W16D75 (Friday) One of my self observations, is that when I am in focused on my work, in the moment, and teaching fully with a method that is fully engaged with the children in front of me, I notice their ideas. I'll give one example. Today as the students were working on creating and performing pathways, I've scaffolded the lesson by wording the lesson objective in the following manner:
Students will create and perform a meet and part dance, that will show their understanding of locomotor and non-locomotor movement and pathway. Next they will add relationship to that their dances and reflect upon the process. Finally, students will create a story about that their dance tells.
Today I gave students the opportunity to draw their own pathways as well as practicing performing them with specific locomotor and non-locomotor movements. At the very end of our exploration work, there was a boy that came up to make a suggestion. His idea was to arrange all the boys on one side of the room, and girls on the other so that they had a ready partner. In addition, M suggested to allow each student the freedom to choose the pathway that they would perform, as well as insisting, the partners could choose two different pathways. Listening closely, so that I felt certain I was representing his ideas accurately, kept me in the moment, allowing me time to practice the skill. His idea illustrated an advanced understanding and revealed an academic capabilities which had gone unnoticed by me. In addition to a genuine creativity, M showed me a courage at being able to speak up when others aren’t as ready in first grade.
My instinct is to stop this kind of student suggestion, and I confess it has been my usual course of action. But from letting go just a little bit and letting Matthew take charge, the insight gained will allow me to be the kind of teacher aspire to be. Each student choice won't be exactly my vision, it engages students , in a way that is sustainable. Friday has been a good day. I have three more classes yet to teach. This has been a day where I have grown and shaped my own ideas by being
in the moment.