I agree that yes, students need to be encouraged but at what point are we denying the students the necessity of NOW. I understand that the curriculum and the pedagogy we develop in teacher’s college as well as at the beginning of our careers that students can be given an equal opportunity to study, learn and practice at a pace needed for them.
The students don’t decide whether their abilities can be developed over time knowingly. The brain makes the decision for them. Reward systems in the brain make it possible for individuals to develop their own learning, Carol Dweck understands this. The way that students evaluate an activity is based on the rewards received and students do generally do well when they are given the “not yet” grade because they do know eventually they will get it. But what negative mentalities might this foster. The evidence given along with the TED video is very convincing but the reality is, what are we trying to teach the students? What happens when these students get into the workplace? This is a classic devil’s advocate point to this idea.
Speaking to native reserves, yes many students academically struggle. When these students are given the “now” maybe they don’t succeed as quickly native students given the “yet” mentality because, yes, they need more time to mature and make mistakes. Most students are like this I would believe, because the fact is that these are adolescence and students we are talking about. Maturity is a huge factor, home is a huge factor in how students will learn.
A native classroom that has a student focused on improving and making data work, will surely do better than a native based classroom with a teacher who is simply living out there because the money is good or there were no jobs where they were locally from.
Not all the data is clear to me when I am listening and watching this TED talk, although it is nice, it is a lot of idea with not a lot of practicum.
To teach the “not yet” is to basically say to the student, “look, you didn’t pass grade three yet, but maybe next time.”
I teach at an international boarding school in China. Realistically we see 30 students or so flunk out of the BC program each year, possibly more (I am speaking to the averages I have seen/experienced in the last three years). These students were growing up with the “not yet” mentality, or at least a broken hybrid of the “not yet” and the “now”. Chinese Education is very much rote, while at the same time being very forgiving on a social behavioural level. In our school, it is not common for a student to get suspended for an ambiguous reason or even academic reasons; however it is common for students to decide that they can’t continue on in the BC program because the English is too difficult. What I am trying to say is, given all the chances and “not yets” given to students throughout the year, a chunk still see it as not enough to move forward. Granted, these students will still graduate with a chinese high school diploma , but where is the line? What are the restrictions on this philosophy? I think it should be more clearly stated. I mean, what would happen if you have a student who just gives up, says “not yet, maybe in a year or two, I’ll try to graduate high school”? Then what? Yes, its their life, their decision but as a teacher you don’t want to see a student drop out, you don’t want to also go against what you have been promoting through classroom management all year when saying “not yet,”…so what then?
I think for Elementary its not a bad philosophy to an extent but a certainly level of accountability needs to be upheld. This is a great starter for students who may lack motivation but it feels more of a philosophy one might see used in a student resource room or guidance counselor’s office.
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