Re: How do we stop negativity in the classroom?/ questions
Posted by Steve on 4/30/08

I'm not sure where you're located - I find here in the Northeast corridor that
negativity abounds - I have to say particularly since 9/11 and I'm not in NYC. I see a
trend in conversation that when folks meet up, they say hello, and start to share their
latest woes.
I'd ask - how long has this negativity been going on? This year only? We can't
proscribe a medication or a plan of treatment without knowing the facts - if your
doctor didn't ask some questions like how long has this been going on when you say
your throat's sore, it wouldn't be a good doctor.
How long is key? And is the community generally positive? And are these kids
generally successful in school or no? Kids who do poorly in school often become
negative. This recession and the war alsohave people spooked. A lot of people too
have lost their grounding - their lives have become focused on consumerism and
they're only happy when they're in the mall planning a purchase. Getting them to see
a bigger picture would help. I think it's also true that kids are channeled young this
days - they seem to get jaded earlier and earlier. Childhood ends at 3rd grade.

But most important - what do they say when you ask them why they're so negative?
Are they aware of it? Sometimes we need to do some conscious-raising. I've had
kids tell me "I'm not being pessimistic, I'm just complaining"......

There'd be no silent cure for a community wide problem - it's not like we can put
something in the water that will magically make this go away. Dialogue is key in
solving problems. Most times to stop something we need to know why it's happening
or at least their opinion as to why it's happening. I'd still say it's endemic in our
society but I live in the Northeast Corridor and maybe it's not elsewhere. Here it's a
mad, mad, mad world with a lot of negativity.

And I'm not being a missionary - but are these kids of faith? Do they have higher
goals? Are they college bound? But most of all, what do they say when their
negativity is pointed out and asked why they're doing it?


>
> I am generally a pretty positive person, and so are our
> faculty and pricipal. The students' negativity is pervasive -
> I hear from other teachers that students are generally
> negative in their classes and extra curricular activities. I
> must admit, I often don't give any credence to what the
> students say - because the things they gripe about are so
> petty. When a student complains because they have to get off
> their lazy butt and walk to the front of the classroom to get
> a calculator that is being provided for them by the school -
> they didn't have to buy it or even have to remember to bring
> it to class - why would I give that any credence?! And more
> importantly, how do I make it STOP?! These students wouldn't
> be happy if they owned the goose that layed the golden egg.
> When the students complain about things that truly matter
> and/or things that I can help them with, then I do listen and
> I do give credence to what they're saying. Maybe my real
> question is how do we stop the pettiness???

Posts on this thread, including this one

• How do we stop negativity in the classroom?, 4/29/08, by MathMommy.
• Re: Fun catch phrase that EVERYONE responds, 4/29/08, by marjoryt.
• Re: How do we stop negativity in the classroom?, 4/29/08, by Steve .
• Re: How do we stop negativity in the classroom?, 4/30/08, by MathMommy.
• Re: How do we stop negativity in the classroom?/ questions, 4/30/08, by Steve .
• Re: How do we stop negativity in the classroom?, 5/01/08, by ~connie.
• Re: How do we stop negativity in the classroom?, 5/02/08, by DarrenB..
• Re: How do we stop negativity in the classroom?, 5/02/08, by d.mac.
• Re: How do we stop negativity in the classroom?, 5/05/08, by MathMommy.
• Re: How do we stop negativity in the classroom?, 5/06/08, by Lisa P.
• Re: How do we stop negativity in the classroom?, 5/08/08, by Tiffany.