What Are They Thinking?
Thinking about my unit, I wanted to ask students in the first grade questions that would help me understand what they know about the word leader, who they know already that they would consider a great leader, and specifically, what they know about Martin Luther King Jr. I recorded students’ answers to my questions and purposefully chose students of different genders, ethnicities, and readiness levels. I interviewed students who were male and female, who were White, African American, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern, and who were either below, at, or above grade level. I chose to interview a variety of students so that I could get a more holistic view of what the students in the class already know so that I might be able to better plan a unit that is developmentally appropriate, has the necessary differentiation embedded within it, and uses the funds of knowledge that students already bring to the table.
The overall evaluation of students thinking is that they have a very narrow-focused and self-centered view when it comes to thinking about leaders. Almost every student thought about the word leader in relation to their own life and their own experiences. Their idea of what a leader was, while self-centric, was correct. Answers ranged from a captain in the army, a Queen, a Girl Scout leader, a line leader, and a coach. All of these were very specific examples of a leader, but it seemed like students thought that these were the only examples of leaders. When students told me what they thought of when they heard the word leader, I encouraged them to give me more than one example. Every student stopped after just giving me one, saying that they didn’t know anything else.
There were quite a few things that surprised me throughout my student interviews. First off, I was surprised that when I asked the question “Have you learned about any great leaders,” every student answered no. I then asked if they know any great leaders, which resulted in many responses that were specific to their individual lives. I was surprised that they were not able to identify any great leaders that they have learned about since at this point in 1st grade, they have learned about people like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Christopher Columbus, and Martin Luther King Jr. It made me think that perhaps the word leader has not been associated with these individuals. It also made me realize that while the students seemed to understand some of the characteristics of a great leader, they were not able to think about how those characteristics are represented in individuals they have learned about in school so far. I was also quite surprised at the little knowledge students had about Martin Luther King Jr. Half of the student I interviewed didn’t know who he was at all, and the other half said that they remember his name but can’t remember who he is.
Completing student interviews before planning my unit has completely reshaped my ideas for how I planned on teaching the content. I realize that the first graders know a lot less than I had originally anticipated, which means that we will need to start with basic concepts and definitions first. I also realize that I will need to help students discover and understand the different characteristics that leaders can have. By helping them understand these characteristics, then they might be able to look at different leaders outside of their own lives. Right now their view of leaders is very self-centered, where my focus needs to be on helping them see leaders in a more holistic, worldly view. I also realize that when teaching about Martin Luther King Jr., I need to start with the basic information about him and build from there. I also learned during these student interviews that some students have a better understanding about the concepts discussed than others. Also, some students are bringing different background information about leaders that I can use to help shape and reinforce my teaching. By using this information, I can plan the necessary differentiation within each lesson to ensure that every student has equal opportunity to succeed!
The overall evaluation of students thinking is that they have a very narrow-focused and self-centered view when it comes to thinking about leaders. Almost every student thought about the word leader in relation to their own life and their own experiences. Their idea of what a leader was, while self-centric, was correct. Answers ranged from a captain in the army, a Queen, a Girl Scout leader, a line leader, and a coach. All of these were very specific examples of a leader, but it seemed like students thought that these were the only examples of leaders. When students told me what they thought of when they heard the word leader, I encouraged them to give me more than one example. Every student stopped after just giving me one, saying that they didn’t know anything else.
There were quite a few things that surprised me throughout my student interviews. First off, I was surprised that when I asked the question “Have you learned about any great leaders,” every student answered no. I then asked if they know any great leaders, which resulted in many responses that were specific to their individual lives. I was surprised that they were not able to identify any great leaders that they have learned about since at this point in 1st grade, they have learned about people like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Christopher Columbus, and Martin Luther King Jr. It made me think that perhaps the word leader has not been associated with these individuals. It also made me realize that while the students seemed to understand some of the characteristics of a great leader, they were not able to think about how those characteristics are represented in individuals they have learned about in school so far. I was also quite surprised at the little knowledge students had about Martin Luther King Jr. Half of the student I interviewed didn’t know who he was at all, and the other half said that they remember his name but can’t remember who he is.
Completing student interviews before planning my unit has completely reshaped my ideas for how I planned on teaching the content. I realize that the first graders know a lot less than I had originally anticipated, which means that we will need to start with basic concepts and definitions first. I also realize that I will need to help students discover and understand the different characteristics that leaders can have. By helping them understand these characteristics, then they might be able to look at different leaders outside of their own lives. Right now their view of leaders is very self-centered, where my focus needs to be on helping them see leaders in a more holistic, worldly view. I also realize that when teaching about Martin Luther King Jr., I need to start with the basic information about him and build from there. I also learned during these student interviews that some students have a better understanding about the concepts discussed than others. Also, some students are bringing different background information about leaders that I can use to help shape and reinforce my teaching. By using this information, I can plan the necessary differentiation within each lesson to ensure that every student has equal opportunity to succeed!