Many years ago, as a new teacher, I was scared. Now I wouldn't have told you that at the time. I was confident in my abilities. I had taken my trainings and classes seriously. But if you told me that another adult was coming into my room to observe or visit, whether it was an admin or parent, I would be upset/bothered/worried/frustrated at the intrusion. I felt that they were judging me. Was I doing my job? Was I good enough for their child? Did I make mistakes that would make other people question my abilities? Could I be fired? (My first job was at a private school where I didn’t have quite the protections I have now in a public classroom.) This was slightly increased when I was first told I would have a paraeducator who would be in my classroom most or all of the day. Boy do I wish I could go back to that young teacher and tell her what I know now! Today I say, LET THEM IN! In fact, I am the first to volunteer when the school is asked for parent tours or a future teacher needs observation hours. I welcome those school board members or district people. I encourage other teachers in our school and others to watch what I do. It’s not that I am more confident now. In fact I think I am more realistic about what I can and can’t do than I was back then. What has changed is my perspective. Whenever someone comes into my class, it’s an opportunity to reinforce what I’m doing. It’s not about impressing them. If I can explain it to someone new, then I better understand it myself. When you teach it, you learn it more deeply. This is what we tell the kids, right??? I find myself stepping away from the students to share with our visitors what’s going on without a thought. (If I am in the middle of working with a student or group, I do wait until the appropriate time though.) Since the students are independent in what our procedures and activities are, I have the ability to step away. (Love being more student centered for this and many other reasons!). It’s a hard thing to have someone come into your classroom to watch you. Yes, you will feel judged (at least for a little while). It’s getting over that fear and embracing the opportunity. As the school year is getting ready to begin, whether you are already teaching, setting up your classroom, or spending those last few glorious days of summer trying NOT to think about what is to come, I challenge you to ... LET THEM IN!
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This last week I started my summer adventure with teaching Animations, Graphics and 3D Design in middle school summer school. I could write a full blog post on all the events that made the first day very interesting (students coming in at various times due to schedule issues, a power outage while the kids are on the computers, no AC on a day in the 90s, several students not remembering their school email/passwords to get into the computer, and a baby mouse running across the floor). However, this blog is about students finding the magic through exploring technology. Many of the students taking my class have some experience using tech in the classroom. Others could probably teach many of the activities I am doing. Some of the students, though, seemed to know very little about how to go beyond turning the computer on or writing an essay in Google Docs. There are also a mix of reasons the students are taking the class. Being an elective class gives me a slight advantage over some of the traditional classes (math, science, English) in that students aren't taking it to make up credit from the school year. It is obvious that a few of the students are here because they had to have a second class to go with the one they are being "forced" to take by either their parents or the school. Some of the kids seem excited about learning new things they can do on the computer for possible future careers. No matter what their reasons for being here, I am trying to make it fun for all, including me. By the end of the first two days, I was ahead of my schedule, and some of the kids were stepping up to help those who were struggling (YEAH!). I also noticed that some of the kids were already waiting for me to tell them exactly what to do and how to do it. There was very little initiative to go beyond copy/paste in the activities. After having the class I was lucky enough to get during the school year, this was kind of frustrating for me. However, it was also an opportunity to show the students what could happen if they take a risk and try something new. For the third day, we were beginning work on our Selfie Project. The idea is to get the students to take various pictures and use editing software to enhance them. They will culminate the project by creating a collage showing the different techniques they learned. Using selfies meant the students couldn't just copy/paste the project using someone else's pictures. It also made it more personal and meaningful. As I introduced the students to the editing program, I again noticed that many of the kids were waiting for me to tell them what to do. Instead, we played. They were asked to make a "Fun Selfie". (See pic for mine, which I showed AFTER they were done.) They could do whatever they wanted to the picture, as long as they began with their selfie, tried different options and used various features found in the program. Some students said they were done in less than 5 minutes. When I asked what certain tools in the program did, they couldn't tell me. After more encouragement to "play", most of the class really got into it. After exploring time finished, we got to the "real" assignment. They had to use a different selfie (the second of 5 they needed to take) and enhance it. (We had previously gone through examples of "bad" selfies to give them an idea of what was needed to make one better.) Because of their time spent exploring very few of the students needed me to stand in front of the room and give step by step instructions on how to make this picture better. They were able to take the assignment to a higher level than if I was telling them what to do. Too often teachers get stuck in the need to get through the material in a certain amount of time that they forget kids learn by playing. Toddlers and preschoolers figure out the world around them by exploring both outside and inside activities. Why is it that once they get into the classroom, we take that time away? Technology is an even bigger opportunity to learn through exploration. After letting the class explore the editing software, they showed me a trick or two that I had not yet found. (Like adding a kaleidoscope to a swirl with a positive/negative reversal!) They certainly learned how to use the tools better than if I had showed them exactly what to do. I'm looking forward to seeing the results of their collages and see how they apply their learning. Joy Kirr, in Shift This, says, "Exploring is where the learning takes place; it's where the magic happens!" Her context is about using Twitter for those who haven't discovered the wonderfulness that it is. However, her sentiment fits everything that should be happening in the classroom. Students should be exploring, learning about life by doing. This is where the magic is going to happen. |
Author20+ year teacher, mother of 2 kids and 2 dogs, wife, lover of all things M&M, interested in tech in the classroom, and changing up my teaching Archives
March 2020
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