Sep 08 2009
Connections
Forty years ago, while I was still a student at Penn State University, my husband (who has since passed away) accepted a position teaching math at a Jr. /Sr. high school in a small town located in the Pocono Mts. in Pennsylvania. After a month or so of trying to teach math to students who wanted to be anywhere other than his classroom, he realized that in order to be successful, he needed to make math relevant to these students and to their lives. So, Steve spent the next few days asking open ended questions, listening to the kids’ responses, and learning about their lives. By doing this, he was able to begin establishing a trusting relationship with the students and was able to build a curriculum based on their lives and their perceived needs while teaching them the skills and concepts inherent to the program. He concentrated on using number skills to help them balance checkbooks, ratios to help determine how much food to order for their animals, number sentences to ascertain distance to improve hunting skills and so on. The point being, that my late husband successfully taught these young adults because he was sensitive to their needs and was creative in making lessons that intrigued as well as taught mastery of skills.
Before educators delve into the specifics of their curriculum, I would recommend getting to know the students. Tried and true lessons from past years may or may not work with the new group of students. Just imagine trying on your most favorite outfit from a previous season, looking in the mirror, and noticing that the glorious color is not what you remembered, the length not so appropriate, and the loose comfy fit, well, just a bit snug. As you acknowledge that you must shop for a new favorite outfit, please understand that this year’s students may also need a new and improved style of teaching. I am not advocating creating a totally new set of lessons, but rather, I am suggesting that as we take a critical look at our old plans, we should be ready and willing to modify or tweak them to accommodate this year’s students. After getting to know your students, shop for new ideas, be creative, and think “out of the box” as you move forward with the glorious task of educating our children.
Best of luck in creating a great school year!
Magical Educating!
Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com
