Setting the Stage

Have you ever walked into a learning environment and just knew that it was going to be a positive experience?  Likewise, have you walked into a learning environment and thought it was going to be the longest few hours of your life?  How the educator sets the stage for learning creates either a positive or negative (perhaps at times neutral) environment for the learner.  Norris provides several relevant and effective ideas to create a positive environment such as having round tables so that learners can see each other, playing music, providing name tags, providing a welcome sign and having table decor available. 

One thing that Norris mentioned that is kind of taboo is welcoming latecomers.  I have been to many formal and informal learning environments, conferences, meetings, etc. where if someone late comes in the person speaking or presenting may let out a loud sigh or huff or participants give eye daggered looks.  Norris states that by welcoming latecomers it sets a stage for learner safety.  In essence it creates an environment where people feel safe and welcomed.  This (feeling of safety) inevitably will transfer into other areas of learning.

"Remember, when you ask open questions, your learners don't have to seek and find your answer - they find their own" (Norris, 2003, p. 20).  How many times in school (K-12 and undergrad) has your instructor encouraged you to find your own answer?  Often, there is a right or wrong answer and the instructor is looking for you to give it to them.  I have even said in class something along the lines of, "you're on the right track, but that's not exactly what I was looking for."  Norris states that these kind of statements make learning about the instructor and less about the learner.  We should be encouraging students to create their own learning experiences instead of searching for our answers.  I have to say that this concept will be very difficult for me to incorporate because I see things as being very black and white, so to me there are right and wrong answers.  There are areas for gray and I'm hoping to find more of them.

New Learnings

The first two chapters of the book, From Telling to Teaching, have been very interesting as it puts on paper things teachers should know, and do know but don't always do - at least not consistently.  When reading it, there were things that I have done, others that I have not and others that I did once but should have maintained. 

The Dialogue Approach
Norris speaks about how in essence people communicate with others the way they want to be communicated with.  In terms of teachers, they teach the way they like to be taught.  As a therapist, this made me think about communication with couples.  A wife communicates with her husband the way that she wants to be communicated with and vise versa.  My husband repeats things to me constantly because he needs repetition.  I say something once, expect that you heard and listened and it need not be repeated again.  Just like in marriage, we cannot always communicate with others the way we prefer communication to occur.  We have to make that shift.  If we as educators know that discussion and small group work is what is most effective, we need to incorporate that even if it is not our preference.  Small group and discussion lead to more of a dialogue than lectures (which is how I love to learn and love to teach). 

Personally, it will be a real paradigm shift for me to incorporate more activity into my teaching.  I am very guilty of teaching how I like to learn.  As many of you know, I am earning a Linguistically Diverse Educator certificate through Regis University concurrently with the CSU classes and this semester (Sat. classes - yuck!) have been devoted to learning through sheltered instruction - small group discussions, lot of scaffolding, visual supports, etc.  I have to tell you, it is a lot more work on the part of the educator and requires ulitmate engagement from the student. 

First book entry

I am reading From Telling to Teaching by Joye Norris, PhD and are currently enjoying the book.  Currently, I work in Aurora Public Schools as a School Social Worker and work with students, parents and teachers providing direct service/support and consultative training services.  I am fortunate to have a lot of autonomy in my job and have incorporated more parental training into my position.  While earning this degree from CSU, I am concurrently earning a Linguistically Diverse Educator certificate from Regis University.  Recently, there has been some overlap in regards to teaching and instructing adult learners and adult learners who have English as a second language.  Regarding the book, Norris provides some accurate, timely and useful information.  The tools and resources are relevant and easily implemented.  I am excited about this book and the helpful information that will be obtained from it.