Comments on: Thick Description http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/11/05/thick-description/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:21:32 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Barbara S http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/11/05/thick-description/comment-page-1/#comment-56050 Barbara S Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:14:10 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/11/05/thick-description/#comment-56050 I agree with you and Doug. More and more I find myself answering the question "What do you teach?" with "Kids!" not with mathematics, or algebra, or calculus... I agree with you and Doug. More and more I find myself answering the question “What do you teach?” with “Kids!” not with mathematics, or algebra, or calculus…

]]> By: Doug Belshaw http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/11/05/thick-description/comment-page-1/#comment-55788 Doug Belshaw Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:54:14 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/11/05/thick-description/#comment-55788 A great post, Doug. You're absolutely right about parents evenings (as we call them) telling you a lot about the student's life outside school. Usually the only things I know about students before I see them for the first time are their CAT scores and any SEN students. It takes all year to find out what motivates them, who their friends are, why they do things - especially when I only see some classes once a week. I think what I'm trying to say is that we need to be teachers first and teachers of subjects second. It's the relationships that are important in learning. :-) A great post, Doug. You’re absolutely right about parents evenings (as we call them) telling you a lot about the student’s life outside school. Usually the only things I know about students before I see them for the first time are their CAT scores and any SEN students. It takes all year to find out what motivates them, who their friends are, why they do things – especially when I only see some classes once a week.

I think what I’m trying to say is that we need to be teachers first and teachers of subjects second. It’s the relationships that are important in learning. :-)

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