A Teacher learns every day they are in the classroom. Each student has something to Teach. What if the Teacher went into school each day to be a learner? Yes, there are lesson plans and curriculum that need to be taught. What if it wasn't Teaching at all? What if the plans concepts became a learning tool for both the Teacher AND the student?
No, I haven't lost my mind. I'm serious!! Take one of my favorite lesson plans for learning the musical staff in first grade.
Objective: To be able to identify each of the spaces on a musical staff. First we talk about the names of the spaces on a staff... "FACE". Then a few students draw notes on the board in a staff, followed by a bean bag toss game where students name the space the bean bag lands on. GREAT! This is learning, this fun, this is what a Teacher is supposed to do.
There are many ways to actually go about teaching this plan. What if the personal objective for the Teacher was to learn one thing about each student? Or learn who has made friends and who hasn't. What's the value in that? It's information that helps the Teacher guide each student through the school year. A Teacher who really knows her students can Teach with heart and meet her students where they are. Allowing the student to learn while remaining an individual.
This also creates an atmosphere in the classroom that is curious. Where exploration is encouraged. When a Teacher is excited about learning through her day, the students become excited about learning, as well. They start learning from each other and meeting each other on their own level. This would be a safe environment for kids to explore new things, ask questions and play with the many options that are in front of them throughout the day. The Teacher asks questions and the students answer. As the student answers, the Teacher gets really curious about what the student knows and allows that student to share his knowledge with the class. Then toss around a few other thoughts to come up with a creative exploration of a concept.
When I was a Teacher, this was my dream. To have a full day of tossing around ideas and concepts. I never thought to try it as a learner. The students can Teach so much. I wanted to get to get to know each student and I wanted to give each student a chance to shine. Here is one way to foster that atmosphere. Create a community of learners.
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