Blog Post #5

 What to Look for in a Classroom: Alfie Kohn

Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Teaching Diverse Students Initiative

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGTVjJuRaZ8

Quotes: 

    When a visitor enters a classroom, looking at how the students react is important. Kohn shares that it is a "good sign" if students are "eager to explain to demonstrate what they're doing or to use the visitor as a resource." Kohn also shares that it is a "possible sign to worry" if students use the visitor in hopes of being distracted from what they are doing. This is extremely true in school settings, specifically those of younger students. When students are fully engaged in a lesson, they seem to want to share their knowledge with others. So, if a visitor enters a fully engaged classroom, it is common for the students to want to see a different perspective. But, if the students are unengaged in the topic at hand, it is common to see students use a visitor to get away from the activity at hand. 

    Another interesting factor from the chart is the location of the teacher. Kohn says that it is a "good sign" if it takes a couple extra seconds to find the teacher and a "possible sign to worry" if one can always find the classroom's teacher front and center. Kohn shares that it is good to have to take the extra time to find the teacher because it is an indication of classroom engagement between teacher and students. It shows the true dedication the teacher has for their students to be engaged and understand the material. 

    In Introduction to Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Geneva Gay states, "Culture can be grouped into two different kinds of categories. You can talk about visible culture and invisible culture or tangible and intangible." This factor is important to acknowledge in a classroom because students with different backgrounds come from different cultures or understandings. The visible culture relates to the culture of the classroom itself. What is happening in the classroom? Are the students engaged in the lessons? Does the teacher seem to highlight the importance of student understanding? The invisible culture is where the students and teachers come from. The prior knowledge the students have is just as important as what is being taught and learned in the classroom itself. The culture of the students and teacher is important to acknowledge because of the melting pot the United States is and the many different values and importance different cultures have. 

Reflection:

After reading Kohn's chart, I can relate to my time as a student and the differences between classrooms as a younger student in elementary and middle school and being an older student in high school and college. Classrooms for younger students seem to have the most decorations, with student artwork and collaborative works posted. As a child, I was a more engaged student, and the classroom environment was definitely a factor because as I got older, the classrooms became more and more dull, with fewer decorations and less collaborative work. Classrooms in my high school were mostly decorated with store-bought posters and simple "classroom rules" being posted. During this time, I found myself struggling to fully pay attention. Though growing up is definitely a factor in my classroom engagement declining over the years, Kohn's chart is very interesting to relate to now as a college student.