The Book Fort
Instructional Ideas for Immediate Implementation
Welcome to The Book Fort!
Volume 2, Issue 2
Week 37: Embarrassment
The Emotional Underlife of Learning
What is the greatest impediment to learning? Is it poverty or racism? Is it teacher burnout or underfunding? This is the question that Thomas Newkirk tackles in his book, Embarrassment and the Emotional Underlife of Learning. He argues that most of these seemingly insurmountable disadvantages are “experienced as ever-present embarrassment or shame — the sense of being an intruder, being unfamiliar with routines that seem second nature to others, fumbling for words and appearing unintelligent” (15). Perhaps this is true no matter if we’re students, teachers, parents, administrators, or serve students in some other way; we all feel embarrassed when we don’t understand the “code” and the behaviors that result from the associated negative emotions are often very unproductive.
I came upon this text because it was a book study last month for NCTE’s leadership group, CEL, of which I am a member. While I didn’t read it in time to participate in the book discussions, my leadership cohort decided to take a closer look before the annual conference and I must admit, it’s given me a lot to consider about the way students learn, what we can actually do to remove barriers to that learning, and how we can help create lasting, positive academic experiences for them. Whatever your role in education — parent, teacher, administrator, advocate — take a look at the quotes I’ve selected below and consider your own practices. Then, buy the book and share with colleagues of course!
Newkirk, T. (2017). Embarrassment: And the emotional underlife of learning. Heinemann.
Underlife
In short, Newkirk suggests in this chapter that we deeply consider the risk and benefit of the educational experiences we create for students, the underlife. Think about it: if the potential benefits outweigh the perceived risks, we generally take the leap, right? We must do our best to remove the stigma associated with asking for help and empower students to advocate for themselves without feeling weak or less for doing so. Here are a few ways we might do this in the classroom.
Geography
Everyone In
Labels
Asking and Receiving
“We can also forget that openly seeking help can itself be an act of generosity. We can easily fall into the trap of seeing help seeking as a game of subtraction — there is the giver and the receiver. The receiver subtract from the giver. We are taking something. We imagine the giver as generous, but fail to see the generosity in our very request. We fail to imagine that the help seeker is also a giver. The offer of vulnerability and trust is precious, something we as teachers treasure…” (63-64).
Teachers are also very often thwarted and inhibited by fear of embarrassment. Asking for help can be seen as a weakness, and it might cause a teacher who is completely overwhelmed to jump ship or shut down rather than appear “weak” enough to ask a colleague or (worse) an admin or coach for help. Not so different from our 14-year-old selves in this way, are we? We MUST break free of the isolation we often create and hold on to when times get tough (or even when they’re good). Here are a few suggestions (Newkirk and me).
Peer Coaching
Strengths Finder
Listening
Embarrassment and the Three Rs
Math Shame
Reading Guilt
Demystify Writing
Website of the Month
AllSides for Schools
Ed Tech Tool of the Month
BoomWriter
Reading Recommendations
The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier
The Last Kids on Earth is a series subscriber and elementary school teacher Sarah Freshley Hall and her son Ben have been reading. It follows a group of kids during a monster apocalypse. It's entertaining and Ben is really enjoying it. Follow the author on Twitter @MaxBrallier.
Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco
The Virgil Flowers Series by John Sandford
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
Walter the Farting Dog: Banned from the Beach by Kotzwinkle, Murray, Gundy, & Colman
Missed Previous Issues?
Check them out here:
Visit the Index for all topics and tools featured or click directly on back issues below.
Volume 1: 2017-2018
Issue 1 Issue 2 Issue 3 Issue 4 Issue 5 Issue 6 Issue 7 Issue 8 Issue 9 Issue 10 Issue 11
Issue 12 Issue 13 Issue 14 Issue 15 Issue 16 Issue 17 Issue 18 Issue 19 Issue 20 Issue 21
Issue 22 Issue 23 Issue 24 Issue 25 Issue 26 Issue 27 Issue 28 Issue 29 Issue 30 Issue 31
Issue 32 Issue 33 Issue 34 Issue 35
Volume 2: 2018-2019
Kristie Hofelich Ennis, NBCT
Email: kennis@murraystate.edu
Location: Dublin, OH, United States
Facebook: facebook.com/kristie.hofelich
Twitter: @KristieHEnnis