The long and the short of it

During my daily dogs walks with Lizzie and Schooner I ponder and reflect a lot about teaching, learning and young adolescent students. I frequently see the world of teaching through a similar lens as providing successful walks with my dogs. When I work with young adolescents and or observe at schools I am constantly reminded of classroom behaviors that students need for successful learning and instructional behaviors that teachers need to practice to ensure their students have successful classroom experiences. Like my need to provide my dogs successful walks. In addition to knowing how to control the middle path of different directions on my daily dog walks with Lizzie and Schooner (see the post The Middle Way – the Balanced Classroom) I have learned that each dog prefers – and more honestly speaking - needs a certain leash. Lizzie likes a long leash so she can explore her environment on her walks. She needs a little extra freedom that comes with a longer leash. She likes to explore and take risks and is very sociable and barks at every dog she sees. On the other hand, Schooner needs a short leash. When he is on a longer leash his legs gets caught in it. He does not like the slack of a longer leash – he will sometimes just stop walking until I tighten the leash. Schooner is a creature of habit. He does not like going in different directions on a walk and likes doing his business in the same places. If we go another direction on a walk he is not sure where to do his business. Because of this he is very stubborn and sometimes will stop walking. He puts his breaks on and looks at me as if saying, “You can’t make me walk that way. I dare you.” Somehow they each know the difference between the two leashes we use. Sometimes, especially when I am in a hurry, I put the wrong leash on them. After we walk out of the yard to start our walks they both will almost freeze – because they are uncomfortable – somehow they know the difference between the leashes. Maybe they know the color they usually wear or can tell by the weight of the leash – all I know is that each of them wants to wear his leash or her leash. Schooner also likes to carry one of his stuff pet animals with him on our walks. They seem to provide him a little extra security on our walks – like preschools and elementary students, and yes, even some young adolescents carry a small security toy or security token to help them make it through the day, Schooner needs one of his toys. Lizzie has absolutely no need to carry a toy with her. I think of this middle road of appropriate understanding for Lizzie and Schooner behaviors and how it applies to successful dog walks parallels to teacher behaviors and student behaviors for successful classroom learning and teaching. Some students need more flexibility and room to roam, think and to act in order to learn while other student needs a tighter leash – they cannot handle extra freedom and flexibility. Some students may need pipe cleaners to help them focus in class while others will never use them. It is our jobs as educators to know how to engage different kinds of student behaviors and what is expected and needed for successful class. If I expect Lizzie and Schooner to have a successful dog walk I need to appreciate their differences and how to ensure that I provide the correct materials and environment for them. Just like I cannot blame my students’ innate needs in what works best for them. I cannot blame Lizzie if she cannot handle a shorter leash nor can I blame Schooner if he cannot handle a longer leash. That is who they are for whatever reason. As an educator I need to be able to identify complications, struggles and successes my student have and need. Middle level educators can recognize most of their students’ needs – but it can be challenging to actually meet each student’s needs, especially everyday. Is this why that each child in each class does not have a successful day every day? Is it even a reasonable expectation that each teacher can meet the needs of each student each day each week each month to ensure each student’s daily success? It is remarkable that educators are expected to ensure success for each student each day each week and each month. It is hard to imagine that this is even a possibility. What other profession expects such ultimate success and has the same expectations? Maybe a pilot to ensure that the plane departs and lands successfully. Maybe a physician to make sure each patient has a successful visit – but a physician meets with one patient at a time. But educators – we have many students at one time, each with unique needs and we are expected to ensure each student’s success – some teacher can do an amazing job of it – while others do not fair so well. How do educators decide how to focus their attention for student success or teaching success for learning success? Do certain students get more attention than others because they are easier to work with while others are more challenging because they need more attention? Or “their way?” Because of Schooner’s need to have a routine, and less of a need to explore and take risks on our daily dog walks go more in his direction, just like more needy students often determine the direction a class moves. Does Lizzie get less of an experience because she has to follow the needed routine of Schooner? How do educators decide how to tighten or loosen the leashes? Do Lizzie like students get a better walk or a better learning day or do Schooner like students demand the direction of the walk or the direction of the class? What do you think? How do you plan to or how do you address the Lizzie like and the Schooner like students in your classroom as well as the Max, Buddy, Alice, Daisy, Coco
, Lily
, Princess
, Emma
, Annie, Rosie
, Ruby, Lady
, Rocky, Charlie, Buster
, Lucky
, Oliver
, Oscar
, Rusty
, Lulu
, Brandy, Jasmine and Dakota like students? What are your thoughts?