In NZ behaviour varies from class to class, school to school and from year to year, changing in either direction seemingly without regular pattern. An objective measure of "behaviour" would be extremely difficult to quantify. With that caveat, I find that as my experience as a teacher increases (I have been teaching only 32 years, so I'm still learning), so the behaviour of students in my classes seems to me to be improving. One thing I (now) do at the end of every class is to survey two students chosen relatively randomly and ask: Did you learn something? And did you enjoy something? If I score three or four "yes" answers I call that a "win" and think I am roughly on the right track.
Susie - 10 years ago
Middle level learners are a unique group and standards for behavior have not grown into the 21st century expectations for this generation of students. It is hard to teach collaboration, exploration, and independent learning skills if students are expected to sit, raise hands, and assess independent skills constantly. We recently hired teachers that use standard based teaching and students rebelled because they are programed to not think and base knowledge on a grade. Disappointing.
In NZ behaviour varies from class to class, school to school and from year to year, changing in either direction seemingly without regular pattern. An objective measure of "behaviour" would be extremely difficult to quantify. With that caveat, I find that as my experience as a teacher increases (I have been teaching only 32 years, so I'm still learning), so the behaviour of students in my classes seems to me to be improving. One thing I (now) do at the end of every class is to survey two students chosen relatively randomly and ask: Did you learn something? And did you enjoy something? If I score three or four "yes" answers I call that a "win" and think I am roughly on the right track.
Middle level learners are a unique group and standards for behavior have not grown into the 21st century expectations for this generation of students. It is hard to teach collaboration, exploration, and independent learning skills if students are expected to sit, raise hands, and assess independent skills constantly. We recently hired teachers that use standard based teaching and students rebelled because they are programed to not think and base knowledge on a grade. Disappointing.