| This is my classroom. This is part of my world. The things my students accomplish on a daily basis are often not what others expect from them, but they always rise to the occasion. I’m going to tell you how this all happened. |
My instruction would follow Problem/Project Based Learning with the pedagogy of STEM keeping the work hands on and involved the engagement piece. I would teach interdisciplinary units that had students designing and building prototypes or models to solve real world problems. After the first semester my students were using empathy to find problems in the world that they wanted to solve. Their inquiry into the problem was guided with an overall question and at least 4 searchable questions they made to learn more about the topic. Then, they would build, design, or produce a final product that would solve the problem. One of my favorite projects has been when they built a prototype of an invention that used magnetism to solve a problem in their lives. Magnetic Monkey Bars were then created. |
Fast forward to April. At this point in the year teachers are always stressed, overwhelmed, and/or burnt out for a myriad of reasons. This year, for the first time in my 8 years of teaching, I’m not. Sometimes I worry because I’m not worried. This makes question myself. “Am I doing this wrong? Do I allow them too much freedom with their learning? Why am I not having to take away more recess or field trips? Do I let too much slide and I should be stricter?” Then I realize that what I’m doing this year is totally different from any other year, and it is actually working. Are you teaching how your students learn best? How do you know? |