Sensitivity And Responsiveness To Differences

PROMPT #6

In my personal classroom experience, from kindergarten all the way to college, teachers communicate in vastly different ways. Some yell, some mumble, some joke, some are silent even. But the thing that ties them all together is that they use these various ways to communicate with their students. Obviously some are more effective than others, but it's up to the teacher to see what works best. I've only ever had one teacher who yelled, but it was enough of a bad experience to make me realize I'd never be a yeller. There are better ways to communicate, and communication is such a huge part of teaching, and of learning.

Communication is how teachers convey to their students what they need to learn, how they need to learn, and what's expected of them. Mrs. Kandy, the teacher of my classroom, is very thorough with her communication. She explains what the activity is for the time period, and how to do the activity, with several examples. But she goes the extra inch to explain what she doesn't want too. This way, no student is left wondering what's expected of them. And they don't have to fear they're doing the wrong thing, because they know what is considered incorrect.

I also noticed a few tactics Mrs. Kandy has that all her students understand. Without any explanation, she'll begin to count from one to three, and when she reaches three, everyone is silent. It always works. And it amazes me. It's also sort of clever. By giving the students those two seconds before they have to be silent, it allows them to say their final words, then devote their complete attention to Mrs. Kandy when she wants it. Thinking about these various ways of communication, however subtle they are, makes me realize that there are so many different ways to express ideas in a classroom.

I've also seen Mrs. Kandy communicate in a different way. She knows her students so well, and on one day, after everyone got off the rug and went to their desks, she asked Jerry to come speak with her. She'd noticed that he'd been quiet that day, and seemed kind of tired. And after asking him what was wrong, it was revealed that he hadn't gotten much sleep because his dad, who works two jobs, had come home late the night before, exhausted and grumpy, and he'd been upset to find no one had left him and dinner. So, Jerry's parents had fought, and Jerry had been woken up by it. Mrs. Kandy let him talk, and told him he should make sure to get more sleep the next night, and she also said he could take it easy that day in class. While she was talking to him, she had her hand on his shoulder and her voice was very soft. I found this to be very touching to watch, because Jerry seemed better after it. Mrs. Kandy had realized that Jerry needed some special treatment due to home issues, and she'd given it to him. She wouldn't speak that way to every student that day, but that was because no one else seemed to be having problems. But because Jerry had needed some reassurance, she'd changed her communication style to be more sensitive and responsive to her student.

Her various teaching styles remind me of Lisa Delpit. In Delpit's article, she states that "if you are not already a participant in the culture of power, being told explicitly the rules of that culture makes acquiring power easier" (3). Mrs. Kandy is always explicit in her explanations, and she makes sure that everyone in the classroom understands what's going on. She also makes sure the students understand what's not acceptable behavior, and informs her students of what is acceptable, which will ultimately help them when they enter the community as adults.

Delpit also states that every child should not be treated the same way, in relation to their communication styles. Some kids need to be talked to in a gentle manner, and some need strict direction. Mrs. Kandy is an effective teacher because she alters her communication styles to each student and uses different methods to best interact with them.