Did you ever wonder how a student knows that you have just
spent your whole lunch period talking about what a lazy, apathetic, loser they
are? Or maybe you could not figure out why the students have such poor
performance in your class after you repeatedly tell your colleagues about the “delinquents”
you teach and that they just don’t care about learning. I also bet that you
have pondered why a student is disrespectful to you after you have just made
comments about how “you have given up” on them to your partner. It is because every student can read your
mind.
Students are very intuitive and obviously do not read minds,
but they do read body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and the
level of genuine sincerity that is expressed about their well-being. If
educators are truly going to raise the instructional bar for students and
expect high levels of learning for all, a teacher’s mind must be free of
stereotypes and a negative outlook for students. Until educators truly BELIEVE
in students, and expect them to learn and challenge themselves, schools will
continue to produce lazy, apathetic, loser, delinquents that the adults have
given up on.
Maybe if everyone really thought students can read minds,
educators might change their own minds and realize they are responsible for
fostering a supportive learning environment. Educators might change their own
minds about how the negative thoughts and beliefs they hold are reflected in
their daily interactions with students.
What do students see when they read your mind?
