:32.0	has gotten off task. In room one the teacher approaches the group and says to them,
0:38.1	get back to work or you'll be staying in for recess. In room two the teacher approaches the
0:43.7	off task group and says, this is not like you, what's the problem? And then after students explain
0:50.2	the problem follows up with, okay how do we solve that? In both cases the teacher addresses the
0:56.6	off task behavior but the language each one uses is completely different. The first teacher is
1:02.5	threatening a consequence sending the message that the activities only real value is avoiding punishment.
1:09.1	By contrast the second teacher affirms students identities as kids who would normally behave pretty
1:14.8	well then follows that by inviting them to solve their own problems. It's possible that both
1:21.1	teachers will get the same result from this interaction and the students in both rooms will get
1:25.4	back on task but the second teacher is likely to get much more than that. Shaping students self
1:31.6	perception as good kids and problem solvers sending the message that their classroom is a respectful
1:37.6	place and fostering a climate where students actively participate in their learning rather than
1:43.9	simply complying with the teacher's demands. And if the teacher in room two is consistently crafting
1:49.9	language to send these positive empowering messages that impact increases exponentially.
1:56.9	When we look at ways to improve our teaching we tend to give a lot of attention to the macro level
2:02.4	stuff, curriculum development, teaching strategies, classroom design, relationship building.
2:08.7	There are so many big things to pay attention to. It's no wonder we spend very little time on small
2:15.2	details like how we ask students to get back to work. But to truly master this craft, a craft that
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