I watched and posted these videos last night, and in class today (subbing 5th grade) I mentioned them to the students -- in transition between subjects I talked about the kindergarten students clearing their desks in 3 seconds, and later while beginning a discussion on democracy I brought up how the 3rd grade students were able to debate the "6 is also an odd number" issue without any interruptions or disruptions or general carrying on. Now I realize there may be some students, potential problem type students, sitting in the library while the filming is going on, but for the most part I'd say this teacher has got it going in the right direction. I wonder if it would be beneficial for students, such as students in a class that appears to have cultivated a culture of constant interruption and talking over each other, to watch some of these videos to see that yes, it is actually humanly* possible to sit still and not talk when someone else is talking?
It seems there is a discernible difference in classrooms I work in: some are designed, set up, run, developed, fostered, created, etc., with a primary, overriding culture of learning, while others are concerned only with "getting through" -- the material, the day, the school year...
Guess in which type of classroom it is easier/smoother/productive and more rewarding to be a Guest Teacher?
*assuming that is we acknowledge 8-12 year old children as "human" -- There is considerable debate.
1 comment:
I loved working as an assistant in the fifth-grade, but they can be more challenging to teach, since they're on the cusp of those fun middle school years.
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