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After listening to Hammond's presentation I began to think, why don't we teach students about how a brain learns at the beginning of a school year? The past 2 years I was a math and science teacher for 6th grade. It was so frustrating to see how much the students fought me on my teaching strategies because they were "boring". I used to say, "I'm a teacher, one who teaches, not an entertainer, one who entertains. We are doing these different exercises because they help your brain to learn." I didn't go into the specifics of what the different exercises did for the brain, I just told them that this is the reason and that should be enough. Math was the most difficult subject to get students to push themselves in. By 6th grade they came to me with a predisposition about their personal feelings towards math. For the majority of students, they really didn't like math. As much as I tried to make the math interesting, there are just some things that needed to be done that can be boring. What if we taught how the brain learns, so that students can see the value in different exercises that are done in class? Like note-taking; there is a benefit for the brain to actually put pen to paper to write and think about the math. If students understood this, would they be so unwilling to write down a few notes for the day? Would they take more ownership for what they are doing in class because they understand the importance of experiencing the math? This was my big "I Wonder". If I end up back in the classroom, this will be the first thing that I will try. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't, but at least when I say it is a good activity for your brain to learn, the students will understand what I mean.
After watching the keynote speakers, my key takeaways are 1. SOMETHING needs to change. We as educators need to change the way we teach to reach the children that are sitting in our classrooms today. The growth of technology and the students constantly being bombarded on a daily basis with this influx of technology has affected how our students minds and attention work. This is our new reality, it is different then when we were growing up. 2. CREATIVITY. We need to create a classroom that allows for students to embrace free thought and allow their creativity to thrive. This is a way that we can keep their interest peeked, engagement high, and show help to build their confidence that they too can be good at school and that school has a valuable place in their life. We need to offer students a place to express their ideas and thoughts in all subjects. Just because a subject has been taught a certain way for the past x years, doesn't mean that it will work that way now. Teachers need to bring in a place for creativity to thrive. 3. ENCOURAGE. We are all here, learning about how to be innovative thinkers, teachers, and students. We need to take our experiences and encourage our fellow teachers to do the same. The system won't change if only a small group of teachers are willing to try new systems in the classroom. More and more teachers need to see that there is a benefit to running a classroom differently than it has been done in the past. And that is exactly what it needs to be, the past. We need to stop looking at the past and start looking to the future.
As an academic coach, I hope to use these ideas to encourage and support all the teachers at my site. If a teacher is struggling, I will present these new and inspiring ideas. Since many teachers are concerned when presented with these new ideas, I will be there to be a constant support system for the teachers. Another way I can support teachers is by covering their class to give them the opportunity to observe a teacher who is using new and innovative ways to teach. I am in a unique position where I have that ability to work with teachers to support their concerns, encourage their personal growth, and inspire them to try something new. Mobley's six insights would help students think creatively because it will show them how they can work on themselves to build their creativity. It shows them that anyone has the ability to be creative, you just have to work to find it in yourself. |
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