In Your Face

The reason for more engagement in the classroom is a simple one, but trying to provide it is pretty difficult considering the competition. Outside of school students are offered computers, video games, ipods, movie devices that fit into one’s pocket, action, violence, sex, cell-phones, drugs, and… Hip-Hop. I’m sorry, but it is impossible to offer Shakespeare as an interesting alternative regardless of how many power point slides one makes. The competition between what the world has to offer, and what teachers need for their students to learn is a very lopsided one in favor of the former.

Many believe that without educating our youth our culture, our country, and civilization as a whole is at great risk of collapse. Yes, I hate to break it to everyone, but things as we know them today will cease to exist very quickly, and it is not because our teachers aren’t trying to educate our youth, it’s because they can’t compete.

There is a reason all of the education gurus are so vague when they tell teachers that they need to be more engaging, because they don’t know how to be engaging either and no one can blame them. To date, no one has come up with a sure fire way to engage our students with academic content, especially since “discipline” took a back seat to a “kinder and gentler nation.” There is lots of drive in the education profession to employ PowerPoint, podcast, active games, etc. But lets face it, how interesting can Shakespeare be to a child who has access to the abundance of entertaining technology available in the free world.

Technology in the classroom helps, but it is not the panacea for a struggling education system. As a matter of fact I attempt to get my students involved in things like blogs, building websites, producing video presentations, and publishing podcasts on the web, but interest wanes when they discover that the subject matter is one of academia. I’m sorry, but I’m not in business to teach kids how to produce their own hip-hop videos or dramatic recreations of what they saw on last nights TV shows. I’m in it to teach “the three Rs” or what ever you want to call it. Technology has its useful applications, but no one can totally rely on it to help them sleep at night.  

After attending countless professional development classes promising to train me how to engage my students—with little success—I have begun implementing my own engagement tactics. I employ an “in your face” teaching style where I don’t ask my students to complete the assignments, I stand over their shoulder with my grade book until they are done. I also call on students, who prefer not to be called on, redirect clowns and talkers with humiliation and humor, and I don’t ask my students to participate, I require it. So far my procedures have worked great and I have the results to prove it. But I must add that it takes a lot of energy and persistence.

One big worry that many young teachers have is that tactics like these will cause the students to hate them, and in the beginning it will. My students try to get transferred from my class during the first few weeks, and some challenge me only to pay for it later. Toward the end of the first semester their hearts yield to my unconventional ways and they value their time in my class because they realize that they are actually learning something and making good grades for their efforts. I’ve even had many admit that they look forward to coming in my class, and when I accuse some one of skipping my class, they respond, “this is the only class I want to come to.”

Why does it work? Because many of our kids, especially in our low socioeconomic environment, have never had anyone push him or her like I do. It’s not always the parent’s fault, which a lot of people point fingers at, it society’s fault. Most of our nations young people, whether low or lower middle socioeconomic class, do not have the benefit of parents’ presence when they get home from school. Most of their parents work, and some work multiple jobs to pay the bills, and give their families a slice of the American pie that has been promised them since WWII. Parents don’t always have time to instill the degree of responsibility and self-discipline that we had when we were growing up, which is another topic all together.

I don’t claim that my way is perfect. I make my share of mistakes, but I keep doing what I know is right for the majority of my kids and ignore the few who don’t find value in my work. It does take a great deal of practice, a lot of energy, and many after school hours studying my kid’s attitudes and motivations. I also watch a lot of comedians on YouTube and TeacherTube for ideas on developing a sense of humor--that’s required.  

I encourage all teachers to consider what I have written here, picture it in your mind, get a feel for what an “In your face” classroom is like. You will be amazed at the results. Good luck.