One thing that I realized about 1st graders is
that they are complete perfectionists. They try so hard to complete what they
need to do in a very specific and perfect way. For example, they constantly ask
how to spell every single word even if it is for an informal activity. Although
my teacher is okay with invented spelling for larger words, my students still
are set on asking how to spell them correctly. Sometimes, I saw that they will
not write the word down until someone tells them how to spell it.
Additionally,
they are very concerned with their drawings and handwriting. During a journal
write for a math problem, they had to write an equation for a word problem.
Many of the children spent minutes trying to draw a perfect picture to represent
each number. Unfortunately, this affected their ability to complete the
activity because they spent so much time on the pictures instead of the number
equation and explanation.
Additionally,
they also seemed to be concerned with following the rules. For the students
that do listen and follow the rules, they absolutely want you to know that they
are doing it right. For example, after recess, one student stopped in the
middle of the hall to tie her shoes. Because of this, she lost her space in line.
She came up to me and said I know my spot is up there is it okay if I go back.
Also, if I saw the teacher do something outside of the normal routine for any
reason, the students corrected and reminded her of how “it was supposed to be
done.”
Sometimes, this
perfection can be a good thing when it comes to following the rules and
checking your work. However, the constant coloring and drawing I feel is not. I
have always been taught that you are not allowed to color and draw unless you
finished absolutely everything and there is nothing else to do. However, these
students are constantly looking to finish their work quickly so that they can
color in pictures and scribble on the back. In a environment where this is
usually okay and accepted, how do you first shift student’s mindsets towards
the actual learning and working vs visual aspect?
I know exactly what you're talking about! My literacy practicum last semester was in a first grade classroom, and they truly are little perfectionists at that age. I saw that perfectionism manifest itself in two distinct ways.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I had a student (we'll call her Brianna) who was far below grade level in both ELA and math. Unfortunately (especially since she was only 6!!) she already seemed to know that she was not as "smart" as her classmates. So, she refused to answer questions in front of the class or even one-on-one with teachers because she just assumed that she was wrong. Then, she waited to copy the teacher model EXACTLY, for fear of not being perfectly right.
Another student (we'll call him Michael) was far above grade level in reading and on grade level for math. He was even oftentimes used as a class example. He knew that he was smart and doing well, but still needed constant reinforcement and asked several times per class "Is this ok? Is this ok?" about the littlest details in his work. This was usually artistic aspects of his work, too, like Dana noticed.
I think that teachers who encourage students that they are there to learn and who give real-life explanations and push students to ask "Why?" more often will encourage the shift in students mindsets towards actual learning and away from being "perfect." My teacher last semester always said "Kiss your brain!" to students who had worked really hard, regardless of whether they were correct or not. That kind of attitude will encourage students to view school the way that we Peabody teachers hope they will.
This is interesting - in my kindergarten classroom, the 'perfectionist' manifesto really isn't present. My students are very comfortable with creating what they are capable of creating - their scribbles are artistic masterpieces in their eyes, etc. In fact, they are often too comfortable with simply attempting a task and not checking to make sure it is done correctly, which in the kindergarten period (where they should be building these basic building blocks such as identifying and writing numbers and letters correctly) can actually be somewhat harmful. Not to say that invented attempts are not healthy and a great form of discovery. I mean to say that kindergarteners are less concerned with accuracy on things that they do already know how to do correctly.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is one student in my class who is excelling above her grade level, and I have noticed all of these little 'perfectionist' tendencies you associate with 1st grade in her work and learning! Interesting that her mental/academic ability correlates with her developmental attitude as well.
That's so interesting. I have never taught first grade before, so I would never have guessed that they had a very perfectionistic streak at that age. Wow! Good to know!
ReplyDeleteSomething that I try to do from the first moment I get into the classroom is remind students that is okay to be wrong. I let them see when I make mistakes and calmly tell them that everyone has areas in which they struggle. When I split them into groups and they worry about why they are in a specific group, I tell them that each group needs to work on specific skills. I never say that one is stronger or better-performing than the other. They just need to work on different things. I emphasize how everyone needs help and is always learning because I think that is one of the only ways to get students to learn that it is okay to make mistakes.
I struggled as a perfectionist throughout my time in school, and I never became comfortable with failing until until I surrounded myself with people who overtly shared their mistakes and never mocked me for my own errors. Classroom atmosphere is everything. It is hard to jump into it partway through the school year like we are doing, but that is definitely something to think about as you begin the school year in your own classroom.