Make Students the Subjects We Teach, Not the Objects

Can you guess who's talking too much and distracting students?  Us!  We need to stop talking/doing/showing so much and give students a chance to learn, explore, and even experience failure.  Too much time is spent teaching “at” students, rather than providing engaging opportunities for active learning and the 4 C’s (creativity, communication, critical thinking, collaboration).  Are we teaching how to be a student or how to learn?  Make students the subjects we teach, not the objects. 

I was lucky enough to be the recipient of a pilot model room-redesign with 1:1 devices, big displays, and new furniture to promote flexible seating. One of the most powerful opportunities my classroom has provided is the chance to model learning for my students. Researching and creating our makerspace, receiving and discovering ways to integrate a 3d printer, even integrating new hardware like a chromebit or software like Seesaw have given my students the opportunity to watch me as a learner, a novice. To be clear, this is a vulnerable position and relinquishes a certain amount of control, which can be particularly threatening if you equate control with authority and expertise. What is added is empowerment, invitation and an opportunity for collaboration if students are included or welcomed to observe the process - including reflection. 

An interesting discovery for me was that as digital learning opportunities rose dramatically for my students, I instinctively needed to keep an analog side alive. While one wall is all "teched" out, another features fish and turtles, and another features our makerspace corner and marble-run walls. Hands-on will always be critical for engaged learning, and tech integration shouldn't become a hands-off process. We just need to keep that time and discovery-mindset a priority and allow kids to earn. Online models and practice can be invaluable, but classroom manipulative and physical exploration are irreplaceable. 

How do we make this mindset visible in our classrooms? Become the next top model!  Create. Model creativity and design thinking. Doodle, build a tower, or sit in on a tech-team station to share the creative spirit that bridges age and classroom roles. Remind students that creativity can be measurable but must be fun. We want our students to think and work efficiently, but don't confuse task completion, even the flashiest Pinterest project, with creativity if students aren't thinking, making, or showing. Also, don't think that measuring creativity has anything to do with an art show that judges students' artistic ability or a bulletin board with only "best" pieces. 

-Jed

Parents Shouldn't Teach Their Kids to Ski, Swim, or Do Math!

There are certain things that should be left to the specialists. Like many families, when my kids were at the age of learning to ski and swim, it only made sense to get them involved in lessons and programs.  Is it the only way? Of course not, but these structures are proven to serve the function of specialized instruction without loss of tears and tempers. The same holds true for math or any school work. 

Every parent wants to support their child's learning but can easily forget that just because they can perform a skill easily, it doesn't necessarily mean they can teach it effectively. Parents personalize their approach intuitively, as they know their own kids best, but also have to navigate the emotional layers that naturally present themselves when things get tricky. This can begin before even getting started (finding a sharpened pencil in the house can be as emotionally charged as trying to get ski boots on while wearing eight layers of clothes- I confess!). 

We teachers have our degrees for a reason and pride ourselves on finding just the right way to reach a student, particularly a struggling student.  This is at the heart of personalized instruction. Plus, students always find that extra level of cooperation and composure when working with someone other than their parent. True collaboration can sometimes mean getting out of the way when necessary. 

Kids or Content: What Are You Teaching?

Kids or Content, what are you teaching? 

It's not their fault your lesson stunk! I'm pretty sure third graders aren't trying to sabotage a lesson but there are some times that it sure feels like it. Maybe your lesson didn't stink at all, but you overestimated your students' interest or ability. It's also probably not your fault if they hate school or a particular subject area, but there is a chance to make a difference and redirect a student's path. 

To that same point, if a student does harbor a dislike for school, it's our job to change their mind. We can't fix whatever has gotten in the way of learning in the past, but maybe we can reshape the process and inspire a love for learning. Think of the messages we send. Compliance may only serve to reinforce everything a student hates or resents about school in the first place.  Finding passions, connections, or sparks that we can develop is our challenge, but also our responsibility. Again, the focus shifts toward personalization, and when we personalize, the experience for the student also shifts- from receiving instruction to driving it. Are we teaching them to be students or to be learners?

I've come to decide that it's the rare child who is dying to find out the next curriculum initiative, content skill or objective is on the horizon, but every student thrives when personally engaged- with or without tech integration. Just take a look a the rise of the Maker movement. Content and curriculum is why we teachers are hired, but kids are why you and I were hired over the others in stack of applicants. This is where we practice our art and share dramatic and lasting lessons beyond domain knowledge and skills.