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Back to 9: How to Connect with Your Students.

How Did James Sturtevant Understand Unmotivated Students?

On Cult of Pedagogy, James Sturtevant says many teachers were strong students themselves, with high grades, varsity sports, or National Honor Society, so they never shared a classroom life with academically unmotivated kids. He calls that gap a worldview problem, using the German word Weltanschauung. His own advice came from a class early in his career. After hearing students describe chaotic homes, he decided their standoffishness was rational, because another adult was trying to enter their lives. From then on he relaxed, treated each interaction as an interesting game, and tried to take his ego out of it. He says the ego still returns, and he has to relearn the lesson.

Transcript

9: How to Connect with Your Students ·

The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast

More from this episode

  1. What Is the Overall Message of the Book "are You Really Connecting With Your Students"This book is focused on helping teachers connect with their students.
  2. Why Is the Acceptance of Students ImportantThis is sometimes difficult to do as acceptance and endorsement become synonymous when they are not.
  3. How Does a Teacher's Background Impact Their Ability to Relate to StudentsMany people who go into teaching were good students themselves. Thus, they may have not gotten to know others who were academically un-inclined.
  4. How Can Teachers Embrace the "class Clown" PersonalitySarcasm has to be foiled as it can be poison in a classroom.
  5. How Does James Sturtevant Say a Teacher Becomes Familiar to Students?On Cult of Pedagogy, James Sturtevant, author of You've Gotta Connect, says "get to know your students" fails when they are not ready. He reverses it.
  6. What Happens When Teachers Make Flippant Remarks?Students will often return sarcastic comments back to the teacher.

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