Reading the Inner Life of the Young Person

I found many parts of this article very relatable. I could easily identify with the students who felt embarrassed for being recognized for doing well. As a student, I did well on math contests which were required for the accelerated math program I was in. When I would be recognized in grade assemblies, I would feel that I was put into the same category as other students who were often considered uncool and often talked about negatively by my peers. I would feel good for doing well and having my name in a plaque but I what was more important to me was how my peers viewed me. When grade 9 ended and I was no longer required to take these exams, I stopped. I didn't want others to know that I would be volunteering spending time doing math. 

I agree with the van Manen’s assertion that “ a good teacher is able to read, as it were, the inner life of the young person.” Looking at my situation above, I believe that our approach as teachers should not be to stop recognizing the efforts of students but to do so in while being sensitive to students’ relationships with their peers. At the same time, I believe we should try our best to remove this uncool stigma attached to math contests and similar activities.