I want to take this time to explore what it means to learn, what it means to understand, and most importantly what it means to want to know more through observations and questions.
I believe we should start small, and enter the realm of introductions. That awkward ritual of blurping out one’s names, interests and locations. To be completely honest with you, I have never been good at that, and I always feel everything is forced. It’s nothing personal; I just want to get into the meat of the dialogue and discussion of matter. Well, my name is Joe. I have a wife, 2 kids, and I do not work in a button factory, although, I do face the struggles of monotony daily with a hammer of Thor where I do work. I want to take this time to explore what it means to learn, what it means to understand, and most importantly what it means to want to know more.
I have taught every grade from Pre-K through 8th grade in every subject, primarily science. I have written curriculum, designed and managed projects and did a ton of really questionable and unorthodox techniques in the name of student engagement and filling student background knowledge. I have done a couple things that may or may not have stirred some pots in the name of actually creating educational opportunities over the years with minimal to null resources. You see, similarly to formal introductions, I’m just not a “do things formally,” or “traditional,” or even “orthodox” kind of teacher. Over the years I have burned things, threw things out windows, blew things up, built houses (models) out of garbage, I even ripped my down-spouts off my house to demonstrate rivers, erosion and weathering. I have done a few questionable things. I do have one correction already, I didn’t do those things, but rather my students and I did.
You want to teach kids about writing? Have them create a book.
You see, I am a strong believer that education is all around us. We all have the ability to gain knowledge from others, our surroundings and most importantly from within. You want to teach kids about writing? Have them create a book. You want to teach kids about history? Show them how to make history. You want to teach them math? Give them a budget and stores. You want to teach them science? Well, you have the entire natural world around them, let them explore.
Over the next so many posts, we’ll explore in more details, and in a more in depth approach towards each of these subjects. We will delve in to the meanings of the subjects, mixing them up, and allowing the kids become the leaders in the classroom, not the curriculum. Allow yourself the moment to imagine our students building off of their strengths, creating meaningful intrinsic moments, and being assessed based on application of knowledge through building off of failures. Lets no longer approach education where we expect students to regurgitate information on a test anymore.
