Self-efficacy Homework

“Self-efficacy is a belief about what one can learner can do; it is not the same as knowing what to do.” ( Scunk and Pajares, 2009)

“(…self-efficacy predicts achievement, persistence in problem solving, and interest in mathematics.”  (Isiksal and Asklar, 2005; Marsh, and Shavelson 1988, Meece, Wigfield, and Walker 1986).”

Where might there be inequities in status in your mathematics classroom, and what are the implications for your teaching?

First of all I had to re-look up efficacy because I forgot what the word meant, much less how to pronounce it.  Math Studio is great for building vocabulary, even if the definitions are math specific.  Ironically, after math studio I ran across efficacy in church, just as I first learned about plenary in a high school church youth conference.  (Hey, Missouri Synod Lutherans are all over education, Greek, Latin, and German!)

I have found that even students in Kindergarten and First grade form opinions about who is smart in math and reading.  Besides the obvious gaps because of age, gender, maturity level, years in school and parental support, students are quick to assign status to students they perceive smarter than themselves.  My job as a teacher is eliminating “status” from the playing field and making the classroom a safe place for everyone to participate.  I also expect everyone to participate!

I don’t know about non Title 1 schools and if they have the many levels of students we have in our classrooms.  In Title 1 schools, I believe we see more of the students that have not been to preschool, and had parental support.  Most of the students are highly transitory and this causes gaps in their education.  Some students come from such horrific home lives that they cannot even function intellectually in the classroom.

My job has always been to differentiate between learners.  With this last math studio, I feel I have more tools to do so in the classroom.  I was especially interested in assigning competence to low status students.  This public announcement of something they have done well in mathematics is powerful!  I should know the math instructors from studio have done it for me and it works! Everybody wants to feel successful and it did make me participate more!

Also having the belief and preaching the belief that everyone has something to contribute is a necessity for self-efficacy!    It makes everyone participate and be responsible for his or her own learning!  I have had students that try not to participate and I let them know in no uncertain terms that they are required to be responsible for their own learning.  Now I will add they are responsible for the learning in their small groups.

I have had SPED kids that function at a first month kindergarten level in 1^st grade and it is difficult to find something they can be successful with in the classroom.  Reflecting back, I was at least grateful that they felt safe enough to raise their hand and participate!

More of a challenge for me was the student I had last year who was so incredibly disruptive in math class because he did not want to do the math or was incapable of doing the math.  I think assigning jobs of importance could help with this problem.

The ones with the horrific home life who can’t intellectually function in school is much more difficult.  I can see their brains just shut down or not retain anything from day to day.  I don’t know how to fix that.  It is all about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  I guess keep plugging away and assign competence and give roles.

It’s a puzzle that changes from year to year with each new group of students.  I am thankful that Habits of Mind and Habits of Interaction carry through to all subject matters.  Students will be schooled in it through out the day besides just math.  It is a way of life. It could be said it is a matter life or death.  It is the difference between being successful in life or carrying through their parents’ generational poverty.  We can break generational poverty with our teaching of self-efficacy!