 |
| Image courtesy immooc.org |
Why is there a divide between school and learning? How can we bring them closer together? A good place to start is recognizing everyone in the classroom as both teacher and a learner. I am proud to be a learner. When I try something new, I tell students. where I learned about it and that I am still figuring things out. My students know I learn in and out of school.
My students teach me and each other by sharing their thinking. Math classes begin with number talks or Estimation 180 challenges. These always put student thinking front and center. We learn from each other as we listen and consider different approaches. Throughout my classes, students share.
As I think about what I’m doing, I wonder how I can make it better. Do my students see themselves as teachers? I honestly don’t know. Even though they share their thinking, they look to me to bring it all together and make sense of it. How can we better share the responsibility of making connections and drawing conclusions from what happens in class? I guess I have a lot to learn as I head back to school this week...
This post is part of the Innovator's Mindset MOOC blogging challenge. You can find my other posts related to #IMMOOC here.
Thank you for your honest post Jim...One of the things that I saw in a teacher's classroom were spaces that students could actually hold impromptu sessions for other students in the classroom. It was powerful to watch, and the students had so much ownership over the space.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing!
Thanks for your comments. I like the idea of a physical space set aside for students teaching students. I'll try to figure out how that can work in my classroom.
DeleteI love these thoughts: "Do my students see themselves as teachers? I honestly don’t know. Even though they share their thinking, they look to me to bring it all together and make sense of it. How can we better share the responsibility of making connections and drawing conclusions from what happens in class?" Thank you for being honest and sharing your thoughts - we all have them! I think them all the time :) Keep fighting the good fight.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rachel! I hope that being open and honest with my students about this will lead to some progress. I bet they can tell me what it will take to honor their contributions as teachers.
Delete