One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching for me is that moment when I finally feel like I've gotten through to a student-- possibly making a difference in their life by helping them to feel good about themselves. Such a moment happened to me on Friday...
As teachers, we've all had those students who've tested us, to try to figure out our limits and to push our buttons. For me this year, that student is Sam. Sam enjoys making off topic comments to make his peers laugh and laughing at inappropriate times. Then he has difficulty getting back to task. At first I tried talking with Sam, explaining why his behavior was problematic. He seemed to understand. I asked Sam what he could do differently to change his behavior the next time. Although he always seemed to have the right answers and even apologized, inevitably, the behavior remained the same. When asked why he was acting that way, he would reply, "I don't know."
After talking with Sam's classroom teacher, the three of us sat down together, to talk with Sam about how he would be held to the same expectations by all teachers. That didn't work. Since the classroom teacher had had Sam in third grade as well, she had already established a close working relationship with his mom. Sam's mom was very supportive when the teacher called her and then she had a long talk with Sam. Still the behavior continued. A few days later, I called Sam's mom. Once again, she was very supportive and asked me what I thought we should do. I explained that I thought it was very important for Sam to know that we are all on the same page, that we are all in communication with one another. Although this was a crucial part of our conversation, it wasn't what interested me the most....
As a dyslexic student, I work with Sam on both reading and writing, especially in elaborating upon his thoughts. In third grade, he was not very expressive in his writing. So at the beginning of the year, I was thrilled to witness Sam's voice shining through, loud and clear on a piece of paper, whatever form it came in. Sam's class had been required to write what Lucy Calkin's calls a small moment, taking an individual event and writing about it descriptively so the reader can picture what happened in their mind. When I read Sam's piece it wasn't written in this style, however, it was a good piece of writing.
Not wanting to squash Sam's enthusiasm for this piece, I borrowed a technique that I had learned about this summer from reading Katherine Bomer's book (Hidden Gems: Naming and Teaching from the Brilliance in Every Student's Writing) In her book she talks about providing students first with feedback about what they are doing well in their writing before giving constructive criticism. Sam was using a technique that Bomer discusses that good writers use-- modeling their writing after a style that a good writer uses. Sam had written his paragraph in the style of Jeff Kinney, author of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Sam's small moment was funny, filled with commentary and a huge dose of his voice.
After complimenting Sam on his writing style, his body seemed to swell with pride-- he sat up straighter and a smile spread across his face. Afterward, I had to explain to him that in fourth grade, he needed to practice the more descriptive style of writing in school. But outside of his assignments, he should continue to practice writing in Jeff Kinney's style. Although Sam was disappointed, he seemed to understand. However, for some weeks later, I did not see that same spark or enthusiasm in Sam, or in his writing.
In talking with Sam's mom, I mentioned to her his first piece of writing. Unbeknownst to me, that very afternoon, he had shared it with his mom. Sam's mom, proud of him, sent a copy of his piece to his grandparents. She told me that he had been very excited about it. This story inspired my second piece of advice to his mom about what would be helpful for Sam-- providing him with plenty of positive reinforcement about what he is doing well.
The next day, Sam came into school, completely turned around. He was attentive, polite, dutiful in focusing upon and completing his work, and even resisted his peers' attempts to engage in inappropriate behavior. Usually one to complain about having to write and to ask how much more until he was done, that day, Sam wrote an entire small moment paragraph. His voice appeared back within the lines of the page, but this time, also included the descriptive style required of fourth grade students. Sam enjoyed my praise of his piece, responded well to constructive criticism, and even thanked me at one point in the session. He asked if he could begin a second small moment and was excited to hear that he could.
In my ninth year of teaching, I'm not naive enough to think that Sam's fooling around behavior and testing of limits will never again rear its ugly head. In fact, I am confident that it will resurface from time to time. What I do know is that my opinion of Sam changed that day. I saw a student in front of me who could control his behavior and genuinely did want to do well, as all students do.
At the end of the session, I called Sam into the hallway. I told him that I had talked with his mom the day before and she had told me about sending a copy of his story to his grandparents. Sam's body once again swelled with pride and he looked up at me, smiling, his eyes wide open as I explained to him that we were going to xerox a copy of his most recent small moment so he could go home and share it with his mom.
About 45 minutes after the last bus pulled away from school that afternoon, I called Sam's mom to thank her for talking with him and that whatever she had said to him had worked. She was glad to hear it and thankful for my phone call. When I mentioned that we had xeroxed his newest great piece of writing to bring home, she told me that it was already hanging up on the refrigerator.
Questions to Ponder-- Choose one or both of these to think about.
1. What is a breakthrough moment that you've had with a student?
2. How do you use positive reinforcement to help students feel good about what they are doing in the classroom?
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Rediscovering Photography: My "Flow" Activity
One of the mindfulness practices Daniel discussed and had us practice was meditation. As an asthmatic, traditional meditation practices of focusing on my breathing often do not work for me. In fact, they can be some of the most stressful activities! So I was very excited when Daniel taught us some breathing actvities that linked movements with breathing. Shifting the attention from the act of breathing allowed me to relax and opened my lungs right up!
Another type of mindfulness Daniel discussed was the mind in motion-- being in the zone as with sports or a favorite activity. A workshop participant mentioned the idea of "flow" (when one is thoroughly engaged in an activity) which Daniel said was the same idea.
Photography is a "flow" activity for me. When I take a camera in my hands and take pictures, especially outside, I become totally absorbed in the momeny-- my focus completely tuned into the light, the shadows, the colors, the composition.
For the past three weeks, there has been no photography. My computer, sent away to be fixed, has left me without my store of pictures on iphoto. Last week, my friend Grace called me out on my flimsy excuse for not taking pictures-- telling me that I still had iphoto on the "loaner" computer that I've been using and that I could store my photos on my memory card. Very true, I thought. As a result, I've carried my camera with me for the past few days-- without actually using it until early this afternoon. Something about the bright fire orange red leaves called out to me in the front of my school building....
as well as the last few leaves left dangling on another tree...
Then as I drove to a meeting across town, more magnificent trees called out to me, literally bursting with color. So I pulled my car over to the side of the road and began snapping again....
Driving home from my meeting, the world seemed suddenly more vibrant. Inspiration struck and drew me towards one of my favorite spots, a place that I have not visited for far too long, Spy Pond.
You can't get much more New England than this-- rowing crew on a pond with the beautiful fall foliage!
According to Daniel, the world isn't boring. The world is miraculous and we are the ones who are shut down if we feel bored. He says that boredom is a smokescreen over the present moment when your connection to the magic of the world is severed.
Until my photography expedition this afternoon, I did not realize how "bored" I've been the last few weeks without my camera. As Daniel says, "The more mindful you are, the more wonder there is out there." Driving around this afternoon, the New England fall landscape appeared magical and wondrous.
Questions to Ponder:
1. What is your "flow" activity?
2. How do you feel when you're engaged in your "flow activity"?
3. When do you feel in the zone?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Mindfulness Exercise: Eating a Raisin
Today I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a day long mindfulness workshop through the Karuna School in Lincoln led by Daniel Rechtschaffen. During this workshop, I learned some new mindfulness exercises for myself and my students, some new breathing exercises, and some new ways to engage in meditative activities even when my asthma/allergies are bothering me (and yes, they did flare up today in the middle of the workshop!)
One activity today that I got a lot out of involved a raisin. Perhaps it was because we had been engaging in quiet activities leading up to it, but my senses seemed to be heightened, enhancing the experience.
In writing this blog entry, I debated whether or not to write about what I experienced during this activity. Ultimately, I decided not to because I do not want to superimpose my experience for anyone who wants to try it on their own.
1. Take two raisins-- place one in each hand. Roll them around, feel them with your fingertips. What do they feel like? Squish them a little bit. How does that feel?
2. Close your eyes. Put the raisin up to your nose. Really take in the smell. What does it smell like? Put the other raisin up to your nose. Does it have the same smell as the first one or do they smell different?
3. Place one raisin on your tongue. Close your mouth. Roll it around with your tongue and move it around your mouth. Pay attention to the way your tongue moves. What does it feel like? What do you taste?
4. Eat your raisin slowly. Notice the way your jaw moves, your tongue moves. What was it like to eat the raisin? What did it taste like? Repeat the same thing with the second raisin. Was the experience the same? Did the two raisins taste the same?
As I participated in this activity, I was surprised-- learned things and experienced sensations that I did not expect to. This is an open invitation to anyone who would like to try this. Go to your cupboards, your cabinets, your shelves, your local grocery store and open up a box of raisins and eat one as if for the first time. Feel free to leave a comment about your experience. I'm also curious about what this activity is like for other types of food. If anyone tries something else, I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences too.
One activity today that I got a lot out of involved a raisin. Perhaps it was because we had been engaging in quiet activities leading up to it, but my senses seemed to be heightened, enhancing the experience.
In writing this blog entry, I debated whether or not to write about what I experienced during this activity. Ultimately, I decided not to because I do not want to superimpose my experience for anyone who wants to try it on their own.
1. Take two raisins-- place one in each hand. Roll them around, feel them with your fingertips. What do they feel like? Squish them a little bit. How does that feel?
2. Close your eyes. Put the raisin up to your nose. Really take in the smell. What does it smell like? Put the other raisin up to your nose. Does it have the same smell as the first one or do they smell different?
3. Place one raisin on your tongue. Close your mouth. Roll it around with your tongue and move it around your mouth. Pay attention to the way your tongue moves. What does it feel like? What do you taste?
4. Eat your raisin slowly. Notice the way your jaw moves, your tongue moves. What was it like to eat the raisin? What did it taste like? Repeat the same thing with the second raisin. Was the experience the same? Did the two raisins taste the same?
As I participated in this activity, I was surprised-- learned things and experienced sensations that I did not expect to. This is an open invitation to anyone who would like to try this. Go to your cupboards, your cabinets, your shelves, your local grocery store and open up a box of raisins and eat one as if for the first time. Feel free to leave a comment about your experience. I'm also curious about what this activity is like for other types of food. If anyone tries something else, I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences too.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Being Mindful: Snowgeese Moments
Standing outside today with a group of enthusiastic fourth grade students, I was reminded of a poem by Mary Oliver called Snow Geese, which is featured at the end of this blog entry.
Gathered around a tree adorned with brightly colored fall leaves, I watched as a fourth grade class set up their new project: "Library Under the Tree Tops". Based on the world's only natural library in Slovenia, the library at my school was created for all students to enjoy outside during their recess. Underneath the tree, the students worked together to display books like in a bookshop, with some books in the crates and others featured prominently on top, an invitation to be read. Soft blankets were laid out on the grass for students to sit or lie on as they enjoyed the library.
Looking up toward the clear blue sky, I spotted a flock of birds, flying towards us in a perfect "V" formation. As I watched the birds, mesmerized by their synchronicity, one enthusiastic boy called out, "Look up. It's snow geese!" Several students began chanting, "Snow geese! Snow geese! Snow geese!" We all stood still in that moment of time, staring at the snow geese in wonder. It's moments like this where I am completely absorbed, and mindful of the moment. Experiencing this, it made me hope for a snow geese type of moment everyday.
In fact, one occurred merely fifteen minutes later...
The best aspect of the "Library Under the Tree Tops" was the surprise element: this one fourth grade class were the only kids in the school who knew the library would appear. As soon as the first set of students descended onto the playground for recess, the fourth graders eagerly stood peering outside of the windows lining the wall of their classroom on the third floor of the building. The students stood, mesmerized, as they watched kindergarteners, first graders, second graders, exploring their library, taking a book, and sitting or sprawling on the blankets. It was quite a moment, witnessing these fourth graders exclaiming joyfully about students at the school discovering their library, picking up a book, and reading.
Questions to Ponder:
1. What kinds of "snow geese moments" have you experienced recently?
2. How do "snow geese moments" make you feel?
3. How can you incorporate more "snow geese moments" in your life?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snow Geese
by Mary Oliver
Oh, to love what is lovely, and will not last!
What a task
to ask
of anything, or anyone,
yet it is ours,
and not by the century or the year, but by the hours.
One fall day I heard
above me, and above the sting of the wind, a sound
I did not know, and my look shot upward; it was
a flock of snow geese, winging it
faster than the ones we usually see,
and, being the color of snow, catching the sun
so they were, in part at least, golden. I
held my breath
as we do
sometimes
to stop time
when something wonderful
has touched us
as with a match
which is lit, and bright,
but does not hurt
in the common way,
but delightfully,
as if delight
were the most serious thing
you ever felt.
The geese
flew on.
I have never
seen them again.
Maybe I will, someday, somewhere.
Maybe I won’t.
It doesn’t matter.
What matters
is that, when I saw them.
I saw them
as through the veil, secretly, joyfully, clearly.
Gathered around a tree adorned with brightly colored fall leaves, I watched as a fourth grade class set up their new project: "Library Under the Tree Tops". Based on the world's only natural library in Slovenia, the library at my school was created for all students to enjoy outside during their recess. Underneath the tree, the students worked together to display books like in a bookshop, with some books in the crates and others featured prominently on top, an invitation to be read. Soft blankets were laid out on the grass for students to sit or lie on as they enjoyed the library.
Looking up toward the clear blue sky, I spotted a flock of birds, flying towards us in a perfect "V" formation. As I watched the birds, mesmerized by their synchronicity, one enthusiastic boy called out, "Look up. It's snow geese!" Several students began chanting, "Snow geese! Snow geese! Snow geese!" We all stood still in that moment of time, staring at the snow geese in wonder. It's moments like this where I am completely absorbed, and mindful of the moment. Experiencing this, it made me hope for a snow geese type of moment everyday.
In fact, one occurred merely fifteen minutes later...
The best aspect of the "Library Under the Tree Tops" was the surprise element: this one fourth grade class were the only kids in the school who knew the library would appear. As soon as the first set of students descended onto the playground for recess, the fourth graders eagerly stood peering outside of the windows lining the wall of their classroom on the third floor of the building. The students stood, mesmerized, as they watched kindergarteners, first graders, second graders, exploring their library, taking a book, and sitting or sprawling on the blankets. It was quite a moment, witnessing these fourth graders exclaiming joyfully about students at the school discovering their library, picking up a book, and reading.
Questions to Ponder:
1. What kinds of "snow geese moments" have you experienced recently?
2. How do "snow geese moments" make you feel?
3. How can you incorporate more "snow geese moments" in your life?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snow Geese
by Mary Oliver
Oh, to love what is lovely, and will not last!
What a task
to ask
of anything, or anyone,
yet it is ours,
and not by the century or the year, but by the hours.
One fall day I heard
above me, and above the sting of the wind, a sound
I did not know, and my look shot upward; it was
a flock of snow geese, winging it
faster than the ones we usually see,
and, being the color of snow, catching the sun
so they were, in part at least, golden. I
held my breath
as we do
sometimes
to stop time
when something wonderful
has touched us
as with a match
which is lit, and bright,
but does not hurt
in the common way,
but delightfully,
as if delight
were the most serious thing
you ever felt.
The geese
flew on.
I have never
seen them again.
Maybe I will, someday, somewhere.
Maybe I won’t.
It doesn’t matter.
What matters
is that, when I saw them.
I saw them
as through the veil, secretly, joyfully, clearly.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Building Community at School: One Lunch at a Time
It is important for teachers to feel a sense of community at school in order to work together and communicate with each other effectively. There is a tradition that I participate in each day that helps me to feel like I am a part of a larger school community: lunch.
Ever since the staff of my school moved into a new building five years ago, some of my colleagues and I have gathered together in a classroom to eat lunch together. There are several things, particularly this year, that make this a very special time each day.
1. The lunch is conducted like an Open Circle lesson. We start out as a group eating lunch and anyone is welcome to come and join us, any day, any time.
2. The group consists of people who hold various jobs throughout the school including classroom teachers, special education teachers, specialists, and most recently, teachers from different grade levels.
3. Although school subjects are discussed, lunch is often used as a time to get to know each other better, on a more personal level. One teacher has commented that what makes the lunch so special is the kinds of conversations that occur. This inspired her to invite a teacher from another grade level to join.
4. Lunch is a time to relax and talk with other adults since the majority of the school day is spent working with kids.
5. A group of teachers make lunch for each other on a rotating basis. This way, each teacher is only responsible for making and bringing in lunch one day a week. Teachers have commented that since lunch is their least favorite meal to prepare, they enjoy only having to make lunch once a week and being pleasantly surprised the other four days. It has also been a great way to introduce and share recipes.
6. During our lunch time we eat on real plates and use real utensils. Teachers have commented that this makes them feel like real professionals eating lunch together, rather than eating out of lunchboxes.
Eating lunch with this group of colleagues has become a special tradition for me-- making me feel like a part of my school community on a daily basis. I enjoy this time as a true break from the hecticness of the school day. Getting to know my colleagues on a more personal level has also been a very enjoyable experience for me.
Questions to Ponder:
1. Where/when do you feel a sense of community in your school?
2. How can you create more opportunities for community building in your school?
Ever since the staff of my school moved into a new building five years ago, some of my colleagues and I have gathered together in a classroom to eat lunch together. There are several things, particularly this year, that make this a very special time each day.
1. The lunch is conducted like an Open Circle lesson. We start out as a group eating lunch and anyone is welcome to come and join us, any day, any time.
2. The group consists of people who hold various jobs throughout the school including classroom teachers, special education teachers, specialists, and most recently, teachers from different grade levels.
3. Although school subjects are discussed, lunch is often used as a time to get to know each other better, on a more personal level. One teacher has commented that what makes the lunch so special is the kinds of conversations that occur. This inspired her to invite a teacher from another grade level to join.
4. Lunch is a time to relax and talk with other adults since the majority of the school day is spent working with kids.
5. A group of teachers make lunch for each other on a rotating basis. This way, each teacher is only responsible for making and bringing in lunch one day a week. Teachers have commented that since lunch is their least favorite meal to prepare, they enjoy only having to make lunch once a week and being pleasantly surprised the other four days. It has also been a great way to introduce and share recipes.
6. During our lunch time we eat on real plates and use real utensils. Teachers have commented that this makes them feel like real professionals eating lunch together, rather than eating out of lunchboxes.
Eating lunch with this group of colleagues has become a special tradition for me-- making me feel like a part of my school community on a daily basis. I enjoy this time as a true break from the hecticness of the school day. Getting to know my colleagues on a more personal level has also been a very enjoyable experience for me.
Questions to Ponder:
1. Where/when do you feel a sense of community in your school?
2. How can you create more opportunities for community building in your school?
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Joyfulness in the Classroom:)
In talking about standards for education, politicians often discuss curriculum frameworks and standardized testing such as the MCAS, the Massachusetts Curriculum Assessment System. During the Courage to Teach Institute I participated in this summer, it was very refreshing to see a new kind of standard that was presented to us: a standard for joyfulness! The following is an early draft toward a standard for joyfulness in school and classroom for Hillcrest School in Turner Falls, Massachusetts, October 2008.
"The importance of a successful start is well recognized. What is too often overlooked, however, is that a successful start involves more than just skills and socialization. It involves instilling in students that learning is a joyful experience and schools can be a place of joy." Robert Balfanz. What Your Community Can Do to End Its Drop-out Crisis: Learning from Research and Practice, John Hopkins. May 9, 2007.
Joyfuness is important because it fosters lifelong learning. A joyful learning experience should help children feel empowered by:
*Engaging them in meaningful activities.
*Making them feel comfortable with their surroundings built upon trust and validation.
*Having pleasurable interactions with peers, adults, and materials.
*Having a school communitywhich is predictive and focused on each other's strengths.
*Participating daily in free exploration of learning opportunities.
*Starting and ending the day positively.
As a teacher who often works with students who struggle with learning, it is especially rewarding to witness these students having joyful learning experiences. When I first read this standard this summer, two memories immediately popped into my head.
1. One of the many concepts that I teach fifth grade students who are working on dividing long words into syllables is the schwa sound. The schwa sound is an unaccented syllable in a longer word that is often pronounced "uh". One day, Amy, a fifth grade student with long blond hair, bounced excitedly into the Learning Center to tell me what had occurred in her classroom. She told me that another student had looked up a word in the dictionary, came across an upside down "e", and her teacher asked the class if anyone knew what it meant. Amy's hand shot up-- she explained that the upside down "e" represented the "schwa" sound and told the class what that meant. Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm as she described how impressed her teacher had been. Seeing the joy and pride in Amy-- in her eyes, the way she related her story, the way she carried herself-- was truly a great experience.
2. Another memory involves a group of fourth grade boys preparing for the statewide MCAS test. It was our last session before they were to take the Long Composition portion which requires them to write a narrative essay (about five paragraphs)-- rough draft and final copy in the same day. It was unbelievable to see a dry and boring topic (reviewing what to look for when proofreading a piece of writing) turn into a joyful learning experience! I taught the kids how to write acronyms to help them remember what they need to look for when proofreading. This sport-loving group of boys decided to write acronyms based on the four major Boston sports teams: Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins. Other acronyms were created as well and the students reveled in creating acronyms of real words and sports teams, incorporating the information they needed to remember. As a teacher, what was really cool was seeing some of these students actually write down and use the acronyms on the day of the MCAS! ( http://thoreau.colonial.net/Teachers/Kalikstein/Writing-- Fourth Grade Revision/ Editing Checklists)
I think that a school system that places such a high value on joyfulness, such as Turner Falls, must be a really exciting place to work. Not only do students learn and retain more information when they are engaged, but learning is also more fun when it is joyful!
*Think of a time when a student or group of students were joyful-- Why were they joyful and how did they exhibit their joyfulness?
*As a teacher, when do you feel joyful in the classroom?
*As a learner, when have you felt joyful in a learning experience?
ADDENDUM
One of my favorite features of blogs is their interactive nature. After receiving several responses, both on the blog itself and in separate emails, the wheels in my head started turning once again...And so I add this addendum to the original entry.
Joyful learning environments can be created in a classroom when the adults have a joyful time in planning instruction and in presenting the material. That's one of the things that I love about co-teaching with my colleague, Brenda-- the fun, joy, and excitement that goes into planning lessons. That energy then gets conveyed to the students, resulting in a joyful learning experience:)
One such joyful learning experience involves a crazy professor....
In Massachusetts, fourth grade students are required to take a standardized test in English Language Arts. On this test, they are required to read fiction and nonfiction passages, and answer multiple-choice and open response questions. Some of the topics of these passages are not always captivating in the minds of nine and ten year olds.
In order to help combat this situation, Brenda and I modeled a strategy called the Crazy Professor which brings a lot of energy and excitement to what could otherwise be a dry topic. In short, one person takes on the role of the Crazy Professor and the other, the role of the student. The Crazy Professor reads a passage with a lot of emotion and excitment to the student. There are various stages to the process where the passage is read multiple times with different things occuring during each step including telling the story excitedly using gestures, telling the story from memory, the student asking the professor questions, etc. The culminating step of the activity involves the Crazy Professor enthusiastically retelling the passage from memory while the student frequently repeats some of the information, exclaiming how interesting it is.
As Brenda and I modeled this strategy for the students, our joy, laughter, and enthusiasm spread throughout the classroom like wildfire, igniting the students' energy. When it became their turn to try out the strategy, all of the students were fully engaged, animatedly being both professors and students themselves. That day was definitely one of the most fun and joyful teaching and learning experiences that I have ever had. And the topping on the cake...a few days later, many of the students could still retell and remember the information from the passage!
"The importance of a successful start is well recognized. What is too often overlooked, however, is that a successful start involves more than just skills and socialization. It involves instilling in students that learning is a joyful experience and schools can be a place of joy." Robert Balfanz. What Your Community Can Do to End Its Drop-out Crisis: Learning from Research and Practice, John Hopkins. May 9, 2007.
Joyfuness is important because it fosters lifelong learning. A joyful learning experience should help children feel empowered by:
*Engaging them in meaningful activities.
*Making them feel comfortable with their surroundings built upon trust and validation.
*Having pleasurable interactions with peers, adults, and materials.
*Having a school communitywhich is predictive and focused on each other's strengths.
*Participating daily in free exploration of learning opportunities.
*Starting and ending the day positively.
As a teacher who often works with students who struggle with learning, it is especially rewarding to witness these students having joyful learning experiences. When I first read this standard this summer, two memories immediately popped into my head.
1. One of the many concepts that I teach fifth grade students who are working on dividing long words into syllables is the schwa sound. The schwa sound is an unaccented syllable in a longer word that is often pronounced "uh". One day, Amy, a fifth grade student with long blond hair, bounced excitedly into the Learning Center to tell me what had occurred in her classroom. She told me that another student had looked up a word in the dictionary, came across an upside down "e", and her teacher asked the class if anyone knew what it meant. Amy's hand shot up-- she explained that the upside down "e" represented the "schwa" sound and told the class what that meant. Her eyes lit up with enthusiasm as she described how impressed her teacher had been. Seeing the joy and pride in Amy-- in her eyes, the way she related her story, the way she carried herself-- was truly a great experience.
2. Another memory involves a group of fourth grade boys preparing for the statewide MCAS test. It was our last session before they were to take the Long Composition portion which requires them to write a narrative essay (about five paragraphs)-- rough draft and final copy in the same day. It was unbelievable to see a dry and boring topic (reviewing what to look for when proofreading a piece of writing) turn into a joyful learning experience! I taught the kids how to write acronyms to help them remember what they need to look for when proofreading. This sport-loving group of boys decided to write acronyms based on the four major Boston sports teams: Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins. Other acronyms were created as well and the students reveled in creating acronyms of real words and sports teams, incorporating the information they needed to remember. As a teacher, what was really cool was seeing some of these students actually write down and use the acronyms on the day of the MCAS! ( http://thoreau.colonial.net/Teachers/Kalikstein/Writing-- Fourth Grade Revision/ Editing Checklists)
I think that a school system that places such a high value on joyfulness, such as Turner Falls, must be a really exciting place to work. Not only do students learn and retain more information when they are engaged, but learning is also more fun when it is joyful!
Questions to Ponder:
*What does joyful learning look like in your classroom?*Think of a time when a student or group of students were joyful-- Why were they joyful and how did they exhibit their joyfulness?
*As a teacher, when do you feel joyful in the classroom?
*As a learner, when have you felt joyful in a learning experience?
ADDENDUM
One of my favorite features of blogs is their interactive nature. After receiving several responses, both on the blog itself and in separate emails, the wheels in my head started turning once again...And so I add this addendum to the original entry.
Joyful learning environments can be created in a classroom when the adults have a joyful time in planning instruction and in presenting the material. That's one of the things that I love about co-teaching with my colleague, Brenda-- the fun, joy, and excitement that goes into planning lessons. That energy then gets conveyed to the students, resulting in a joyful learning experience:)
One such joyful learning experience involves a crazy professor....
In Massachusetts, fourth grade students are required to take a standardized test in English Language Arts. On this test, they are required to read fiction and nonfiction passages, and answer multiple-choice and open response questions. Some of the topics of these passages are not always captivating in the minds of nine and ten year olds.
In order to help combat this situation, Brenda and I modeled a strategy called the Crazy Professor which brings a lot of energy and excitement to what could otherwise be a dry topic. In short, one person takes on the role of the Crazy Professor and the other, the role of the student. The Crazy Professor reads a passage with a lot of emotion and excitment to the student. There are various stages to the process where the passage is read multiple times with different things occuring during each step including telling the story excitedly using gestures, telling the story from memory, the student asking the professor questions, etc. The culminating step of the activity involves the Crazy Professor enthusiastically retelling the passage from memory while the student frequently repeats some of the information, exclaiming how interesting it is.
As Brenda and I modeled this strategy for the students, our joy, laughter, and enthusiasm spread throughout the classroom like wildfire, igniting the students' energy. When it became their turn to try out the strategy, all of the students were fully engaged, animatedly being both professors and students themselves. That day was definitely one of the most fun and joyful teaching and learning experiences that I have ever had. And the topping on the cake...a few days later, many of the students could still retell and remember the information from the passage!
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