Listen to Robert Bailey as he meets with Moss, a student from North Dakota who discusses their experience in school.
(0:54) What’s school like?
Robert opens up by asking Moss what school is like for them. They explain that school is interesting with a lot of great courses and teachers to experience. They also have many options when it comes to courses such as music or math classes. Moss’ school has counselors that help students decide which classes to take and the path forward. For example, because Moss took algebra in eighth grade, they had a set track for all of the math courses to take going forward that set them up for success.
(1:55) How teachers improve the learning experience for students like Moss
On the math side, Moss had an amazing geometry teacher who was patient and helpful. Moss felt like they could ask her anything and the teacher would take the time to run through every question without judgment. Many students might shy away from asking questions in class. So educators need to establish a safe environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes. This type of environment helps learners build confidence both in the classroom and for the rest of their lives.
(2:46) Negative experiences with teachers
On the other hand, Moss did have a teacher they were afraid to interact with. They note that most students in their class also didn’t want to talk to or ask the teacher questions, so they banded together to support one another.
(3:41) Great teachers can make all the difference
Moss talks about their band and choir teachers and their impact on their lives. They go on to share that these teachers feel almost like second parents. The teachers notice when Moss is feeling down or needs to take a break. They note how caring the teachers are and how much they care about each and every student. Moss goes on to say, “It’s an amazing thing that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.”
Research by the Search Institute has found that young people who experience strong developmental relationships across different parts of their lives are more likely to show signs of positive development in many areas, including:
- Increased academic motivation;Increased social-emotional growth and learning;Increased sense of personal responsibility; andReduced engagement in a variety of high-risk behaviors.
(4:43) Teacher relationships while learning at home
During Moss’ freshman year of high school, along with millions of other students around the world, experienced the difficulties that came with learning from home during the pandemic. They note that it was harder to make connections with teachers than before the pandemic. Moss also faced the disadvantage of being new to the high school and unfamiliar with the teachers. They felt that if learning at home happened now, they would be able to forge new or maintain relationships with teachers because there’s more familiarity.
(5:29) Current major frustrations as a student
For Moss, the musical season is a difficult time for them at school. They explain that teachers don’t take the busy period into consideration and how difficult it is to complete homework. Moss faced a particularly difficult situation with a teacher who dismissed athletes from deadlines while they recovered, but didn’t adjust expectations for those in the musical. They go on to explain how busy their lives are during the musical season while they’re constantly at school with little time for classwork and homework. Moss agrees with Robert that it’s a heavy burden to place on students’ shoulders– the expectation to manage it all.
(7:14) Keeping their mental health on track
Moss shares how they would take breaks to recharge and focus on their mental health. They wouldn’t always go to rehearsals. Instead, they would opt to go home, spend time with their pets, take a breather and then jump back into the daily demands of life. Moss admits that they haven’t completely gotten there yet and that it’s an ongoing process to work on their self-care.
(8:18) Teachers making the difference
Moss circles back to their math teacher and how he would work with the musical students to ensure they could succeed in the classroom and their extracurricular. He would give the students extensions and offer after-school support in person and online to help students. Moss explains that he was constantly available to support them and ready to answer questions at any time. No question felt too simple for Moss to ask.
Moss’ musical teacher also helped them and other students balance their workload. The musical teacher was also Moss’ band teacher. To help his students, he would let them work on homework during band, so that they could do well academically but also have time to dedicate to the musical. Moss also highlights that he treated all students equally. For example, he made the same allowances for the athletes as he did for the students in the musical. Moss found this amazing and noted how much it helped them and other students.
(10:08) Technology in the classroom
While some students have classes completely offline, Moss has mostly online classes. Their math course and book were both online and accessible to students. For band class, students had to be in class (for obvious reasons). Most of Moss’ teachers made learning accessible for students. Each student in Moss’ school has their own device and teachers post the class material on different platforms for students to access anytime. For example, if Moss was sick, they would call their teachers through Microsoft to listen to the lessons. While recovering from COVID-19, Moss was able to continue learning.
(11:29) Keeping students on task
Moss explains that most of the time it’s easy to tell when students are off-task. They explain that the tech department blocks most games on their Chromebooks, so it’s easier to stay on task. Most of Moss’ teachers also split their teaching. For half of the class, they would lecture about the material, and then during the other half, students had their own work time. Moss believed that this was helpful for students who were struggling to concentrate. It made the class more digestible for them.
(12:58) A message to teachers
For Moss, they believe that teachers are doing really great right now. They have noticed the immense amount of burnout that teachers are going through. Moss has witnessed firsthand the toll that burnout takes on teachers, and how bad it makes them feel. They believe that teachers should be able to take more time for themselves. As a teacher’s assistant for the band director, Moss has seen the pure exhaustion their teachers face. Moss also sees how poorly teachers are treated and believes this needs to change because they have such a huge impact on students.
Robert closes with the belief that “students need to be there for the teachers as much as teachers need to be there for the students.”
Host: Robert Bailey
Producers: Lindsay Dixon-Garcia and Joshua Rodriguez
Intro/Closing voice: Tessa Garcia
Intro/Closing music: "Wholesome" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/