apsies

Researcher Mary Ellen Vogt (1989, 2000) examined how students perceived as either high or low achievers by their teachers were treated in class and came to some startling conclusions. In classrooms where students were perceived as high performers, Vogt found that teachers

• Talked less and encouraged more interactions among students,
• Allowed for more creative and generative approaches to learning,
• Offered opportunities for independent work,
• Had warmer and more personal relationships with students, and
• Spent little time on behavior or classroom management issues.

On the other hand, teachers working with perceived low performers

• Prepared more structured lessons,
• Allowed fewer opportunities for student creativity,
• Covered less content,
• Rewarded students for “trying hard” rather than for “good thinking,”
• Spent a significant amount of time on behavior and management issues, and
• Had less congenial relationships with students due to their heavy emphasis on discipline.

(via The Struggling Reader)

Dear self,

Less yelling and being annoyed with the discipline issues in your seminar class. More creativity, better planning, and a renewed focus on fostering personal relationships with those kids, please.