Joan Goodman's article caught my eye. Silent students...Wow! At first I thought this was going to be an article about students who followed directions and listened more than they talk. Do not get me wrong, I love to hear opinons and thoughts on many issues, but, I find a lot of kids blurt out words before a thought is formed. A little more silent listening needs to be done in classrooms before we delve into "What I think is..."
I agree with Goodman's overall theme of more student agency, actually it is one of my greatest beliefs in education. Yet, I think on some points she is a bit off. Complaining that what students say, wear and how they behave should not be guided is way off base or just unrealalistic. Apparently she does not realize that gangs exist, kids will miss treat each other on occasion and may need guidance in how they learn. I love the idea of given chilren more resonsibilities and I truly believe they can succeed with more on their plates. Yet, we need to be observant of the environment children live in and not pretend that school is a fairytale world where all have come with the ability to learn on their own.
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