Spirituality and Learning Styles

In some of our readings from the technology course, the author has discussed the need to understand where a student is coming from. It’s important for a teacher to try to get to know each student’s academic and cultural background so that she can use this prior way of thinking about the world. Of course, and this has been the argument often with our technology book, it’s a lot easier said than done; practical advice is minimal.

I was again pondering the issue of hand-raising in the classroom the other night, and I was thinking about whether hand-raising is a part of my students’ culture. I’ve heard teachers at my school talk about the only time that our students actually all act properly and respectfully are at church. Most of our students are pretty religious. It’s come up a couple of times in my class, in the few journal writings I had them do and in some assignments. My students were given a worksheet to fill out while watching the movie Donald in Mathemagicland (a must for any K-12 math teacher). At one point towards the end, the low boastful voice of the narrator states that, “The key to the universe is….mathematics!” For my final question, the only one that the students had to answer with their own opinion, I asked “What do YOU think is the key to the future?” The most popular answers (from most to least) were God, mathematics (how ingenuous), and education.

While I don’t regularly attend a black church, I have in the past. My ex-boyfriend started attending one, playing alto sax in the “band” where he was nicknamed Kenny G. That church truly changed him and became a large part of his life; he found his way of being spiritual. The few times I attended I was extremely uncomfortable, a fish out of water. For me, I experience my spirituality in a private, quiet, reflective manner, I guess you could say in a white kind of church. Yet, the people all around me at this little non-denominational black church seemed to be in pure bliss, in a world of their own. I clapped and stood up and swayed when others did just to fit in, but I didn’t feel any spirit. I was envious of everyone there, wanting to feel the way they felt. I believe this is how most of our students express their spirituality- through loud, expressive music, praising God with Amen’s, and moving and clapping together. Being respectful at this black church did not mean listening quietly and sitting in your seat, but instead it meant singing and shouting loudly together when it was known to be appropriate; being proper was letting everyone know when you felt the spirit through actions and praises.

So when my students act their best, in church, they are actively moving and loudly shouting praises. No wonder I have such a hard time getting them to raise their hand and wait to be called on before answering or asking questions, or getting out of their seat. No wonder they erupt in a song in the middle of class, or do a little dance when they do a problem right on the board. It’s who they are, and it’s how they know to act. I learn and am spiritual in the same way- quietly, in my own world. My students do the same.