While reading Linda Christensen’s introduction to Teaching for Joy and Justice one quote from very early on in the chapter continued to resonate with me thought the reading and the next few days. Usually when I read, I find that the stand out point to me lays closer to the end of a piece of writing, but this quote by Christensen started out right in the beginning and really drove my understanding of the rest of the information. On page two Christensen states, “Teaching for joy and justice begins with the non-negotiable belief that all students are capable of brilliance” (Christensen 2). After reading and re-reading the sentence after its initial jump out to me a few things began to take shape in my head. Christensen introduces us to the idea of teaching for joy and justice, the central argument of her book not by defining it, but by telling the reader/educator where it starts. Immediately, I began to think of this form of teaching as ongoing, evolving and shaping, not confined by some singular definition so woman teaching in Oregon crafted. Next, I began to think of what this means as a teacher. Every teacher should believe that all students have their own capabilities and abilities to learn. Christensen takes it one step beyond. Not only should teachers believe in their students ability to perform, they should believe in their students brilliance, their students ability to grow above and beyond their own expectations. For me, when I hear the word brilliance it does not mean the student received an A grade, passed an standardized exam, or performed exceedingly well on a task. To me, the word brilliance means the student excelled beyond what they believed they could and reached a new level of learning. Thinking about this quote from a students perspective also brings an interesting viewpoint. In order for a student to be successful the class as a community needs to believe in a climate of success. If a teacher is accepting get-by grades and mediocre work that satisfies standards students will never be pushed to that stage of brilliance. At the same time, it is also the job of the classroom community to support each and every member to reach that stage of brilliance. Part of what also resonated with me reading this quote was that I found it to be an important reminder for all educators to keep in the back other minds. Striving for the brilliance of all students and fostering a love of learning in the classroom is I hope to always hold in high regard as a teacher. This quote from Christensen really pushed me to think deeply about this idea.
Katie, I completely agree with your take on Christensen and her use of "brilliance". Your take on this concept is very important for educators to understand, especially when so much pressure is placed on student success. Although teachers believe in the idea of brilliance, they start focusing on student performance rather than academic growth because it means their class meets expectations and can move on.
ReplyDeleteI think that more focus should be had on academic growth, as you stated, because it helps students create a positive picture of what their academic futures can be. When they accomplish any task they previously had difficulty with, they grow more confident in their education and may pursue it further.
I really enjoyed your definition of brilliance. When most people hear that term, they think of someone with a high IQ or a 4.0 GPA. What you say here is that being brilliant is something unique to each individual. I agree with that, and I believe that in today's schools, "brilliance" only matters when it can be measured by a test score. I also really liked your point about the climate of success. As teachers, it is important for us to set high expectations for our students. They may seem unreachable to some on the first day of class, but the important part of the "climate of success" is making it absolutely clear that everyone in the class is part of the classroom community, and looking to your teacher and peers for support will make meeting those high expectations much easier.
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting here is how you, Katie, are defining "success" as in a "climate of success." For some, that means something entirely different than a student exceeding her pre-conceived boundaries. Great job defining that for yourself!
ReplyDeleteOne line that really stood out from your response to me was "To me, the word brilliance means the student excelled beyond what they believed they could and reached a new level of learning.". I cannot agree more, but I also see this as the foundation of great teaching. I believe effectively giving a student the personal agency to push themselves beyond the limits of what they thought possible is what we're all hoping to achieve.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you talked about how if teachers do not push their students to reach their brilliance and accept their work that is just ok most students may never reach their brilliance. Also realizing that you have to love what you do and in return your students will love learning. I thought about the same things you did when I read the introduction. Of course just like Christensen we will have moments or students which we can not relate to or learn to teach but we must maintain the passion and the outcome will be teaching for joy.
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