Natalie Belli on Modeling
Cultural Forces invoke engagement, implementation of thinking routines, modeling, the ability to be open, and the understanding that failure is a part of the learning process. These are the types of experiences I feel lack in many traditional classroom settings, especially those I had been exposed to growing up. Cultural forces that allow time for thinking, provide purposeful experiences, scaffold student thinking, make thinking visible, conveying clear expectations, and show respect and value for one another’s contributions can make or break how successful a student can be. These notions have stuck with me. They are notions I feel I somehow knew we needed before being formally introduced to them, but now I can make clear connections with. Having a clearer understanding of such notions has helped, will continue to help me and those that apply them. Their application will help us become better educators and students. Just recently I decided to test some of these ideas during a presentation by invoking engagement, allowing myself to not be perfect, and asking for feedback in order to improve. If cultural forces can be implemented during a 15-minute presentation as a student, they can surly be implemented year long as an educator.