Last week, while I stood back and watched the class interact with the naturalists of the Save the Bay organization in Palo Alto, it dawned on me how superfluous I was at that moment. As cold as it was, the students whipped out answers and opinions, ideas and questions that demonstrated their facility with the wetland habitat. Yes, we have been studying the San Francisco Bay watershed both in and out of the classroom. But it was more than that. The students showed confidence in their aptitude and in their abilities as problem solvers and global citizens. To say that I was proud of them at that moment would have been an understatement.
I got to thinking. Could I take any credit for this? Had I had anything to do with their high level of comfort and engagement that morning? During this frigid moment of cogitation I realized that I was beginning to encounter my professional transformation from a "sage on the stage" to a "guide on the side." I know that this is the direction I have been heading (or wanting to head) for years. It's the type of pedagogy that seems to fit the disposition of students born into this new century. With information all around us that can be accessed at any time, it is foolish to continue to believe, as we did a half century ago, that teachers could retain their position as the single source of fact checked data on the planet. Teachers have a new role to play. A pivotal role. A guiding role.
The frosty morning reflections brought to mind the many instances these last few weeks when I have been able to get the class started on some project, some research topic, some engaging writing assignment, then to quietly step back. Asking the probing questions to push their thinking farther, assisting when the perfect word went missing, guiding a collaboration that had soured, providing the nugget of instruction at the exact point of need, this has defined my new job. Instead of taking the burden of learning onto my shoulders - as I have for 40 years - I have begun to leverage their brains, their aptitudes, their talents and ideas, and nudge them in the direction of required standards and competencies.
In the classroom, I have made a concerted effort to provide an environment that invites questioning, experimentation, and understanding. I have attempted to inject humor and delight into everything we do. I have been scrupulous in my call for quality work and well-informed opinions. But I have not burdened the students with the idea that they have to be correct all the time. Nor, have we permitted the idea that being correct more than once, or having a good idea makes one better or smarter than anyone else. We have an investigative mind-set that leaves everything open for question. In class, I readily acknowledge that I do not have all the answers. No, I have not stepped entirely away from directed instruction. There are, after all, skill sets that must be taught and mastered. But, in keeping with the spirit of the class, we do tend to ask rather than answer questions.
None of this transition has been easy. This transformation has involved huge amounts of planning and coordination. But I have had a great amount of assistance from a great number of parents. For this I am extraordinarily grateful. We would not be where we are without this continuing support. The students may not realize it yet, but they are lucky to have so many dedicated individuals - parents and teachers - so focused on their success. So, we end this 4th month of Integrated Exploratory class on a high note. This experiment, with its countless variables, seems to be working.
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