Teaching is Everywhere

I’m not the only one who sees teaching connections wherever they go am I? 

Some of them are obvious. Like when we are at puppy training, and there’s a comment about a puppy having learned to refuse to do something, because it just wasn’t fun. Ha, sound familiar? We have to learn to do things that aren’t fun, but perhaps we can find fun ways to learn how to do them! 

But then there are less obvious times, like when the vet tech comes outside to pick up the puppy – in these COVID times things are aa little different – and I find myself telling her glowingly about my puppy, about how she knows how to sit, how she’ll behave better if she’s bribed with a treat, how she does have ‘down’, but she won’t stay there very long… I’m pretty sure that the vet tech knows all these things. I’m also fairly certain that every puppy owner believes his or her puppy is the cutest and best puppy in the world. Yes. There’s a definite connection.. I felt a little bit like multiple parents at open house 🤦‍♀️

Then there’s those things that you see, that you’re experiencing, and you think… Oh my goodness, how can I integrate this into my teaching? Like lines at Disney. Instead of being bored waiting, we are engaged and interested by the by-play, the characters, the little signs… We know exactly how long we’re probably going to wait, and there’s something in between this sign and the next sign, and we’re ready for it. The ride is such a small part of the whole experience. Well, how can I replicate that in my teaching? How can I make the boring slow learning the engaging part, so the ride is the cherry-on-the-top. I might add, that my husband was not amused by all these musings while at Disney.

Then there are dining experiences, obvious things like creating a playlist that’s like a menu, but then more importantly, how to entice… How to tempt the customer to try something new? How to use images and word play to make something sound more interesting?. Taste tests, samples ... so much that can be brought into our teaching.

What about arguments, threads on social media? How do our interests and passions direct our thinking? Can social media commentary be used as a tool?  I saw the quiet kids participate when behind a screen (during distance learning), so there’s an important connection there too.

Everywhere I look, I see something that ties to my teaching.

Everywhere.

Ideas to grab interest. Real world connections. Valuable to me. Connecting with my interests. 

My husband calls it an obsession. I call it good practice. If it isn’t interesting or relevant, if there is no purpose ... then how do I compete with everything else out there? If students are enticed into the learning, if they see a point in the content, if they are shown how this is replace them to their lives - if all those factors are in play, then I’ll have success.

Thinking Big! Planning...

I’ve been thinking a lot about next year, how I want to integrate more personalized instruction, use new online tools that I’ve learned about this year, and help students to become far more independent. It still horrifies me how (during distance learning) many kids were struggling with using tools that should’ve been easy, and straightforward, but clearly I have been helping them too much in the classroom.  It really opened my eyes to how much I need to focus on intrinsic motivation for independent learning. How can I best support those who need it, while allowing other students to thrive?

I started by thinking about the units of learning we have in place. How can I take them, develop different activities, and put together a learning path? My vision is that students will begin with independent activities to set the scene and begin the learning, but once completed would lead to group stations - thus increasing the interest in finishing the individualized work in order to get to the station. 
After all, which self-respecting sixth-grader would not prefer to be learning with their peers?!  Now once in a while, there is that kid, but sometimes we also need to practice collaboration. After all, it’s in the standards. Other times, they may be able to work alone.

Maybe there are a series of things that students have to complete. Once completed and correct, They would be assigned some sort of reflection of learning. This could be a quiz, that they then respond to as to how the results went. Or it could be a simple question and answer scenario. It could be a video, it could be written, there are a plethora of possibilities here. The bottom line is, I want them to be able to look at the standard, understand it, and know what they actually can do with it. Not just defining it, also tell me how this is going to help them in their day-to-day lives.

One thing that is key in this reflection process is that I would want to somehow involve the parents. Whether this is something that I sent to the parents, or something that is linked somewhere for easy access, that I still have to figure out. One thought I have had is a beginning of the year activity for the students where they create their own individual space. Somewhat like the Bitmoji classrooms that are flooding the Internet right now. We wouldn’t be able to use Bitmoji because of the age limitations, but a photograph without a background would fit in well. Then we would link each of the unit reflections into the learning space. A portfolio of reflections if you will.

Once activities are completed, and reflection made, they might meet with me, or they might be able to move right along. The next step would be the summative. this would mean an end to the traditional ‘everybody sits in testing conditions’.  Would that matter? Does doing summatives that way lessen the chance of them being able to manage the Georgia milestones? And does that really matter?

Then, once completed, they could work on something fun and attractive for students to do, which is still about achieving and learning. That would be the enticement.  I’m thinking of things like an escape room, room transformation project, our class newsletter. There must be a multitude of things that would be learning, helpful, and fun for them to do. Perhaps a choice. 

The enrichment only happens, obviously, with proven mastery of the learning. So perhaps there’s a minimum ‘score’, with relearning and review practices to be done before a second opportunity is given.  This could be a verbal check if needed. Students who rush through, will not do well on the summative, meaning an opportunity to conference, for more one on one, and an understanding that you need to take your time to achieve everything else for learning, before being able to have the fun!

So what are my main goals?

• To show students that independent learning is powerful.
• To give students a reason to be independent.
• To allow students who can achieve more, the space to do that.
• To give me more opportunities to support the students who need that extra help.
• To make it clear and obvious who truly achieves the learning, and who just did the work.
• To find a way to have the students think about the learning, and the reasons behind the learning, and whether they actually have learned.
• To make things very visible, and obvious to the parents.

Lofty goal, big change, huge challenge ...what more could I want?!