Blog #6: "Withitness" and Authentic Learning

 Part 1: Content Reflection

Describe how you believe teacher "WITHITNESS" (Jennings, p. 43) reduces teacher bias and improves the culture of a classroom. What does "withitness" look like in a classroom setting? What does it feel like?

            I believe that teacher “withitness” reduces bias and improves the culture in the classroom in the way that teachers are present and aware. When a teacher is with it, they get to know their students and can sense when something is off with them. When a teacher isn’t present or doesn’t take the time to get to know their students, they run the risk of seeing a student’s behavior as negative and think that they don’t want to learn. This is not always the case as students may be struggling with things we don’t always recognize right away. When teachers take the time to compose themselves and see where the students are at, they are able to help the students learn instead of reprimanding them for behaviors or being off task. “Withitness requires self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship management giving teachers the capacity to attentively monitor and act responsively in the classroom, prevent disruptive behavior, and support on-task behavior,” (Jennings, p. 43). Withthis quote in mind, I believe that “withitness” looks like a welcoming classroom where the teacher is excited to see the students and want the best for them. I see it as having educational resources such as manipulatives, maps, or even posters. It fosters learning and community for all students. It looks like a teacher taking an interest in the whole student and noticing when something is wrong and helping the student get what they need to be successful instead of lashing out at them. It feels like a space where students are supported and can thrive. When teachers are “with it” they are better able to aid their students.   

Why do you believe authentic learning (Knight, p. 225) is so critical to student learning? In your classroom, what will authentic learning LOOK like? What will authentic learning FEEL like (for students)?

            Authentic learning is so critical to student learning because they are better able to relate and access the content. When they relate to the content there is more student engagement as they are able to add their background knowledge or personal experiences to the lessons. Authentic learning is critical in the knowledge it gives students and the opportunities it opens up for them. Authentic learning also takes into account issues that are happening in real-time. In the book, it talked about students working on solutions to problems such as improving wildlife habitats instead of just learning about them (Knight, p. 226). Authentic learning’s outcome is not students being able to recite facts. Instead, it gives motivates, empowers, and engages students will giving them purpose all while they are learning. A quote that stuck out to me while thinking about how to answer this question was how Knight answered the question why should students do authentic learning? He said, “If students are 100% engaged in what they do, are pushed to meet real-world standards, and do work that makes a contribution to the community, wouldn’t it be obvious that they will benefit?” This sums up why it is critical to student learning. Authentic learning will look like students working collaboratively on assignments and projects that deal with real-world issues. It will look like lots of students sharing thoughts and ideas and bringing forth ideas they want to work on. I think that authentic learning will feel inspiring for students and like they are making a difference. I believe it will feel engaging in how it is more hands. It will look like a blend of learning and fun about the world around us.

How does what you are reading about in the Mindfulness for Teachers book -- understanding the emotional life of a teacher, the impact of negative emotions in the classroom, and the power of positivity -- directly relate to creating authentic learning environments that educate the whole child?

            Understanding the emotional life, a teacher, the impact of negative emotions in the classroom, and the power of positivity directly relate to authentic learning. When a teacher or student is having a bad day, instead of lashing out and/or trying to bury those emotions, taking the time to address and acknowledge them yourself or even to your students shows them that we are all human and all have bad days. When students feel seen and validated in their emotions, it can help them regain composure and find a way to approach the learning in a way that works for them at the moment. Same for teachers. When we are real and authentic with our students, they tend to support us more and find ways to make our job easier. Another way I see overlap is in the way that current events can affect the classroom atmosphere. When things are going well there may be an increase of energy in the class and finding ways to use that in a productive way is important. On the other hand, there will be events that happen that cause negative emotions. Giving students and teachers the space to express these emotions and channel them into learning is important. Finding a balance between all these components can be hard but it is necessary for the success of all involved. Teachers don’t always get a say in who they teach but it’s in how we teach those students on good days, bad days, and all the other days in between that matters most while also taking care of our needs as teachers. We can’t expect students to work at their best if we are not able to teach at our best.  

 

Part 2: (Field Experience) Practicum Reflection

In your current learning setting (virtual, hybrid, or in-person), in what ways do you see evidence of teacher withitness? (Please provide a detailed 5-7 sentence response). What are you and/or your host teaching doing, saying, communicating, thinking...?

            I have had the opportunity to observe in a fourth-grade classroom where there are lots of behaviors and disruptions and saw firsthand how the teacher handled them. Instead of always calling the student out for their behavior, she would calmly walk over to the student to problem solve and get them back on track. She also knew that sometimes having the students with behaviors come sit with the large group wasn’t always best for them, so she allowed them to stay at their desk spot if they wanted. By giving them choice, she was able to ensure that every student was able to learn in a way that best suited them. I also witnessed the teacher noticed a student starting to get upset and give up on their work, so she walked over and knelt down by their desk spot and chatted with them for a bit. I could hear her validate the student’s feelings and ask what they needed. In doing this she was able to help the student be successful instead of simply telling them to keep working. Another example I witnessed is when a student shouted at the teacher about needing water. Instead of snapping at the student, the teacher took a breath and told the student that yelling at the teacher will not help them get what they want before asking the student to try asking again. The student asked in a more reasonable matter and the teacher happily let them get a drink of water. We had a crazy afternoon coming up with an all-school activity for I Love to Read Month, so during prep, the teacher put on some soft piano music and recentered herself from a bit of a crazy morning. What I saw was that she took the time to gather herself and was ready to start again when the students came back from lunch and recess. I’ve seen her “withitness” for both herself and her students pay off. This is an example of the calming piano music that the teacher was listening to. I’ve also experienced teachers have calming music during work and break times that students enjoy and helps keep a sense of calm at times.

Classical Piano Music for Brain Power: Piano Music for Studying - YouTube

What are some simple, yet intentional, routines that you see your host teacher (or you) engage that contribute to creating conditions of authentic learning and "unconditional positive regard" for students? (Please provide a detailed 5-7 sentence response).

            A routine I have witnessed that relates to authentic learning is the way teachers welcome students each day. They always use the student's name and ask them how they are. If the student had shared something they were going to do, the teachers often remember and ask about it. The students just beam when they feel seen and remembered. I’ve also witnessed authentic learning in the books teachers choose for read aloud. The books reflect the diversity of our students as well as challenges they may be facing as well. Our school for I Love to Read Month, had the student council members pick 3 different books that the entire school would read. Each book had diverse characters and touched on different themes such as appearance, generational and language barriers, as well as issues that bring up big emotions such as racial issues. Each book allowed for conversations and also had an activity to go with it. One of the activities that I witnessed a fourth-grade class do was draw self-portraits. As students did this, my self and my host teacher walked around and commented on what we saw the students draw. The students took so much pride in drawing themselves. With a simple comment about how we noticed a student drew their eyes or their hair made them smile and feel seen. We had one student who wore a hijab in our class and when the teacher walked past her, she asked if the teacher liked how she drew her hijab. My self and the teacher committed positively on it and mentioned how it looked like her. She was so happy and went back to draw more. Another book dealt with racial issues and even at the kindergarten level, they were able to have discussions about this and talked about the emotions they were feeling in relation to the story. 

Here is a snippet of the book, Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, that corresponded with the self-portrait activity. The author is Joanna Ho and the illustrator is Dung Ho. It’s a wonderful book about a girl learning to love her appearance and how it connects her to her family. 

In each classroom I’ve been in, the teacher makes their students feel special and like they are important, and it seems to make a difference. When a student has been gone, the reaction they get when they return is so joyful from their teacher that the student seems to stand taller and smile a little bigger. This is a quote I have heard of and seen in classrooms around my school that I would like to include in mine one day as a reminder for myself and my students.