Reflecting on High Expectations
1. Personal experiences
In my journey as an expatriate wife, I have noticed differences in education systems as well as academic and behavioral expectations.
Transferring to Ivory Coast since 2012, I had an opportunity to work in an American international school. My first position as Kindergarten teacher for one year, and this year I landed in Visual Arts for the entire Lower School. Before this country, I lived in Russia for more than 5 years with two years teaching experience in a private American school and three year homeschooling my own child following American curriculum.
2. Findings
The world is diverse from east to west. So do academic and behavioral expectations. The difference is not only found among countries but also among families in each country. All is rooted from culture, history, tradition, customs, mentality, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
According to PISA 2012 report, the top four performance in Math, Reading, and Science were Asian countries, China, Singapore, HongKong, Taipei, Korea, and Japan.
I wish I had an opportunity to live and teach in these countries to learn more about their education systems. Vietnam, however, was ranked in the 17th. With my own experience growing and living there 30 years, I can share some insight information about high expectations in my country.
In our history, people used to obey the social ranking and order "King, Teacher, Parents". Students, in old days, were sent to live and learn with teachers in schools, the success of students was in the hand of their teachers. That's why students paid full respect and obey orders, even punishment of teachers, if they did not behave. Children have been educated that learning is the only way to success or at least to change their future. Teachers' words are blueprints, and no argument. No wonder for me to hear some children or even grown-ups say "that's what my teachers say."
This is a society in which values community, not individuality. Children at home are not allowed to speak out their opinions or confront or resist the decision of parents and teachers. As its result, many people often say "what I chose BECAUSE of my parents or my teachers advice me to do so."
This education system bases heavily on tests and exams to classify students. Students need to pass semester exams to move up, otherwise, they have to repeat class, two time repetition will be dismissed from schools. National exams apply for four levels, end of elementary to middle school, end of middle school to high school, end of high school, and college entrance. No pass, no move!
There are public and private schools, but schools are classified by students' scores. Therefore, the competition between schools is very high. Within a school, there is also a placement test at the beginning of the year to classify student levels and to group students in classes. Students will be grouped by their scores and will be taught to advance their subject strength. In one grade level, at least there is one class for high performing students. Starting from grade 10, students who get high scores in Math, Physics, and Chemistry will be in one class, while others who are good in Literature, English, and Math will be in another class. That means students know which subjects they are good at and will receive equivalent teaching and guiding to be excellent.
A school day starts from 7:30 to 12:00, and 14:00 to 17:00. Public schools do not offer many after school activities, social life, and extra curriculum. Schools open nine months continuously, except one week break for Lunar New Year and one New Year day off. Summer courses then follow, and this is time for low-performing students find tutors or teachers to fill gaps.
As its result, teachers won't have to deal with differentiation in each class but they may be more stressful to ensure the passing percentage of their students in national exams. In other words, teachers will be evaluated by data and facts and the success of students.
Asian parents hold ambitious expectations for their children. They spend time with their children, motivate and guide them in their learning, create the conditions that promote academic excellence and the acquisition of skills. Students whose parents have high expectations for them, who expect them to earn a university degree and work in a professional or managerial capacity later on, tend to have more perseverance, greater intrinsic motivation to learn mathematics, and more confidence in their own ability to solve mathematics problems than students of similar socio-economic status and academic performance.
On the other hand, American education values individuality and practice. Students are given freedom for choice. Many life skills are taught to help students make their choice and decision. In this system, students are encouraged to defend their decision and live with their decision without blaming others. Students won't repeat class even if academy is not achieved. There is no exam for students in elementary and middle school levels. Students are mixed in classes and as its result, teachers have to deal with different levels and instructional differentiation.
Summer is truly a great holiday for all, teachers and students. Except summer camps, students rarely study core subjects during this break.
3. Education systems:
The education in Vietnam is heavily competitive, text-based, and test score driven. Standardized exams and repeating class are national policy. As its result, the maximum focus for core subjects like Math, Reading, and Science for all, teachers, students, and parents. There are many open universities and colleges for those who failed in the official national entrance exams, but it is not the primary choice.
High performing students in Math, for example, will be trained intensively for national and international competitions like Olympic. In exams, students are supposed to solve many steps towards the result, there is no clue or given choices where students just pick one answer without explanation.
Classroom atmosphere is serious and tough. It is a norm that students are supposed to obey teachers' rule, argument is unacceptable. Breaking rules may result detention and dismiss.
In contrast, American education is more practice-based, project-based, connecting with life skills more than theory. Learning is not happening only in classrooms but also beyond the school, with communities, in real life. Exams provide many choices for answers, if students are not so sure, they can refer or recall knowledge from the given choices. Students only deal with exams in high school level. Learning through play and collaborative work is promoted in order to engage students and to help build life skills necessary for future life and work. The classroom atmosphere is much lively. Learning happen among students through group work and projects, not only from teachers as the system in Vietnam. As its results, coming from American education, students are much more mature, independent and decisive.
4. ICSA towards academic expectations
The school where I work with is on the move. MAP test twice per year and three times this year is used for grade 1 to 10. Test result have been shared and discussed with core subject teachers so that teachers can plan actions and differentiation to improve academic levels for different groups of students.
We also adopted Math In Focus from Singapore 2 years ago. Math teachers were trained to teach Singapore Math because it is very important to understand the critical and problem solving strategy in Singapore Math, many levels are provided to students, ranging from Workbook to Extra Practice and then Enrichment. Research studies that students who are open to solving mathematics problems, who feel that they can handle a lot of information, are quick to understand things, seek explanations for things, can easily link facts together, and like to solve complex problems.
Language Arts began to focus more on writing workshop and reading buddy. Many reading competition and summer reading programs have been launched to encourage reading habit and improve reading comprehension level.
5. The Importance of High Expectations:
Academic achievement is a reflection of education system, teaching tradition and mentality, parent expectations, and student's drive and self-beliefs. In my opinion, it is also a key performance indicator of a teacher. No goal, no plan. No expectation, no achievement.
As an Art teacher, I define high expectations in two areas academy and behavior. In academy, I always make sure my expectations to be communicated explicitly to students and criteria to be assessed.
However, I use to offer choices for products in order to allow low-performing students to show their work at their best. My behavioral expectations were set at the beginning of the year and reinforcement was brief when necessary during the year.
There is no successful learner without proper behavior and attitude. Students learn from basic things like respect materials to use art critique steps and terms to judge artworks of others.
I do have a strong belief associated with a teaching passion and "Can do" mindset that students can learn and achieve their goals.
When I cultivate, foster and communicate my belief that all students can achieve at higher levels make students feel the drive and motivation that enable them to learn better.
Drive, motivation, and confidence in oneself are essential for students to fulfill their potential. Practice and hard work go along towards developing each student's potential. Students can only achieve at the highest levels when that believe that they are in control of their success and that they are capable of achieving at high levels. The fact that students in some countries consistently believe that achievement is mainly a product of hard work, rather than inherited intelligence. Education and its social context can make a difference in instilling the values that foster success in education.
Positive teacher-student relations are strongly associated with greater student engagement and at school.
Lastly, the best PD, I believe, is teacher exchange program between schools and countries. This may help to exchange expertise and experiences. Through working and sharing, teachers from different cultures and education systems are able to learn from different culture, tradition, mentality, education systems, as well as their successful stories in deliver high academic and behavioral expectations.
RESOURCES
- The Art and Science of Teaching
- Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS)
- Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS)
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