What are Darlington Teachers Reading and Thinking About?

Darlington teachers, in addition to their demanding daily work on behalf of students, also strive to stay informed about what is being thought and written about education in general. In a time when brain research is generating new information, and when cross-disciplinary study is providing us with new insights, we need to stay in tune with best thoughts and best practices.

Recently Darla Betts in the Admission Office sent me this article on the importance of struggle to learning in different cultures. When I forwarded the article to the faculty, it generated some very interesting comments. I thought it might be useful for you to sample the kind of discussion in which our faculty constantly participates. I suggest you read the article before the comments below.

Jean Bonnyman, Learning Specialist
This so fantastic! Thank you. This is one of my favorite topics and I frequently bring it up to parents and students. I’ve even been pondering a blog in this topic. There is a chapter in one of Malcolm Gladwell’s books on this – I think it was Blink – and I copied it and gave it to all the math teachers. Thanks again.

Eric Braun, French and Spanish Teacher
Thanks for sharing this interesting article. I would like to point out that Mr. Stigler generalizes about East and West. America and the rest of the world might have been more accurate. The illustration of the struggling Japanese student (not the best student) called up to solve his problem in front of the class is common practice in French schools. I suspect it is also the case in most European countries. Struggling is revered in most educational systems. The U.S. is probably an exception where self-esteem is almost a religion at the detriment of many.

The positive side of secondary U.S. schools is less regimentation, more positive thinking and less merciless competition which, in my opinion, creates a friendlier environment more conducive to cooperation and creativity. Ironically, I think the more recent obsession with testing is probably impairing that comparative advantage.

If educators and governments of the world would only open their minds to grab the best ideas coming from other countries as is common practice in multinational corporations, we would all have better schools. 

Julia Dodd, Chemistry Teacher
I do this in my classes. At Darlington, I found that students initially think that “I didn’t get that one” will excuse them from coming to the board. It doesn’t; however, they can ask someone to help them if they get stuck. After about two weeks students don't balk when called.   

I tell them that sometimes it’s more helpful to see why an answer is wrong than to only see it done correctly. It also helps everyone to see that even the brightest students sometimes make mistakes, or to see a different approach to the question.

Sarah Beaucham, 6th and 7th Grade English Teacher
Amen to both the article and Eric’s thoughts. Even though the article is not as specific as it should be, I really enjoy that it points out the stark difference in the way we view intellectual struggle in the U.S. versus Asia. I think I’ve been noticing this more lately since I’ve just returned from teaching in Asia. I’ve noticed a neediness in these kids that I didn’t see in the same age group in Korea – they are frequently very frustrated by the smallest of challenges (as are some of their parents!), and it has been difficult for me to get the message to them that a lot of what we’re doing this year in my class is a process that I hope will help them grow into strong learners. That being said, critical thinking, I think, is a problem in both cultures, even if Asian cultures are more okay with struggle in general. It's hard work, and it's not easy to assess. It’s hardly assessed at all in Asia. While it is technically assessed here on standardized tests, it’s not assessed very effectively, and what students end up needing to produce is “rote” critical thought rather than mature/maturing complex thought.

Liz Overberg, Librarian
According to the author of “Struggle Means Learning,” it's a very American tendency to group people into “smart” and “not smart.” I think that we, as teachers, can see pretty clearly that American kids catch on very quickly to which category they’ve been lumped into. The trouble with emphasizing the importance of natural-born intelligence is that it leads to a very strong self-fulfilling prophecy in kids. 

There seems to be a lot of merit in the Japanese teacher’s decision to bring the struggling student up to the board. The child’s work improved as he was obligated to work carefully, step-by-step, and look for feedback along the way. He eventually figured out how to make the cube, and watching the student’s process should have reinforced the material for the other kids.

When other students’ struggles are visible, It helps kids realize that struggling is normal, and that a lot of people fail on the first (or second, or third, or fourth) try, and it doesn't mean they aren’t smart. The key is in making sure that the success at the end of the struggle is also very visible, as it was in the case of the Japanese student. This sends the “Eastern" message” – that success is attainable through hard work. 

The message about the problem in our society is clear; however, the solution may not be. We face a three-fold challenge: 

1. To kick the habit of making external OR internal assumptions about kids’ natural intelligence. (Even if we’re not talking about it outwardly, kids are perceptive.)

2. To take the shame out of initial failure. (When did it become shameful not to be able to do something the first time around? If it takes student A one try to simplify a fraction, and it takes student B seventeen tries to simplify a fraction … at the end of the day, don't both students know how to simplify a fraction? And which one should be more proud of his work?)

3. To continuously reinforce the relationship between hard work and success. (This is the “Eastern” concept that the author describes in his article.)  

Alan Parish, Graphic Design and Journalism Teacher
I think we need to focus on strengths more than weaknesses. And understand that what we might initially perceive as weaknesses are actually leading the student with them to learn more and work harder. Those with no weaknesses (according to our testing) don’t have a “struggle,” and therefore might not be learning as much. I considered myself bright in high school, but in reality I was just great at memorization.

Rebecca Duren, Upper School Choral Director
I think it was such a great article. I actually posted it for my Concert Choir to read.

Feel free to comment below with your thoughts on this topic. I'd love to hear from you!