I agree with
herappleness's answer which includes almost everything needed. The addition I would make is the
teacher and the student's belief. I had many of the most difficult students who came into my
class defeated and defiant because they truly believed that they could not be successful. The
key to turning around schools is that teachers believe in ALL kids, and teaching every child
that they can experience success if they start where they are and build on what they already
know no matter how little that is. Students were never allowed to not try, but the assignments
may have been only three sentences. When they or parents asked me why, I explained that I could
tell if they understood the concept in three sentences and why practice something incorrectly?
Students learned that they received credit even if the work was incorrect, so long as they
corrected it in their small group and made sure they understood. When we looked at paragraphs,
several were put on the overhead and students looked for what the writer had done CORRECTLY.
Then suggestions were made for improvement. My students soon learned to always try, that they
too could be successful as they had also done something correctly on the paragraph, and then I
could turn them loose more often to look at each other's work. They were overheard in the
lunchroom talking about which answer or paragraph they liked best!
The
difference was in their belief. They believed that they could, they always tried no matter
what, and success was measured by what they learned and how they improved. I still believe that
my students' high scores on state tests were because they believed in their own ability to
improve and were determined to show that on state tests. They didn't opt out for the year, even
if they opted out once in a while like every student. This is why I am so sad that veteran
teachers are leaving teaching in droves, because now who will mentor the young teachers in how
to get students to be successful?
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