Summary
By examining a wide range of classrooms
transcripts of multiple math teachers from Grade 11 during the 2005-2006 school
year, the word just ranked 27th of
the most common word used, ‘which is 9 times more common that multiply, 4 times
more common than why, twice as common as because’ (p. 2). It is astonishing
that when taking the students’ perspectives
seriously, the word ‘just’ is found to suppress or invite conversation, and
affect students’ positioning in their classroom discourse. The diverse usage and
strong social expectation of the word just
were listed and discussed in the paper, including the restrictive nature of
closing conversation and suppressing involvement, the difficulty to paraphrase and replace, and the refusal feeling to give
explanation etc.
Stop
1: Interpersonal
Dynamics in Mathematics Classrooms
When justifying the serious
consideration of the word just, and
step back to give a sense of how students may feel about the word, I aware of its
impact on interpersonal dynamics and classroom climate in
mathematics classrooms. Teachers should re-evaluate students’ positioning in conversation,
sometimes students mull
over the pain the word could cause.
Students’ concern for
implications of simplicity relates to their sense of identity and their
feelings about mathematics (and teachers I guess). In one of the articles I
recently read on classroom engagement, positive pedagogical relationships
between teachers and students must be developed as a foundation for sustained
engagement.
Question1: Thus, my question is, if the characteristics
of instructors, pedagogy they adopt, and interpersonal dynamics play such important
roles in learning efficiency, would you recommend students at all age group
register class and choose instructors as they prefer, (similar mode as college
students), in order to increase autonomy and interest in learning?
Stop 2: Shade of Meaning and Discussion
on Just
It
is true that students may read greater exasperation than the teacher intended.
Students also tend to read suppression and invitation behind the dialogue and associated
their math learning experience. Although these references are often ambiguous. To
distinguish among these levels of frustration, or general conversational practice,
students usually rely on other paralinguistic cues.
For
example, in some cases, the word just
carries a feeling of “do it without asking why”, the simplicity- suggesting
form discourages reflection and personal agency. The conversation and teaching are
very likely to stop there for any further discussion, and directs students to
follow only authorized paths. Furthermore, there is a reciprocal relationship of
communication that, teachers mirror the student’s use of the vocabularies,
student language choices are also socialized by their teachers’ constructions.
Question 2: Do you agree with that, it was acceptable for students to use the word, but
problematic when teachers did because this usage positions that students as
relatively powerless? Are there any words you avoid saying? (in my classroom,
I avoid saying all, must, just, like, just like…etc.)
Stop 3: Exclusive and Inclusive words
p7
The
exclusive verbs (e.g., write, calculate, copy), describes independent actions, while
inclusive verbs (e.g., describe, explain, prove), includes action that requires
dialogue. The exclusive and inclusive distinction tracks interpersonal roles
more explicitly. The use of verb influences the way people think and respond to
one another.
Questions 3: Are there any exclusive or inclusive words that you can think of and apply in your teaching?
Reference:
Wagner, D., & Herbel-Eisenmann, B. (2007). “Just don’t”: The suppression and invitation of dialogue in the mathematics classroom. Educational Studies In Mathematics, 67(2), 143-157. doi: 10.1007/s10649-007-9097-x
1. I wonder how that would look like in an elementary school setting if students were given the autonomy to choose their own teachers and classes. During class placements we consider different teacher's teaching style and pedagogy to find the best fit classroom for the students. This helps promote the development of student-teacher relationships which supports the social emotional aspect of the child, a critical component in a child's success. Relationships matter!
回复删除2. I find this point very interesting. I am now wondering how often I use the word "just" in my teaching. We avoid words/phrases/questions such as "I hate...", "this is easy/hard" and "am I the best at...?". We talk about how these words/phrases/questions act as a needle that bursts our thinking cloud and puts a lock on our brain (fixed mindset). I encourage words/phrases/questions such as "I need a new strategy", "I need to change my learning environment". These words/phrases/questions helps build our thinking cloud and help our brains grow (growth mindset).
3. I use a lot of describe, explain, and show in my teaching instructions. Recently I have been using "What do you notice?" and "What do you wonder?" across the curriculum and I have been finding that these questions have sparked a lot of conversation. Students are also making connections across curricular areas as well as making connections to help them understand math concepts (eg. place value and addition).
I think it would be helpful for students to experience different teaching styles from different instructors rather than always having the same instructors. This would give them the opportunity to see how they learn best. It is important for teachers and students to have a positive pedagogical relationship. Perhaps teachers need to pay attention to the words they use, especially words that might have multiple interpretations. I think listening to students’ responses and feedback would help create a positive learning environment.
回复删除I think the use of the word ‘just’ by students could also lead to different interpretations by teachers. Perhaps using clarification questions to ask students what they mean by ‘just’ could help them better explain their thinking. I try to avoid words that communicate absoluteness such as always and never when explaining concepts.
When I think about the verbs that I use in my teaching, I find that I use mostly inclusive verbs in phrases such as explain your reasoning and show your thinking. I have been focusing on students’ understanding by encouraging them to discuss their process. The use of inclusive verbs would invite students to have conversations about their mathematical thinking rather than focusing on finding an answer.