(of being enabled)
One of the most effective teaching practices I’ve implemented with my advisory has been
helping them help themselves. (the empowerment piece)
9th grade
Student – “What does exuberance mean?”
Keith: “Good question, look it up.”
Student reacts adversely, questioning how I got my license to teach. Someone must have
made a mistake because I’m an idiot and don’t know what any of these words mean.
Student never looks up word.
10th grade
Student: “What does tranquility mean?”
Keith: “Sounds interesting, look it up.”
Student groans and screams across the room to see if anyone knows what the word
means. No reaction. Student drops the book and says the book is boring anyway.
11th grade
Student: “What does . . . “
Keith: “What’s up?”
Student: “Nothing, don’t worry about it”
Keith: “Are you sure? Maybe, I can help.”
Student: “Nope, you just going to tell me to look it up and go on about how I need to
learn simple things like this on my own. Then you’ll go on to say that you’ll help me with
other things and blah blah blah.
Keith: “Sounds pretty accurate. Good work.”
Student looks up the word and then asks me what one of the words in the definition
means. I say . . . “look it up.” She shoots a look of death, but I survive.
12th grade
On our first big field trip we take a ferry ride to the vineyard. Student is missing
from the front of ferry. She has wandered off to the cabin because she brought
along a book to read. I get within 5 feet of where she is sitting, but she is so
engrossed in her reading she doesn’t recognize my taking a picture of her.
Keith: “Hey, what are you doing?”
Student: “Looking up this word. I’ve been reading this book, but I have to keep stopping
to understand what the author is trying to say.”
Keith: “ That’s great. If you don’t, it seems like a waste of time.”
Student agrees and they laugh about stories of the past regarding her frustrations of being
challenged.
The
