The Unknown Students
How well do you know your students? How well do you know each student? Many schools use the following activity or something similar as part of professional development.
Step 1: Arrange all the students' names by either year level or in the whole school, depending on size of the school, onto a large wall.
Step 2: Give each adult a Post-It note and ask him or her to stick it next to each student he or she "knows." Knowing can include knowing what sports the students play, what their interests are, or how many brothers and sisters they have—in short, knowing each student as a person.
Step 3: Step back and look at the wall. What do you see?
What typically happens is that there is somewhat of a bell curve represented across the wall. Then there is
Step 1: Arrange all the students' names by either year level or in the whole school, depending on size of the school, onto a large wall.
Step 2: Give each adult a Post-It note and ask him or her to stick it next to each student he or she "knows." Knowing can include knowing what sports the students play, what their interests are, or how many brothers and sisters they have—in short, knowing each student as a person.
Step 3: Step back and look at the wall. What do you see?
What typically happens is that there is somewhat of a bell curve represented across the wall. Then there is