A New Configuration.....

WHAT AM I DOING TO HELP KIDS ACHIEVE?

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THEY ARE THERE?

WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?

     I was tired of dead exhausted kids staring at me as I was trying to talk (hate to say the word "lecture").  Our principal sent us an article about a teacher who shadowed a kid for a day.  The teacher came to the conclusion that the majority of the things she has been telling people or thought she knew about teaching might not be exactly correct.  She was exhausted from having to sit for 7 hours through lectures.  She would have done things differently.  So...I am trying to make my room a bit more interactive.  Instead of one person answering the problem of the day, I am having each table talk about it and write down ideas on a white board.  My hope is to have the kids work together to find the answer instead of me telling them.  So far...results are mixed but hopeful.  Some kids are far better teachers than me which is great to see how they help each other.  However, not so try for all tables but we are doing the best we can.  The set up worked well with a inquiry TIMU lab we did.

     I have to say I was inspired by our "SLO" process.  I had one kid come to me dejected.  At the beginning of the year he said he thought the purpose of school is to try to show him that he is stupid.  This hit me like a ton of bricks.  I know I shouldn't complain about the system...instead I am going to do my best to try to improve it.  First, I found two highly regarded exams done by science educators specifically for high school students (MOSART test for chemistry and Lawson test on scientific reasoning).  I am trying to convert them to an electronic format.  The teacher can grade it with the click of a button.  The analysis of the results will show strengths, weaknesses, indicate they type of learner the majority of the students are (concrete, abstract..etc) and recommend intervention (the appropriate TIMU lab for the misconception).  It is slow going and difficult but important.  I know I cannot control every kids feelings, but students should never think we are trying to make stupid...hopefully they will think the opposite...