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This week I noticed that Isaiah was having a harder time than usual paying attention and staying involved with his classmates and their activity. The subject in question was lashing two pencils together using a near knot called a clove hitch. I’ve included a step by step picture to help communicate the idea, but essentially its knot tying.
I think Isaiah had a hard time focusing on the activity because it required sitting still and using your fingers, not your entire body. I tried several times to talk to him about it, but he was very steadfast, saying that he did not want my help because he “didn’t care that he couldn’t do it” and that the activity was “boring.” It made my heart melt to hear him say those things, because he seemed to actually care very much about not knowing the skill, and I would guess he was embarrassed by his inability to complete a task that some of his peers handled with ease.
This experience made me wonder how Isaiah feels in class and whether his identity as the single Black child in the Herons has at all impacted his attitudes and the effort he puts into class time activities. While in some ways I think that Forest School at Prairie Creek can often surpass issues of diversity in the classroom, it can also ostracize those students that might already feel far away from their peers. Nature might be universal, but I have observed that some topics that require specific skills like manual dexterity can sometimes fly over the heads of certain students. Going back to Isaiah, I can see how he might feel frustrated by and uninterested in tying knots; the skill is less physical and not visibly related to sports, which is Isaiah’s main interest, based on the number of jerseys, hats and sweatshirts he owns with a team logo on them. Creating a fire, on the other hand, has more motivation for Isaiah because of his love for eating, and he often brings in his own treats to cook and enjoy for himself.
I think Isaiah would be more motivated to learn some of the less interesting skills if there were teachers or adults that looked like him. While Michelle is wonderful, her attention tends to be focused on the kids that are most excited and asking for her help, and this can leave the opportunity for Isaiah to wonder off. Even when a new adult showed up to teach the class about nettle rope, he was also white, and Isaiah also struggled with that activity.
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This is a very thoughtful insight to your student, Isaiah. While our age groups are quite different (I tutor 9th graders), I have noticed a similar pattern in one of my students as well. He immediately dismisses any classwork because he is unsure of his own academic abilities. Similar to Isaiah, he tries to play it off, but I can see when working with him individually that he does not feel capable enough to complete the tasks. I am glad that Prairie Creek offers some activities that Isaiah likes, such as fire building, because I cannot say the same for my student at the high school. As great as Prairie Creek is, I think your commentary on the white instructors is really interesting. As a student, it’s incredibly important to have a role model who looks like you. While Michelle may not be that herself for Isaiah, there could be other adults introduced into the classroom to fulfill that role. I wonder how Isaiah’s attitude would change in the presence of someone who looks like him, whether it be a teacher or a peer.
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