Grace In The Classroom
कक्षा में भलाई, अनुग्रह (Grace)फ्रांसिस सु के द्वारा
मैं अपने छात्रों को यह बताना चाहता हूँ कि उनकी योग्यता मेरी कक्षा में उनके द्वारा प्राप्त क्रम ( grade) पर निर्भर नहीं करती है। बेशक, मैं अपने सी ग्रेड के छात्रों पर वही ध्यान देना चाहता हूँ जो मेरे ए ग्रेड के छात्रों को देता हूँ। लेकिन अगर मैं खुद के साथ वास्तव में ईमानदार हूँ, तो मुझे यह स्वीकार करना होगा कि मुझे ए ग्रेड के छात्रों से बात करना पसंद है, क्योंकि वे "समझते हैं" ... वे पहले से ही वही भाषा बोलते हैं।
लेकिन एक शिक्षक के रूप में मेरे लिए क्या श्रेय है, अगर मैं केवल उन छात्रों की पुष्टि करता हूँ जो पहले से ही "समझ" चुके हैं? कक्षा में अच्छे प्रश्न पूछने वाले छात्र की पुष्टि करना आसान है, लेकिन मुझे इस बारे में सोचना चाहिए कि मैं संघर्षरत छात्र के प्रश्नों की पुष्टि कैसे कर सकता हूँ। या जो एक अलग सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि (background) से आता है। या जिसकी शिक्षा प्रणाली ने उसे वे साधन प्रदान नहीं किए जिनकी उसे आवश्यकता है। मैं इन छात्रों की पुष्टि कैसे कर सकता हूँ?
मैं उन्हें यह बताना पसंद करता हूँ कि संघर्ष ही सबसे दिलचस्प जगह है: क्योंकि स्वस्थ उलझन (confusion) ही वह जगह है जहाँ वास्तविक सीख शुरू होती है। जीवन की तरह ही, सबसे सार्थक सबक तब सीखे जाते हैं जब हमारे कष्ट और संघर्ष सबसे अधिक होते हैं।
लेकिन मैं स्पष्ट करना चाहता हूँ: मैं यह नहीं कह रहा हूँ कि भलाई (grace) करना मेरे छात्रों को उनके अपने बारे में अच्छा महसूस कराने का तरीक़ा है। मैं यह कह रहा हूँ कि इससे उन्हें अपने बारे में सही समझ विकसित करने में मदद मिलेगी। इसलिए अगर मेरे छात्रों को यह पता है कि मैंने उन्हें एक गरिमा (dignity) दी है जो उनके प्रदर्शन ( performance) से अलग है, तो मैं उनके प्रदर्शन के बारे में उनके साथ ईमानदारी से बातचीत कर सकता हूँ। मैं उनके काम का न्यायोचित और शालीनता से मूल्यांकन कर सकता हूँ। वास्तव में, किसी छात्र को अनुत्तीर्ण (fail) करते समय भी ग्रेस प्रदान किया जा सकता है, ताकि छात्र समझ सके कि भले ही उसके काम का न्यायोचित मूल्यांकन किया गया हो, फिर भी उसकी गरिमा को ठेस नहीं पहुँची है --- ठीक वैसे ही जैसे एक अभिभावक अपने बच्चे को अनुशासित कर सकता है यदि बच्चा जानता है कि उसका प्यार बिना किसी शर्त के है। ग्रेस ही वह चीज़ है जो लोगों के बीच कठिन बातचीत को संभव और फलदायक बनाती है। लेकिन आपको पहले ग्रेस प्रदान करना होगा।
मैं चाहता हूँ कि असफल होने वाला छात्र स्पष्ट रूप से समझे कि ग्रेड सिर्फ़ एक मूल्यांकन है, कोई सजा नहीं। मैं हर असफल छात्र से व्यक्तिगत रूप से मिलने की कोशिश करता हूँ, और मैं उनके ग्रेड और उनकी योग्यता के बीच के अंतर को स्पष्ट रूप से बताता हूँ। मैं अक्सर उन्हें प्रोत्साहन के ये स्पष्ट शब्द कहता हूँ: जबकि ग्रेड यह मापने का प्रयास करते हैं कि आपने क्या सीखा है, वे एक व्यक्ति के रूप में आपकी गरिमा को नहीं मापते हैं।
मनन के लिए मूल प्रश्न: आप इस धारणा से कैसे संबंधित हैं कि ग्रेस ही वह चीज है जो लोगों के बीच कठिन बातचीत को संभव और फलदायक बनाती है? क्या आप किसी ऐसे समय की व्यक्तिगत कहानी साझा कर सकते हैं जब आप किसी ऐसे व्यक्ति की गरिमा की पुष्टि करने में सक्षम थे जो अपने प्रयास में सफल नहीं हो रहा था? जो लोग अच्छा प्रदर्शन नहीं कर रहे हैं उनकी गरिमा का सम्मान करने में आपको किससे मदद मिलती है?
Excerpted from here.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion that grace is what makes hard conversations possible and productive between people? Can you share a personal story of a time you were able to affirm the dignity of someone who wasn't succeeding in their endeavor? What helps you honor the dignity of those who aren't doing well?
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12 Past Reflections
On Sep 30, 2024 Alpana singh wrote :
Sabse pehle hame khud ko chenge karana hoga to hi bachche hamare behavior ko dekh kar chenge honge.
Hame bachcho ko achchha & bura dono parinaam batana hoga ki bachcha aap ye kam karoge to esaka achchha parinaam yah hoga aur bura parinaam yah hoga .
Ab aap hi batao ki aap kaun sa option choose karna chahoge. To bachche es baat par khud vichar karenge aur achchha & bura ka parinam samajhenge.
Hame bachcho ko achchha & bura dono parinaam batana hoga ki bachcha aap ye kam karoge to esaka achchha parinaam yah hoga aur bura parinaam yah hoga .
Ab aap hi batao ki aap kaun sa option choose karna chahoge. To bachche es baat par khud vichar karenge aur achchha & bura ka parinam samajhenge.
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On Sep 30, 2024 खुशी wrote :
Apne sabdo ko v bachche ke level ke hishab se change karna hai taki har level ka bachcha samjh paye
Or ye batana ki pariksha me baithna or likhna jaruri hai marks se jyada marks or gread unki samjh ko batane ke liye use hota hai n ki unki safal or asfal ko darshata hai
Or ye batana ki pariksha me baithna or likhna jaruri hai marks se jyada marks or gread unki samjh ko batane ke liye use hota hai n ki unki safal or asfal ko darshata hai
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On May 18, 2024 Janet Stroud wrote :
This is a most complex question that I have reflected on since I began teacher training 56 years ago. I think we have to place the child, not the curriculum, at the centre. As teachers, we should have a deep educational and philosophical understanding of what is important and ask more questions to assess both our values and the value of everything we ask of children. Perhaps we need to redefine concepts of success and failure, competition and cooperation, value emotional intelligence over A grades, encourage creativity and promote the Arts. There is a direct correlation between lack of provision in dance, drama, music and art and decline in mental health of students. In my opinion, building self esteem is probably the most important thing we have the opportunity to do. So much of what we ask of students works against that - we set them up to fail and they ‘earn’ a C label that will probably stick with them for life. Examining what we, as adults really believe and value, throwi... [View Full Comment]
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On May 15, 2024 Manjulata Pandey wrote :
So beautifully conveyed... Grace is the basis of 'comfort- conversations'. Dignity of individual learner can't rest, just, on number game. Sense of pride and achievement need to be associated with values and strength of character.
One of my students was unable to cope with the subjects. His sincerity and hardwork would make me sad at times.
I would leave no situation to encourage and convince him ' how valuable human being he was.' With time, we developed good understanding. I helped him to dwell deeper and reflect upon the goal of education and upskilling in life.
Fortunately, I could work from scratch with him and the parents too agreed to stand by the child. The student repeated the year and moved on with good grades.
Maturity of thoughts, experiences and dash of encouragement is the essence of growing and learning.
Let all be allowed to grow with grace.
One of my students was unable to cope with the subjects. His sincerity and hardwork would make me sad at times.
I would leave no situation to encourage and convince him ' how valuable human being he was.' With time, we developed good understanding. I helped him to dwell deeper and reflect upon the goal of education and upskilling in life.
Fortunately, I could work from scratch with him and the parents too agreed to stand by the child. The student repeated the year and moved on with good grades.
Maturity of thoughts, experiences and dash of encouragement is the essence of growing and learning.
Let all be allowed to grow with grace.
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On Apr 3, 2024 Jennine wrote :
I am not a teacher, but a mother to a precious 7 year old boy. Logan passed first grade but his reading and writing was not on par and he would have struggled to keep up with the faster pace of 2nd grade. So his then teacher, dad and I made the decision of letting him repeat 1st grade and he displayed the highest grades ever and the year has only bbegun.
The grace conversations we had with Logan to encurrage him, was telling him that he is not stupid or slow but a super hero because super hero's don't back down from a fight, they stand up, dust themselves off and try again. They fight until the battle is won.
This is what I beleave gave Logan the strength and currage to face repeating the grade wile his friends moved on to 2nd grade.
The grace conversations we had with Logan to encurrage him, was telling him that he is not stupid or slow but a super hero because super hero's don't back down from a fight, they stand up, dust themselves off and try again. They fight until the battle is won.
This is what I beleave gave Logan the strength and currage to face repeating the grade wile his friends moved on to 2nd grade.
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On Mar 27, 2024 Aastha A Kanodia wrote :
So nicely put, Marks does not decide an individual’s worth.
But since childhood we have been known through our marks/grades. I also lived that childhood, I was looked down for scoring low grades and failing at exams by my teachers, parents, extended family members. My worth was not by how kind or helpful i was but how my grades were. No one was being Graceful to me or to the children who scored less marks or failed.
This impression stayed with me for really long. Where my confidence was dependent on the grades i get not just in exams but in life - by people i meet, people i teach, people i become friends with, everywhere.
My worth was not in my hands but in the hands of others. Before saying anything before doing anything i would think 10 times. The fear of ‘What if I am wrong? I will be humiliated?’ Stays with me, even today.
But now when I understand how marks are not everything. It is difficult for me to make that shift in my mind for myself. But I, for sure, make th... [View Full Comment]
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On Mar 26, 2024 Bruce Wild wrote :
The application of grace is essential within the special education classroom. Failure is not an option within a specified IEP. Each student is treated as a learner who performs at various levels in all subjects; it's the creative teacher who designs the delivery of content to assist with student's acquisition of concepts and ideas. In this manner, there's always a spark of learning and because of this, a passing "grade" can be achieved. This kind of education allows all students to feel a sense of self-worth and paves the way to future success. A
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On Mar 22, 2024 David Doane wrote :
My view: God appears as all that is. The essence of each of us is God. God being and doing that is God's grace. Our grace is living accordingly and recognizing the God essence of all. Dignity is the quality of being worthy of honor and respect, and God being the essence of each of us certainly gives us that dignity. Some traditions recognize that, such as the tradition of saying 'namaste' or 'I honor God in you'. Conversing from dignity, that is, from I and the other being worthy of honor and respect, facilitates the conversation being productive. When I relate in that way, I affirm the dignity of the other. What helps me honor and respect the dignity of others including of those who aren't doing well is remembering and seeing that the essence of each of us is God.
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On Mar 22, 2024 Cholena wrote :
Honoring dignity of those who aren't doing well is something I try bring my highest awareness to.
The author said "So if my students know in their bones that I have given them a dignity that is independent of their performance, then I can have honest conversations with them about their performance. "
This is the key! People don't care what you know until they know that you care.
I had an experience with one of my children when they had engaged in especially unskillful behavior. I explained to that child that they were loved and would always have a home to come home to. I explained there was no behavior that could cause separation between them and me.
I think they were shocked they didn't get reprimanded.
Corrective teaching came over the next few days. Consequences came as well, heavy ones.
But we led with love and belonging first. The fruit of this seemed to be trust.
The author said "So if my students know in their bones that I have given them a dignity that is independent of their performance, then I can have honest conversations with them about their performance. "
This is the key! People don't care what you know until they know that you care.
I had an experience with one of my children when they had engaged in especially unskillful behavior. I explained to that child that they were loved and would always have a home to come home to. I explained there was no behavior that could cause separation between them and me.
I think they were shocked they didn't get reprimanded.
Corrective teaching came over the next few days. Consequences came as well, heavy ones.
But we led with love and belonging first. The fruit of this seemed to be trust.
Post Your Reply
On Mar 21, 2024 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
I love and value this thought provoking passage written by Francis Su. When I was studying in a college my teacher who was also a poet was teaching us the difference between the sinful action of a person and the person who did that action. He cited a line from his poem in my mother tongue Gujarati: Tu papasathe nava papi marto..Condemn the sin, not the sinner. We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. How do I relate to my mistake, my shortcoming makes a big difference. Do I put myself down and humiliate myself for the mistake I have done or do I assess my mistake and do not equate my mistake with me as a person? In the same way how do I relate to the mistake made by someone like my family member or my friend or by my student? I would assess what the other person did, his action, and not him as a person. Relationships break down when we condemn the other person. Relationships survive and thrive when we relate to our mistakes and the mistakes of other persons truthfully, empatheti... [View Full Comment]