Episode title: UE2 120628 1037 T7 Empowering process of disagreeing
(Loose) transcript: [00:00:00.00] Sherry: So I have nature of science. I'm doing this A, B, C. (Laughter)
Tim: You know, I was going to until I read B yesterday, and I was like, I think I'm going to skip that.
(Lots of talking about how they decided which prompt to answer.)
Tim: Maybe I'll do that Monday.
[00:00:13.28] Sherry: I kind of jumped around. I jumped.
Tim: So what did you, what did you?
Sherry: Did you ever feel that you were being led to come to a specific, that was the hard one. I thought, should I be honest or should I not? And so, I don't mind being a little controversial.
[00:00:27.19] Eleanor: You should be honest!
Sherry: Yeah, right, but should I tackle it? I mean. Yeah, so, I thought some tried to lead coming to a specific answer, just because we all, like we're all 13 people right people, and so we wanted to, but if that's. What happened is I found the strength in myself, and I said we, to think for ourself. And to push back when we didn't agree, or we just wanted more clarification, and it worked.
[00:00:55.16] Sherry: I mean, I'm not a shy person. It's not like I'm afraid to do that. But I noticed that when I did, it was met with respect. And then it was considered. You know. That's empowering to me.
Tim: Yeah.
Sherry: To be somewhere where, "I don't quite agree with you," and then they listen, and then they'll either push back, but not. There are sometimes when, you know, when you, they gotta be right at all costs.
[00:01:22.03] Tim: Right.
Sherry: Whether they are even considering whether they're wrong, they just won't back. And I didn't feel that. That was so important to me.
Tim: Yeah, in a lot of the Seattle science units, it's safe and perfectly acceptable to say, "We have inconclusive results. We do not have an answer."
[00:01:37.19] Sherry: But I mean even as us as teacher adults, I got that back. I got that respect back.
Tim: Very cool.
Sherry: It was! It was. So I'm glad I answered that question.
Eleanor: It feels really good to be heard, doesn't it?
[00:01:52.28] Sherry: It was, and it must be a thing with me because I say it a lot, and I'll go right away. I'll just turn around and walk away if I'm with a group that I don't feel that. (Laughter) And if somebody in the group doesn't give it or tromps on someone, I'll say, "Wait, wait, wait. Let 'em speak." It's huge with me and it's just now I'm realizing it, you know.
Tim: Let me test this theory.
Sherry: Oh, shut up. You would! Okay, now I'm leaving.
Eleanor: New table!
[00:02:23.24] Sherry: I just, you know, how people treat each other is so important to me.
Tim: You know, I was going to until I read B yesterday, and I was like, I think I'm going to skip that.
(Lots of talking about how they decided which prompt to answer.)
Tim: Maybe I'll do that Monday.
[00:00:13.28] Sherry: I kind of jumped around. I jumped.
Tim: So what did you, what did you?
Sherry: Did you ever feel that you were being led to come to a specific, that was the hard one. I thought, should I be honest or should I not? And so, I don't mind being a little controversial.
[00:00:27.19] Eleanor: You should be honest!
Sherry: Yeah, right, but should I tackle it? I mean. Yeah, so, I thought some tried to lead coming to a specific answer, just because we all, like we're all 13 people right people, and so we wanted to, but if that's. What happened is I found the strength in myself, and I said we, to think for ourself. And to push back when we didn't agree, or we just wanted more clarification, and it worked.
[00:00:55.16] Sherry: I mean, I'm not a shy person. It's not like I'm afraid to do that. But I noticed that when I did, it was met with respect. And then it was considered. You know. That's empowering to me.
Tim: Yeah.
Sherry: To be somewhere where, "I don't quite agree with you," and then they listen, and then they'll either push back, but not. There are sometimes when, you know, when you, they gotta be right at all costs.
[00:01:22.03] Tim: Right.
Sherry: Whether they are even considering whether they're wrong, they just won't back. And I didn't feel that. That was so important to me.
Tim: Yeah, in a lot of the Seattle science units, it's safe and perfectly acceptable to say, "We have inconclusive results. We do not have an answer."
[00:01:37.19] Sherry: But I mean even as us as teacher adults, I got that back. I got that respect back.
Tim: Very cool.
Sherry: It was! It was. So I'm glad I answered that question.
Eleanor: It feels really good to be heard, doesn't it?
[00:01:52.28] Sherry: It was, and it must be a thing with me because I say it a lot, and I'll go right away. I'll just turn around and walk away if I'm with a group that I don't feel that. (Laughter) And if somebody in the group doesn't give it or tromps on someone, I'll say, "Wait, wait, wait. Let 'em speak." It's huge with me and it's just now I'm realizing it, you know.
Tim: Let me test this theory.
Sherry: Oh, shut up. You would! Okay, now I'm leaving.
Eleanor: New table!
[00:02:23.24] Sherry: I just, you know, how people treat each other is so important to me.
Commentary: Thursday morning in UE2, the teachers began by discussing their answers to the metacognition prompts, as I described in an earlier post. Tim (green checked shirt), Sherry (peach shirt), and Gayle (hoodie) are featured on camera. Gayle and Tim have just shared their answers to the "instruction" prompts, and the episode begins when Sherry offers her answer to the "nature of science" prompts.
I feel like what Sherry is saying is that she can't learn when she doesn't feel respected or when she doesn't feel she can disagree. I empathize with this, and I'm excited that she feels that UE2 is a place that she can learn.
I've been surprised and impressed by Sherry's regular, in-the-moment assessment of her growth -- she often says things like, "I've never thought of this before, but right now I'm thinking...and it's so cool!" Because I don't know her in other contexts, I can't tell if this course is particularly empowering to her or if she's just the kind of gal that seeks out and appreciates learning activities no matter where she's at. Regardless, it sounds like UE2 feels like a safe space to her. Pleased to hear it.
And take a look at this screen shot of Tim and Sherry toward the end of the episode. Doesn't it just make you smile?
Sherry seems to feel that some people, in other contexts of her life, have chosen to "not back [down]" and to "be right at all costs," without "even considering whether they are wrong." What is it about the UE2 environment that prevents that from happening? Do you think the physics topic itself leads to more respectful conversations (since there _is_ a right answer; an argument is not just about a power struggle) or less respectful conversations?
ReplyDeleteA few other not-necessarily-answerable questions. Do you think Sherry is comparing her experience in UE2 to traditionally taught science courses, or to her work environment? Is she thinking of the other students or Eleanor as people who are treating her with respect? Does Eleanor set the tone for the class by initiating the respectful behavior ("this is just my mental model") or is it the structure of the lesson that does this?