Another MKO in Sight

[Chisom Oguh]

When I was younger, I was that kid who was excited to go to school. Not only did I learn fun and interesting things, but I also got to interact with so many different people. In 12th grade, I took my first AP math class, AP Calculus AB. Not only was I nervous about the course material, Mr. Gilson, the teacher, but also seemed super tough. As the semester progressed, it turned out that he was a great teacher who cared about his students and spent time outside of class to support them. Because of this, during his classes, I was in my ZPD. I would ask questions about derivatives and I would write down notes about differentiation. He had taught me so well that I got a 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam. This was the first and only time that I ever got a 5 on an AP exam. I remember going to his class during lunch just to hang out with him along with getting some more assistance with my homework. By establishing a connection with me, Mr. Gilson was able to teach me successfully in my ZPD.

An example of scaffolding that I experienced in Ms. Hebs class was when the students were working on the worksheet that she’d given them. During 2nd hour, Ms. Gannon (hereinafter Ms. Janet) is present in the classroom. Ms. Janet is an educational assistant who works with different teachers in their classrooms at the middle school. She sits in on their classes and helps the teacher assist and manage the students. Ms. Janet, Ms. Hebs, and I are the MKOs in the classroom. Yes, there are students that may know how to solve the problems well and could help their classmates, but the three of us are “definite” sources of knowledge (if that makes sense). When a student raises their hand, they have three capable adults who will assist them with their assignment. I personally guided some students through their math problems, asking them to rethink their answers and vocalize their thought processes. That way, I can see where they went wrong and show them the correct way to solve the problem. (Or they would realize their mistake and go “Oohhh” in realization)

The classroom is a space where one teacher is expected to be able to control a “hoard” of students. There is simply no way one teacher can assist all of the students equally. With me being in the classroom, Ms. Hebs has an extra hand to help her in assisting her students. They don’t have to wait a long time in order to get help because another MKO is there to help them. Will I be able to see the extent of my presence in the classroom? Only time will tell. I hope that as the students get more comfortable with asking me for help, they will feel more confident in themselves asking the question. Ms. Hebs always says “Please ask questions. If you don’t ask them, you will continue to get the problems wrong.” Hopefully, with time, her students will engage more in class and ask more questions.

Now that I have attended a “typical” class, I know the structure of Ms. Hebs’ class: go over the warm-up, go over the homework, teach a lesson (if there is one), then work on a worksheet. The last part is where I walk around and look at the students as they are working. Even though I have only been to the school three times, I can tell which ones are the quiet students and which ones are the rowdy ones. With rowdy students, it’s hard to tell how well they understand the material because they don’t even finish the worksheet before the end of class like some of the other students. Another thing that I have noticed is that when the students work on the worksheet, some congregate with their friends. Not only does this entail a lot of talking and playing, but also copying from each other. How do they expect to learn the material properly when they don’t take the time to solve it themselves?

[Thomas White]

Hey Chisom,

I feel the same way about hoping that students will get more comfortable over time asking for help. It’s a strange feeling to know you could be a great resource for a student only if they wanted help (or, maybe, took the risk to be vulnerable and ask for help). Developing strong relationships with your students is a part of teaching I feel is sometimes overlooked, and one I hope to explore more in this class.

I’m also curious about the dynamic of rowdy and quiet kids in the class. What is your role when students misbehave in the classroom? How do you expect to interact with a student who struggles to pay attention to anything going on in class? I’m starting to consider these same questions throughout my time at Northfield High School. I wish you the best in the coming weeks!

[Author]

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