SLU Recollection and Pygmalion in the Classroom

When I mentioned about the Pygmalion Effect in my last entry, some people got interested with the concept. One of them is fellow toastmaster Jeannie of Baguio Professionals. I visited their club last Thursday and I am happy to find out this morning that she visited this blog and even left a comment.

I discussed extensively the Pygmallion in the Classroom to the guidance counselor and one adviser of the second year students of St. Louis University. It was my subtle way of telling them that they should not expect the worst from their students. I observed that every time they orient the students on how we shall go through the recollection, every rule is introduced by “you must not…” or they refer to the consequences when students do stupid things during the recollection.

Imagine yourself speaking to students after the adults gave all the thou-shall-not commandments.
What did I do?

I introduced myself to the students. No pretensions. I told them my short name, Jef. And afterwards told them the story of how my cathechism teacher had made my name JEFERLITO sounded so beautiful. I made them laugh. And finally, before discussing the process of the recollection, I assured them that since I have no previous knowledge of them, that I did not entertain the negative feedback, I only expect the best from them. Yesterday ended last night and today is another day–a chance to be the bet that we can be.

And again, as I expected, yesterday’s batch, the last one, made their recollection fruitful.

On Pygmalion in the Classroom

To provide the rest of you a much better understanding of the Pygmalion effect I am reprinting her in full the History of Education entry for 1968. Yes, Pygmalion is her for the last 49 years, and yet a lot of Philippine schools are yet to hear about it. When I took my MAT for Teaching English as a Second Language, I found out that no one among classmates and teachers know about this. I also found out that most teachers don’t read education journals. Maybe that explains everything…

1968

Rosenthal and Jacobson publish Pygmalion in the Classroom

This year, Robert Rosenthal, a Harvard University professor, and Leonore Jacobson, a Principal of an elementary school in San Francisco, published ‘Pygmalion in the classroom: Teacher expectation and pupils’ intellectual development’, which eventually would become a classic in the sociology of education. Put simply, the main argument of the book is that the expectations that teachers have about their students’ behavior can unwittingly influence such behavior. This influence, or self-fulfilling prophecy, could have a positive or negative impact. In other words, when teachers expect students to do well, they tend to do well; when teachers expect students to fail, they tend to fail.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul

If you have a teenager, I recommend that you get a copy of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. I got hold of this book while preparing for the Recollection. The collection of stories simply inspire and will help teens (and even adults, I guess) understand themselves. Below is an excerpt.

Today I met a great new friend
Who knew me right away
It was funny how she understood
All I had to say

She listened to my problems
She listened to my dreams
We talked about love and life
She’d been there too it seems

I never once felt judged by her
She knew just how I felt
She seemed to just accepet me
And all the problems I’d been dealt

She didn’t interupt me
Or need to have her say
She just listined very patiently
And didn’t go away

I wanted her to understand
How much this meant to me
But as I went to hug her
Something startled me

I put my arms in front of me
And went to pull her nearer
And realized that my new best friend
Was my best friend I’ve had since second grade.

Retold by:Kimberly Kirberger

We’ve got to listen

Today is my second day in Baguio. Earlier I tried the superhalf chicken at Andok’s. Yeah, it’s delicious.

I will stay here until tomorrow afternoon. I have been conducting a recollection for second year high school students of St. Louis Laboratory high school. It was also only yesterday that I came up with the theme of the workshop: Making Friends with Ourselves and with Others. I confess that I was not very prepared when I came here on Sunday evening. When Karen contacted me last Wednesday, I was preparing for my workshop for School Based Management which was held at Talaba Elementary School in Bacoor Cavite. Seventy school principals, Brgy Captains, and officers of the Parents associations attended the workshop.

Going back to the recollection, yesterday was a breeze. There were only 50 participants coming from two Science sections (Science sections are the cream of the crop) and everyone was active. We did more than what we intended to do. Today, I handled two regular sections. There were 105 students. And yes, I found it a bit difficult. There was no real assistance. There were two advisers and two guidance counsellors, but I thought it was best not to involve them in the activities. Their presence did not put the participants at ease. Let me tell you why.

From the moment the students entered the multi-purpose hall, one adviser at once told the students to have complete silence. They assigned them to particular seats, and from time to time, talk to the students as if expecting the students would do some terrible things. Every chance they get, they would remind me that the students were the most difficult to handle. There came some points when I really wanted to tell them that they are not helping me as they feed negative information about the students. Yes, I do believe that they were just trying to help. But you know me, I always expect the best out of people. Though they were just about 13 to 14 years old, they can discipline themselves and act more mature than adults. It was actually these kind of participants that give me the most creative, fresh, and beautiful answers. The adults, most often, just get tools from their golden box.

Yes, some of the students were noisy. And I got irritated many times. About 10 seconds but never longer than that. I wanted to help them, share with them what I thought were the lessons they needed. But while trying to get across my message, I heard myself saying, “You will not listen if you do not understand.” These became the key to the more productive afternoon. I thought that it took some time for the students to buy the idea that the recollection was not like any other lesson in the classroom.

Recollections and retreats are important for us all–young ones and adults. While we tried to teach our kids more about Mathematics, and English, and Science, and all others, there is no subject in school about Life. And yet, the reason for giving the aforementioned subjects is for us to better appreciate life. Recollection is the time to pause, and make us realize that we have control over our lives. It is a time for all of us, young and old, that life teaches lessons that can be of great use if we are to live our purpose.

Going back to the seminary, I told the priest that I found the reason why it was difficult for the students to listen. They don’t have good models. I realized that adults who went with them were not listening to the very message we shared with the kids. Something happened after the recollection, and I know that that will be the subject of my next entries.

(Please feel free to write your comments)

The dangers of imitation

It is a fatal mistake to set out deliberately to imitate some favorite speaker, and to mold your style after his. You will observe certain things and methods in other speakers which will fit in naturally with your style and temperament. To this extent you may advantageously adopt them, but always be on your guard against anything which might in the slightest degree impair your own individuality.

Some people asked how they can be like me. I told them that they must not try to, for that will endanger their growth, and make them look like monsters.

When people told me that I am starting to be like somebody when I speak, only that I am younger, I simply smiled at them. I am me, not some great speaker’s younger version.

Yes, I tried some of the techniques that some great speakers used in speaking.I did not try them for the sake of imitation but for exploration. I explored, experimented, and experienced the techniques I learned from people. Many times I simply discover; sometimes I invent.

Imitation will limit you to one. Exploration will help you reach further.

Power of Personality

Personality plays a vital part in a speaker’s success. I saw Mother Teresa on TV one day addressing a crowd of priests. She was reading her script, seldom look at the audience though she sounds like conversing with them. She has very few gestures, and although the camera lense were not focused on her face, I felt that she did not have much facial expression too as evidence by her lack of vocal variety. In other words, she did not display anything we usually see from superstar speakers. Yes,she did not have all those things we expect from a global speakers, but she has something that even the Pope had to listen–sincere and credible personality.

Confidence comes with preparation

Whatever methods of premeditation you adopt in the preparation of a speech, having planned everything to the best of your ability, dismiss from your mind all anxiety and all thought about yourself.

Right preparation and earnest practice should give you a full degree of confidence in your ability to perform the task before you. When you stand at last before the audience, it should be with the assurance that you are thoroughly equipped to say something of real interest and importance.