Lazy Law #5 Gaslight Your Students: To Promote Critical Thinking – Virtually I’mPossible Presents: Lazy Learning Land Teacher Podcast
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Gaslight…Seriously?
Yes, I did just say, gaslight your students. I apologize in advance for anyone who has been in, or who may be in a toxic relationship. I know from personal experience how painful gaslighting can be. If this is your first time reading a post of mine, then allow me to inform you that I am not the most politically correct person. My methods don’t come from text books, and I say what works in practice, not what works in theory.
The actual definition of gaslight from Dictonary.com, is to: manipulate (someone) using psychological methods into questioning their own sanity or powers of reasoning. I took the liberty of crossing out sanity, as I am not encouraging you to traumatize your students. I do not advocate that you make them think they are losing their mind. What I am saying that you should cause them to question their own reasoning as it relates to your content.
Gaslight Your Students…The Theory
As an adult, I know the value of having the mental capacity to look at a situation from multiple angles and determine which is the most appropriate way to go. Unfortunately many of the high school students I teach do not know how to access, think, and select the best outcome. Let’s be honest if they are not able to ask Siri or type their exact question into Google, they either expect someone to flat out tell them, or they just brush it off as if the answer is no longer important.
When a student raises their hand, and I call on them. They may say, “Can I come ask you a question?” I reply, “You can come up to me, but I may or may not actually answer you.” And in all actuality that is usually the case. Yes, it is easy to tell the student what their exact mistake was. Yes, it is easy to tell them what their next step should be.
If that is your style, you can keep it up. Just know, that short term ease will be creating a long term handicap. This will ultimately create more demand on you, by your students. As they will still lack the ability to process information for themselves.
Gaslight Your Students…Lessons from Narcissist
The Evidence
A typical narcissist does not care how much evidence you have against them, they will deny what ever they are being accused of to their death, they will keep you tied up in a circle by answering your questions with questions. I have taken part of both traits and given them a positive spin.
The same way a narcissist feels that if you have all of this evidence, why are you still asking me to tell you what you already know. With my students I provide them with great notes, tons of examples, and often times generic steps that walk them through the process they are practicing. I also allow them to work together with their classmates to bounce ideas off of each other, and to give and get help.
Why if they have access to all of this evidence, should I have to tell them what they already have access to know? It has never made sense to me, so I simply won’t do it. I refer them back to all of those great resources. I say things like, “Look back at our bell ringer problem for today, it will show you how to do the step you are stuck on.” Or, “Where are the steps for this process I gave you? You should now be trying to complete step 3. Go read and try step 3, and come back to see me.” I even say, “I just helped so and so with this same question, go ask them for their help.” These are just a few examples, but I make sure to turn their attention back to the evidence they always had access to from the beginning.
Word Salad
I have also flipped the concept of word salad, answering questions with questions. I make it a habit of asking my students questions to get them to tell me what I know is correct. Depending on the level of the student, sometimes I have to ask multiple scaffolded questions to lead up to the big point I am trying to get them to see, but no student “smart” or “dumb” gets to escape my word salad wrath.
If they put a positive and it is supposed to be negative, I point to the step before and ask, “What is a positive times a negative?” Often times it is important for them to see similarities and differences so I will ask them to tell me what is the same, or what is different about what they see. From there I give a follow-up question such as, “If the 5 doesn’t have an X, but the -7 does have an X, are those considered like terms? So, do we need to combine them?”
Take Your Time
When you gaslight your students, do not rush through the process. Be sure to give each student the time they need to be properly gaslit. Stick with it until the light bulb goes off. Once the bulb goes off, they are ready to return back to their problem. With a renewed sense of what to do.
My students were impatient with the process at first, getting frustrated because I won’t just tell them, or impatient that they have to wait for it to be their turn. After a short time, the impatience went away, as they started to understand how helpful this approach actually is. They also began to understand that everyone deserves a chance to get that kind of focused support.
Conclusion
The results of this have been priceless. I see my students, on their own, using their “evidence” to help them to try something. I hear them asking each other questions for deeper understanding. They ask questions instead of just trying to copy someone else’s paper. I hear them discuss a couple of ways they think they should go about solving a problem with a classmate. That classmate is chiming in with what they know from the “evidence,” as well. I have fostered a culture of thinkers and problem-solvers, of risk-takers and try-againers.
Once you gaslight your students, and they get with the program, there is nothing you won’t be able to teach them. You and your students should be willing to push through the initial frustrations. What is on the other side is your rainbow, and your pot of gold. You will leave a lasting impression on each of your students, that will literally last a lifetime.
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