The Practical Classroom
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Table 5.1: Deficit Language Versus Not-Yet Language Examples of Deficit Language in the Classroom
Practical Examples of Not-Yet Language in the Classroom “I read your response paper. From what I read, you seemed uncertain in your response. Let’s talk about how I can help make your response more convincing.”
“I’m not going to say it again. You need to listen next time.”
“If you are unclear, can you tell me where the confusion began?”
“This should be easy for you. You’ve been studying this since you were in elementary school.”
“It seems this particular concept is challenging for you. Let’s figure out where the concept becomes challenging and try again.”
“I never give As in my class because an A means perfect, and no one is perfect.”
“I want my grading to be fair and authentic. I’ll be grading your work according to the standards and using rubrics so you will always know the grading expectations.”
“Any late work is a zero. You will fail the assignment or assessment if the work is not turned in on time.”
“I realize that sometimes it might be difficult to turn in your work on time. Let’s discuss due dates, why they’re important, and how to adhere to them as best as possible.”
that isn’t useful or practical will help you engage in productive struggle to become more effective in your practice. Shifting from deficit language to not-yet language may take time, but it is well worth it. According to author Josh Kaufman’s (2013) best-seller The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything . . . Fast, it can take as much as ten thousand hours to develop a new skill or mastery, and this learning is hardest and most frustrating at the beginning. You likely see this in your students, which is why productive struggle is necessary. Ensure your students understand that, practically speaking, frustration about learning something new and challenging is normal and expected. Explain to those who are struggling that no one picks up every new skill immediately, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do it. Productive struggle builds in that opportunity to think through, wonder, and reflect on what is working in the learning and what is not. Also, be mindful that students sometimes get frustrated because they’re so focused on achieving mastery that they lose sight of the intermediate steps that lead to it. In an interview, Kaufman is careful to write, “The idea of ‘mastering’ a skill when you’re just getting started is counterproductive: it can be a significant barrier to exploring a new skill in the first place”’ (as cited in Schawbel, 2013). That is why process is so
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“I read your response paper. Did you read the text?”
