After years of playing ultimate frisbee and basketball the act of running has become a challenge. My surgically repaired knee and ankle do not enjoy the slope of the road or the pounding of the pavement. So I decided that I would ride my bike more often. Not only would it provide me with a good workout it would allow me to use my car less. I jump on my bike when we need to pickup our library books curbside or we need just a few items from the grocery store. I began riding in earnest this summer, when the weather was calm and peaceful. While I was out on the road appreciating late summer afternoons in Maine I wondered about, among other things, bike racers and their technical clothing and helmets. I wondered if the wind really made a difference? I had no way of knowing because I was a novice and had yet to experience stiff winds while riding. I received my answer two weeks ago while I was out gathering some supplies. I was riding directly into a stiff headwind and it felt like I was towing a wheelbarrow full of bricks. From an outside observer they could probably not appreciate the effort I was putting into the pedaling. From the comfort of their car or living room window I was another biking pedaling down the road. As I turned off the main road the wind was no longer in my face and I was suddenly free of the invisible restraint. It was an amazing and sudden shift.
In our roles as teacher we tend to revisit units often, making adjustments as needed but maintaining the core content. We become so familiar with the material that we forget that learning it is an uphill climb for our students. They are always facing a headwind. How might we make small adjustments in our teaching so that the headwinds shift and students have a more effortless ride into their new learning? We know that each learner is unique and by personalizing their experience we greatly increase their success. Through personalization we shift from the what to the who. We also help our students when we model thinking strategies. The focus shifts from the what to the how. Granted, the content of our curriculum is still very important but the spotlight is how each child interacts with that content.
Throughout a lesson I will ask my students to reflect on their learning. Before sending them off individually or in groups to think about their most recent experience we jot down the ways in which students can share their learning. The student generated list rarely appears the same way twice. Suggestions might include writing a poem, creating a tv news report, or building a scene in Minecraft. There is, however, one constant. The last item on any brainstorm list is Other. To me, this is a huge invitation for students to open the door and consider the best way to interact with their learning. As students share their ideas with me I am able to assess their understanding, provide reteaching opportunities, appreciate their creativity, partner with them in their learning adventure, and to showcase their skills.
Below are a few resources that have inspired my thinking about barriers to learning and how we might remove them. This is not a complete list nor an authoritative one. If you have suggestions please add them to the comment section.
Dan Ryder’s TED Talk focused on empathy in the classroom. Also check out his book!
Project Zero’s Thinking Routine Toolbox
What If? School 