Hearts and Minds: Classroom relationships and learning interact.
I Introduction
In Hearts and Minds: Classroom relationships and learning interact, Steven Wolk stresses the importance of building strong relationships with students to develop effective classroom management. Wolk discusses the concept of a democratic classroom that uses engaged learning and caring teacher-student relationships as a foundation. In a democratic classroom, classroom management is not separate from teaching. “ [T]eacher-student relationships, classroom management, and how and what we teach - are as interwoven and interdependent as a double-helix strand of DNA. Together they create caring classrooms with shared intellectual purpose.” (Wolk, 2003, p. 2)
II Article Summary
Steven Wolk asserts that there is a strong connection between caring and trusting relationships with students, classroom management, and the learning that takes place in the classroom. These elements are best observed in a democratic classroom. Choice, discourse, social responsibility, community, critical inquiry, authentic learning, and teaching a relevant and creative curriculum are the underlying principles of a democratic classroom. (Wolk, 2003).
Classroom community is the core of a democratic classroom. Wolk asserts four activities that help create a community: Discussion and debate, drama and role playing, playing games, and class murals and collages. Discussion and debates challenge students to discuss important or controversial issues, inform students that their opinions matter and demonstrate that the teacher trusts students to take issues seriously. Drama and role playing bring students together by having them work towards a common purpose. Playing games is a fun way to further develop good relationships. Students will also gain ownership and responsibility for their classroom by creating class murals and collages. This will make the classroom community come alive. (Wolk, 2003)
Classroom communities can become a vital part of learning, just as getting to know your students will help develop healthy relationships. Wolk discusses four approaches for teachers to get to know their students: Writing autobiographies, creating pictures books, one-on-one talk, and photography. Autobiographies demonstrate that the classroom’s primary focus is not textbooks or tests, but rather the students. Creating picture books can be a different form of autobiography and publishing the students writing in a classroom magazine shows that the teacher cares about the students’ work. One-on-one talk is a good way for students and teachers to have non-school related discussions. Photography can also be used to bring the students outside interests into the classroom and build classroom community. (Wolk, 2003)
Using an inquiry-based curriculum will further develop good relationships with students. Wolk encourages teachers to connect the curriculum to students’ lives and the world today and to teach a culturally relevant curriculum. He also suggests using a constructivist and generative curriculum that will take the focus off memorization of knowledge and put the focus on the creation of knowledge. (Wolk, 2003)
III My Commentary on the Article
I feel, Hearts and Minds: Classroom relationships and learning interact, discusses many approaches to classroom management, without having to “manage” a classroom. Steven Wolk’s democratic classroom really focuses on building relationships with the students, which facilitates learning by providing a safe and caring environment for the students. I believe building relationships with students is a key factor in effective classroom management, which allows teachers and students to perform to the best of their abilities.
When incorporating a democratic environment into my classroom, I will be faced with many challenges, however, I will also be catering to some of my strengths. In the article, Whose Classroom is This, Anyway?, author Bijal Damani, says the first step to achieving democracy is letting go of the authoritarian role (Damani, 2010). Growing up, I was surrounded by the authoritarian character, whether it was in school, at home, or during my extra-curricular activities. It is a role I now feel comfortable in, therefore, withdrawing from that role will be a challenge I will face as a teacher when creating a democratic classroom. That being said, Wolk puts a large emphasis on getting to know your students, which I believe is one of my strengths as a teacher.
In my opinion, getting to know your students is one of the most important roles of a teacher. I think teachers need to create safe, caring environments for students. In order to satisfy a student’s needs, a teacher has to know his or her students. Having a healthy relationship with the students, also allows the teacher to be more supportive and to be a positive figure in the students lives. However, a teacher should not be a students friend. In How to be an Effective Teacher: the First Days of School, Wong and Wong state, “Be friendly, caring, loving, and sensitive, but do not be their friend. They have enough on their hands with their own friends” (Wong & Wong, 2005, p. 6). The activities Wolk presents, are effective ways to get to know your students. A teacher may have to be careful with one-on-one talks with students. However, writing autobiographies and creating classroom picture books are great activities that teachers can use to get to know their students, without giving the impression of wanting to be friends with the students.
The first days of school will be a teacher’s first opportunity to build relationships with students and create a classroom community. Wong and Wong assert, “The first days of school can make or break you. Based on what a teacher does or does not do, a teacher will either have or not have an effective classroom for the rest of the year” (Wong & Wong, 2005, p. 3). This is a very scary statement for a new teacher. Nevertheless, I feel that by using Wolk’s approaches for building a classroom community, any teacher can set themselves up for a successful year. Creating murals for the classroom, discussing classroom rules and values, and playing games in the first days of school will build a strong community in the classroom and will prepare to students for learning in the days to come.
IV Conclusion
So what is the point of spending time and energy to build a democratic classroom? In my opinion, that’s easy. Teachers put in the time and effort in order to have effective classroom management. Without classroom management, student learning cannot take place (Wong & Wong, 2005). If student learning does not occur, than a teacher really is just a baby-sitter. Hearts and Minds: Classroom relationships and learning interact, provides teachers with numerous ways to manage the classroom, without “managing the classroom.” Building relationships with students, creating a classroom community, and using an inquiry-based curriculum, produces an effective teacher and a democratic environment for students to learn.
References
Damani, B. (2010). Whose Classroom Is This, Anyway?. Educational Learning, 52(8). http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/aug10/vol52/num08/Whose-Classroom-Is-This,-Anyway¢.aspx
Wolk, S. (2003). Hearts and Minds: Classroom relationships and learning interact. Educational Learning, 61(1). http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept03/vol61/num01/Hearts-and-Minds.aspx
Wong, H., & Wong, R. (2005). How to be an effective teacher, the first days of school. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.
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