What Teachers Talk About

Many middle and high school teachers spend a fair amount of time talking about individual kids. 

There are two basic conversation patterns.  One is every teacher sees similar behavior.  The other is teachers see different things. 

The latter case is important because once a teacher knows that a kid is succeeding in OTHER classes, it gives that teacher confidence to really push to hold the kid to high expectations, and it forces the teacher to challenge his or her own assumptions. 

This is an example of a typical conversation (over email). 

Teacher 1: I have noticed X not being herself these days.  What are you seeing? 

* * *

Teacher 2: I have X first period and she is generally fine, if not hyper.  Later in the day, however, I do notice her mood drop dramatically.

She’s also become close with Y, and when Y gives her less attention, she becomes moodier. 

* * *

Teacher 3: X periodically enters my class in a grumpy/quiet mood. She usually snaps out of it once class gets going.  I was encouraged recently when she and Z put aside their feud. 

In general, X does seem even more in need of attention than usual. It seems as though she is constantly distracted by “social stuff” (to put it kindly), preventing her from putting in the effort she needs to achieve the grades she desires, the net result being BOTH social and academic stress.

Let’s help her focus a little bit more on her schoolwork and goals for college – help her gain a measure of stability instead of constantly fluctuating her mood depending on whatever drama might be going on.

I would also add that she remains extremely poor about knowing how to articulate her frustration constructively. When she gets disciplined, she either shuts down, explodes, or starts threatening to explode. Calling her out on that regularly and being very explicit as to how she could have handled particular situations better seems crucial.

* * *

Teacher 4: X’s mood is not abnormal in my class…she is still the same ebullient person who asks questions and is eager to get answers right…

That gives every teacher something to work with.  Teacher 4 thinks “I need to make sure I tell X today how pleased I am with her performance in my class.”  Teacher 1 thinks “When I talk to X, I don’t have to be totally negative, I can say ‘How can we get you to succeed in my class to the same level you’re succeeding in Teacher 4’s class?'”  Etc. 

Schools are still set up to “deliver instruction” to groups of kids. Factory Model.

In high-poverty schools they also tend to also have “scraps and pieces” of individual student support — i.e., teachers are “sort of” expected to deliver high dosage of help in various ways.  But the details are never really spelled out clearly.  It’s sort of Factory Model Plus. 

Sometimes you end up with the worst of all worlds, where some teachers toil at a kid-by-kid approach, others don’t bother, and there is little payoff because there isn’t enough teamwork. 

It’s easier (not easy, easier) to coordinate teacher support of individual kids in small schools. 

Please share widely!

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