She told me that students sometimes get frustrated and say to her: “Ms. Schaefer, I am really in the pit!” And she answers, “Excellent! What classroom tools do you need?” There are two important features of this answer. First, Jennifer celebrates the fact that the student is in the pit, saying, “Excellent!” Second, she does not structure the work for them, breaking it down into manageable pieces; she simply asks what resources would help them. This is a teacher who understands that struggle is a really important place to be and that students should be celebrated for being in a place of
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