ESSENTIAL QUESTION ANSWERED
Great portions of this website support image rich content with blogs, vlogs, photos, and videos. This page is not that... these are the words answering aspects of HOW SCHOOL CULTURE SUPPORTS ACADEMICS?
The following response speaks to how the school culture supports academics.
The students were wonderful - each school held dedicated teachers, excellent students, and caring support staff. This essay piece is a blog entry about exploration, critical thinking, and synthesis. The light sensing robot above is following a path - if built correctly the device should drive straight line and curves returning. Russia schools focus greatly on the presentation of information, this was AWESOME - watching presentations encouraged me to return to teaching Debate and using more student presentations next year in my high school. In a small gymnasium, a PE class waits patiently in long lines to do a single task as part of a relay. Only two students are moving at a time in a 40 minute class. Four lines would have more students moving? And finally, there were three kits in a third grade classroom. The 12 students (small classes!) in groups of 4 assembled the kits. It was a race to build them quickly, a competition. In a balanced class of girls and boys, only one girl took an active role in the construction process (see the picture on right above). The students competed the task. Then the cars were lined up. The battery was attached. Car #1 was medium paced, car #2 fast, and car #3 was SLOW. The kits differed by drive wheel size (cog type) and axle wheel size. The teacher then explained quickly - small drive, large axle wheel slow car, medium with medium is average speed, large drive, small axle is fast car. Then they moved on, lesson over.
This was such a MISSED OPPORTUNITY in my opinion - offer the students all the parts, let the students think, theorize, hypothesize, build, test, retest, create a chart, focus on different tasks and competitions (fastest, slowest, pulls most weight, set a time over distance goal, predict times). This wasn't an option. A colleague observed a chemistry lab with similar thoughts. It feels like there is always a layer of control that gives the right answer, and moves past the opportunity to dig deeper. I coined "a kilometer wide and a centimeter deep" describing this attachment to INFORMATION ONLY. I sympathize because I understand in the Russian system NATIONAL testing determines real life opportunities.
I also observed: 1) when a teacher calls on the same student often - "a star will be a star", 2) any time a student is unable to perform - "(he/she) is lazy, is sick, perhaps tired", 3) if a teacher thinks the question is too easy - "I think you know this answer, we will move on" or "I think this is too easy for you" or "you understand, yes" with no check for understanding, 4) everything is a contest, 5) "that man is Chechen", 6) very few male teachers, 7) harasho, harasho, da da da, harasho, dasvadanya, 7) cell phones out, but students not disrespectful, 8) "is it alright" after being given instructions, 9) lunch ladies, and 10) "English isn't just a subject, it is an opportunity."
The questions that linger for me are deep. What does a thoughtful, creative student do within the structured system of Russian schools? The fear of making a mistake, and thought that it would certainly be discovered caused teachers to limit creativity. How could new ideas be embraced/practiced/attempted? Does everything need to be a contest – without really awarding real prizes or announcing real winners?
In Moscow, during our debrief, we were asked to look at these words from the lens of our travel time in Russia. I felt this was a valuable task. I experienced JOY when watching faces and emotions of students relax when I would try Russian words and phrases and do poorly, laughing with me and at me. I remember being FRUSTRATED with lessons cut short, hurried, not digging deeper. Too many opportunities missed for higher order thinking. An expression of BEAUTY is present in the care the adults have for younger children. The preciousness, pride, and concern is palpable. And finally, authentic SADNESS upon our departure from the lyceum by our English teaching colleagues. I feel sadness for the system where students have limited opportunity to truly think for themselves.
The following response speaks to how the school culture supports academics.
The students were wonderful - each school held dedicated teachers, excellent students, and caring support staff. This essay piece is a blog entry about exploration, critical thinking, and synthesis. The light sensing robot above is following a path - if built correctly the device should drive straight line and curves returning. Russia schools focus greatly on the presentation of information, this was AWESOME - watching presentations encouraged me to return to teaching Debate and using more student presentations next year in my high school. In a small gymnasium, a PE class waits patiently in long lines to do a single task as part of a relay. Only two students are moving at a time in a 40 minute class. Four lines would have more students moving? And finally, there were three kits in a third grade classroom. The 12 students (small classes!) in groups of 4 assembled the kits. It was a race to build them quickly, a competition. In a balanced class of girls and boys, only one girl took an active role in the construction process (see the picture on right above). The students competed the task. Then the cars were lined up. The battery was attached. Car #1 was medium paced, car #2 fast, and car #3 was SLOW. The kits differed by drive wheel size (cog type) and axle wheel size. The teacher then explained quickly - small drive, large axle wheel slow car, medium with medium is average speed, large drive, small axle is fast car. Then they moved on, lesson over.
This was such a MISSED OPPORTUNITY in my opinion - offer the students all the parts, let the students think, theorize, hypothesize, build, test, retest, create a chart, focus on different tasks and competitions (fastest, slowest, pulls most weight, set a time over distance goal, predict times). This wasn't an option. A colleague observed a chemistry lab with similar thoughts. It feels like there is always a layer of control that gives the right answer, and moves past the opportunity to dig deeper. I coined "a kilometer wide and a centimeter deep" describing this attachment to INFORMATION ONLY. I sympathize because I understand in the Russian system NATIONAL testing determines real life opportunities.
I also observed: 1) when a teacher calls on the same student often - "a star will be a star", 2) any time a student is unable to perform - "(he/she) is lazy, is sick, perhaps tired", 3) if a teacher thinks the question is too easy - "I think you know this answer, we will move on" or "I think this is too easy for you" or "you understand, yes" with no check for understanding, 4) everything is a contest, 5) "that man is Chechen", 6) very few male teachers, 7) harasho, harasho, da da da, harasho, dasvadanya, 7) cell phones out, but students not disrespectful, 8) "is it alright" after being given instructions, 9) lunch ladies, and 10) "English isn't just a subject, it is an opportunity."
The questions that linger for me are deep. What does a thoughtful, creative student do within the structured system of Russian schools? The fear of making a mistake, and thought that it would certainly be discovered caused teachers to limit creativity. How could new ideas be embraced/practiced/attempted? Does everything need to be a contest – without really awarding real prizes or announcing real winners?
In Moscow, during our debrief, we were asked to look at these words from the lens of our travel time in Russia. I felt this was a valuable task. I experienced JOY when watching faces and emotions of students relax when I would try Russian words and phrases and do poorly, laughing with me and at me. I remember being FRUSTRATED with lessons cut short, hurried, not digging deeper. Too many opportunities missed for higher order thinking. An expression of BEAUTY is present in the care the adults have for younger children. The preciousness, pride, and concern is palpable. And finally, authentic SADNESS upon our departure from the lyceum by our English teaching colleagues. I feel sadness for the system where students have limited opportunity to truly think for themselves.