Teaching Pigs to Sing
I loved my high school drama class and really wanted to participate in the school play. Unfortunately most of the plays were musicals and, while my acting was pretty passable for a 9th grader, my singing is best confined to the shower and solo car trips. Nonetheless, I auditioned and was excited to get a part in the third tier chorus of the production of Annie. My group appeared in only a few songs and we were really more like mobile scenery than actual actors, but I had a terrific time rehearsing, hanging out back stage, and making new friends.
One afternoon during a choral rehearsal, I noticed a quote tacked on the bulletin board in the chorus room. It said, “Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig” (Robert Heinlein). As I stood in the back row doing my best to avoid the chorus teacher’s attention, I realized without a doubt – I was the pig.
Luckily it wasn’t necessary that the teachers directing the play advance my singing. The show was full of talented singers and as long as I danced enthusiastically with my mop in the orphanage scenes and kept mouthing those words, everyone was happy. But what about our students whose progress does matter an awful lot, but who believe that they are pigs of our classrooms? They probably appear disengaged or distracted, and if you’ve ever wondered if you’re wasting your time with them, chances are they’ve considered the same thing.
Take a moment to think of one or two of these students whom you see each day. How could you engage them in the learning that takes place in your classroom? Encourage them to participate? Unlock some of the secrets of how to make progress in your class or show them that their success is important to you? Try to think of one small thing you can do this week to try to teach that pig to sing – I hope you’ll share your ideas and progress on the blog!
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Catch the student looking good – reinforce a productive learning behavior like being prepared, following directions, asking for help, completing work, etc.
- Encourage transparency – explicitly clarify something the student does to increase the likelihood of success – “When you completed the organizer with your group, you were able to answer the question on the test” or “When you asked for clarification about the directions, you were able to do the activity right the first time.”
- Pre-alert for participation – as students work independently or in groups, listen in and find something the student has done right. Let him know you will call on him. – “You answered number three correctly, I’m going to call on you to explain to the class how you figured it out.”
Claire Lambert
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