Storm Season − 21 August, 2007
(Continued from this article.)
I'm not a traditional teacher. Part of it is because I came to teaching after having been a research chemist. The other part is, I remember my childhood very, very clearly, and I know what I hated while I was in school: worksheets, busywork, and cookie cutter assignments. In the real world, one size does NOT fit all.
The day before had been the first day of class. I'd thrown them right into a mini project, introducing the mini-unit we're doing right now. We are studying hurricanes.
This year, it's important to note, I'm starting over. I threw everything out from previous years and am rebuilding my material from scratch, based on what I have learned after three years experience teaching middle school.
Here's one hard lesson I've learned: kids don't get abstract concepts that don't have a tie to something relevant. Traditionally, your basic science class might start out with a week or two on units, the metric system, the scientific method ... you know the tune, and you probably know the chorus, doo-dah, doo-dah. Does that approach ever work? Sure, for the top 10% of the kids. The other 90% endure it, then press the mental delete button after it's over.
This explains my choice for the starting unit: not some broad concept, but a very specific and relevant topic for people living in Florida. We all have a shared history, a shared common experience, of having lived through some nasty weather, especially during 2004.
Now, look how it ties in to those boring traditional units:
We will study units and measurement as I teach them to read weather charts, plot the location of storms, and conduct small weather experiments.
We will study the scientific method as I teach them the basics of weather forecasting, and have them make their own predictions (nature provides free lab materials).
So Monday was an introduction. Today, I introduced the subject of "Reading Charts and Tables" backwards. Instead of that boring "How to read this or that chart" lesson that everyone dreads, I had them learn by CREATING their own chart or table, given some guidelines and assistance.
But here's what they were charting: I gave them a plain text description of the hurricane classification scale, and told them at the end of the period I wanted a chart that 1.) was easy to read and 2.) explained hurricane categories at a glance. No tricks, no fancy stuff, no copying the definition -- find the essential facts in this article and prepare a product that captures and presents them.
Now, you can't teach class this way without cooperation. The students have to work with you, not against you. Part of it is how you treat them. I do not approach them like some all powerful dictator, or mighty superior being. I openly admit, and even point out as an example, when I make mistakes -- I tell them if they find a mistake they've made, they should correct it and move on, just as I do. (Nature provides a lot of free lab materials for me here, too.)
I'll come back to this point later, because one thing I've noticed -- kids sometimes are afraid to make mistakes in front of a teacher. It can become a barrier to learning. I don't know who made them this way, but I regret that it was done, because
Science is nothing but a series of mistakes that have been corrected over time!
The thing that makes science work is that finding flaws in old theories drives the production of new (and better) theories. In the same way, learning by doing requires the students take risks. The classroom has to be a safe place for that to happen.
Continued tomorrow.
I'm not a traditional teacher. Part of it is because I came to teaching after having been a research chemist. The other part is, I remember my childhood very, very clearly, and I know what I hated while I was in school: worksheets, busywork, and cookie cutter assignments. In the real world, one size does NOT fit all.
The day before had been the first day of class. I'd thrown them right into a mini project, introducing the mini-unit we're doing right now. We are studying hurricanes.
This year, it's important to note, I'm starting over. I threw everything out from previous years and am rebuilding my material from scratch, based on what I have learned after three years experience teaching middle school.
Here's one hard lesson I've learned: kids don't get abstract concepts that don't have a tie to something relevant. Traditionally, your basic science class might start out with a week or two on units, the metric system, the scientific method ... you know the tune, and you probably know the chorus, doo-dah, doo-dah. Does that approach ever work? Sure, for the top 10% of the kids. The other 90% endure it, then press the mental delete button after it's over.
This explains my choice for the starting unit: not some broad concept, but a very specific and relevant topic for people living in Florida. We all have a shared history, a shared common experience, of having lived through some nasty weather, especially during 2004.
Now, look how it ties in to those boring traditional units:
We will study units and measurement as I teach them to read weather charts, plot the location of storms, and conduct small weather experiments.
We will study the scientific method as I teach them the basics of weather forecasting, and have them make their own predictions (nature provides free lab materials).
So Monday was an introduction. Today, I introduced the subject of "Reading Charts and Tables" backwards. Instead of that boring "How to read this or that chart" lesson that everyone dreads, I had them learn by CREATING their own chart or table, given some guidelines and assistance.
But here's what they were charting: I gave them a plain text description of the hurricane classification scale, and told them at the end of the period I wanted a chart that 1.) was easy to read and 2.) explained hurricane categories at a glance. No tricks, no fancy stuff, no copying the definition -- find the essential facts in this article and prepare a product that captures and presents them.
Now, you can't teach class this way without cooperation. The students have to work with you, not against you. Part of it is how you treat them. I do not approach them like some all powerful dictator, or mighty superior being. I openly admit, and even point out as an example, when I make mistakes -- I tell them if they find a mistake they've made, they should correct it and move on, just as I do. (Nature provides a lot of free lab materials for me here, too.)
I'll come back to this point later, because one thing I've noticed -- kids sometimes are afraid to make mistakes in front of a teacher. It can become a barrier to learning. I don't know who made them this way, but I regret that it was done, because
Science is nothing but a series of mistakes that have been corrected over time!
The thing that makes science work is that finding flaws in old theories drives the production of new (and better) theories. In the same way, learning by doing requires the students take risks. The classroom has to be a safe place for that to happen.
Continued tomorrow.
Comments:
edunn (August 26, 2007. 05:20pm)
Those are some lucky kids!
bmccosar (August 26, 2007. 05:58pm)
Thank you -- we'll see how they feel about that next week, when they tackle air pressure, relative humidity, and temperature ;-)
intrepideddie (August 28, 2007. 12:37am)
I was fortunate enough to have a science teacher like you in high school; it's teachers like you that inspire youth to great things. You should really look into sharing the links to your teaching stories here with other teachers -- this stuff is educational gold.
bmccosar (August 28, 2007. 01:59am)
Wow -- I never thought of it that way. I tend to do things my own way. Everyone brings something different to the table, and what works for me might crash and burn for someone else. Thanks for the compliment, though.