Posted in StudentsTeaching on Jan 05, 2010 - 10:19 PM
It isn't easy to get up at 5:00 am. It is even harder when you have had two wonderful weeks to wake-up at your leisure, wander around the house in slippers with a cup of coffee in your hand, and snuggle your own children all day long.But... we are back. There is stuff to do, and we are the ones to do it.
I look at things differently coming back from Winter Break. I am somewhat renewed, a little less harried, more focused, and more realistic about what the school year will become. I know the kids and the different personalities that make up each class, and am finding ways to tailor my lessons to meet the needs of the individuals as well as the many. I am able to improvise when adjustments need to be made. It is easy to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
The kids come back to school just like I do. They know what to expect from me, how we run a lesson, where I am more rigid and where I can be flexible. They know what the class requirements are, and are fulfilling them to meet their own needs. Some kids are focused and motivated to use the language, some are after the grade, and some are only here to get the required seat time. Their motivation is their own, and I am cool with that.
But I have to wonder....
I have just read a few of the wonderful postings of other IDEA bloggers, and am craving a more democratic system for all children. It would be wonderful to teach to kiddos who were interested in what I had to give them.
I have an ex-student who stops by at lunch every day. He was a freshman in my class, and is now a senior. He wasn't the best Spanish student, but a highly intelligent young person, and a motivated Boy Scout. I am confident that this guy could survive in the woods by himself for weeks at a time with just a small MacGyver like stash of twine and paperclips. He has learned more in Scouts than we have ever taught him in school. He can build suspension bridges, but hates his physics class. He can talk to both his peers and adults with ease, teach them new and interesting skills and has skipped many of the required speeches for his English classes. He loves being outside, climbing and hiking, but we have him sit for 83 minutes at a time in a really uncomfortable chair, for the majority of the year. He may not grow up to be a college professor, but I have no doubt that he will be successful in his life.
I have the honor of being invited to this young man's Eagle Scout celebration. He earned this honor by creating a project that benefits his community. He has erected a memorial for armed services personnel that have served from this area. He needed to get permits from the city to build a small structure. He designed and built the structure. He made something that has meaning for him and others in the community.
He does not do his homework. He doesn't think that his homework is an indicator of his abilities. I think that he is right...
Tags for this entry:
real-life learning,
homework,
survival skills
Comments
Jan 08, 2010 - 05:21 PM
Alison, I loved your entry and reading about this student. Unfortunately, I think what happens in our overall school system (public, private, charter) is that students like the one you describe above, who don’t fit into the mold of the well-behaved, high achieving students are made to feel as if they have no future nor anything to offer the world. If our schools could at least stop making our kids feel bad for not getting high grades, or completing assignments, we would have happier, healthier kids - who would go out into the world and do great things. I think most young people don’t realize the tremendous gifts they have because they are not meeting certain academic standards. It’s amazing that this young man had the confidence to pursue his goals and dreams, and didn’t allow his academic achievement to define him.
Feb 10, 2011 - 01:04 PM
That is part of the challenge of successful education: framing the education to where the students find it fun and engaging. My physics class in high school had fun activities like using a police scanner to measure car velocities. Instead of teaching geometry on the chalkboard, build a skateboard ramp! Instead of programming simple cash register programs, engage in ipad app development! Activities like these are so constructive, it doesn’t surprise me that he learned more in the boy scouts!
Melia Dicker
Jan 06, 2010 - 05:32 PM
I’ve often thought that if I were dropped in the middle of the woods, my book learnin’ wouldn’t get me very far. I’d like to take a survival course to gain some of the skills your Eagle Scout student has.
I can imagine that homework neither interests him nor indicates how much he knows and can do. It’s wonderful that he has a teacher who recognizes his strengths; it is indeed an honor to be invited to his Eagle Scout celebration!