Meaningful Collaboration

One thing is always in my mind: "The effective teaching and learning" for all students from struggling ones to advanced ones. 

Many schools have the Learning Assistant Program (LAP) model to support struggling students with data and Response to Intervention (RTI), which has been helpful in small group settings.  In my previous experiences, LAP teachers use their own curriculum to support academic skills that students are lacking.  It is a temporary bandage fix.  Why?  Because the classroom teachers and LAP teachers don't have enough time to collaborate.  Classroom teachers do not necessarily know much about the LAP curriculum.  The initial data is used for screening purposes, which is reasonable, but we don't know which instruction, instructional strategies, and curriculum will impact their progress without the collaborative team time.

Since the introduction of Flipped Classroom a few years ago, several ambitious educators have tried using their unique teaching approaches and have had successful results.  In the flipped classroom, students preview the teacher's pre-made video, or trusted resources such as Khan Academy, at home prior to the lesson.  During the actual lesson, students have opportunities to discuss their learning and questions from the video.  Based on their mastering level, a teacher can differentiate lessons based on the students' needs.

My idea of a flipped classroom doesn't have to have videos.  However, it needs team time between classroom teachers and LAP teachers.  Instead of using LAP time as "catching up" on lacked skills or a double dose, use it as the "Pre-Learning" of a new concept.  If a LAP teacher pre-teaches new skills to students in a small group prior to their homeroom class, these struggling learners will feel more confident from the start.  Prior knowledge is that powerful.  Unlike the "Double Dose" model, students don't have to be bored when a new skill is introduced.  They have to be active from the beginning because the skill is introduced in a small group first. 

To make this possible, a weekly collaborative planning will take a significant role.  Both classroom teachers and LAP teachers must be on the same page on regards to what academic skills will be taught in each week.  There are some online planning programs that numerous teachers can share.  Tools like those that enable the collaborative planning  of many without daily face to face meetings. 

As you can see, the effective teaching and learning for all students is dependent on teacher's effective collaboration.  Rather than chatting or complaining among teachers, we have to clarify teaching purposes and make plans during the meaningful conversation.

Awareness

Speaking of diversity, one teacher mentioned that there was no diversity among kids.  As teachers, all kids are equally important.  I agreed.  Another teacher mentioned that some kids have special needs.  That's diversity.  Teachers have to be sensitive towards individual students' needs.  I agreed.  Here was another one: A certain ethnic group of kids have typical similarities in their behaviors.  Perhaps, family values take a large part of our cultural representation as well as when we speak about diversity.  It sounded like participants enjoy sharing their diverse ideas of their own.  Diversity can be categorized as large as ethnic groups, yet as small as wearing glasses or not.  But why is diversity in education so important in our society?

I grew up in Japan not knowing much of ethnic diversity nor of any other kind.  Students had been discouraged to look different.  If you extend the length of your uniform skirt, you would be punished in the behavior room.  If your hair was touching your shoulder, you would be asked to braid or cut it.  It was not so fun to be controlled by someone, but I didn't necessarily question it. I cynically admitted that this whole nation preferred not to have diversity; they were comfortable enough to simply be, act, and think the same way, rather than looking for their identity.

When we talk about serious bully cases among Japanese youngsters, I think of the country's historical background.  They can't discriminate against any color of skin, but there are always reasons to put down from a bully's perspective.  In Japanese history class, I learned about Shogun's hierarchy system based on their business.  Samurais, Farmers, Technicians, then Merchants are in the order.  The government put farmers in the second hierarchy because the high rank would compromise their hardest physical work, which was not a successful tactic.  It was clear that the farmer's sacrifice-their hard work, yet lowest pay among others-was not only putting them down in society then, but still continues to affect people's view of farmers.  Some people really want to feel superior by putting other people down for any reasons, even if these reasons are apparently not reasonable at all.  It is a complete and unfortunate lack of cultural and self-awareness education.

Linda Sue Park's amazing juvenile novel, When My Name was Keoko opened my eyes on how to look at my own culture as well as different cultures.  I wish I could have read this book when I was in Japan.  I believe all Japanese youngsters must read and learn of perspectives that are different than those written by Japanese authors. I never knew how the Japanese military and government treated Koreans during my formal schooling in Japan.  Yes, Japan was the victim of the atomic bomb, which is a significant historical fact, but they also to add that their invasion impacted people's lives in several Asian countries, because these two pieces of evidence are the reasons Japan will never participate in the war.  During World War II, Germany, Italy, and Japan bullied other countries.  The Japanese, Korean, and Chinese all look the same, but cruelty against different ethnic groups sadly escalated during that terrible time.  If the world doesn't want to repeat that terrible experience again, we have to promote more education about self-awareness and cultural-awareness.

First, you must know who you are and where your family value is coming from.  Respect elders, but know that you don't have to sacrifice your wishes because of it.  Respect your own just because you are as important as other individuals.  If you know yourself, you will become resilient no matter how much pressure you receive from fellow peers.  You must represent yourself.  There should be plenty of opportunities to explore what you are good at, with these opportunities appearing as early as in your primary school age.  There should be many discussion opportunities to exchange your opinions over social issues with your peers and appropriate teachers' guidance.

Then, you will grow room for others in your mind setting.  By learning their cultures, values, and history, you can find several alternatives to cope with their differences.  That is the true 21st century international citizen.  Diversity can be the strongest tool for our society.  From the personal level to the large ethnic level, open your mind to learn each other.  True 21st century citizens don't blame on or make excuses because of diversity.  True 21st century citizens have the ability to solve problems by their own contribution and knowledge of diversity.