Creative Influences-My Teachers

Inspiration- My love for school began in first grade with a quirky teacher named Mrs. Hardesty. She had big hair and spoke with ‘big words”. Her diction inspired me to learn the “big words” and by the end of the year I earned the opportunity to participate in the school’s spelling bee. Compassion- Mrs Byrdsong was my second grade teacher. She was caring and charismatic. Every morning she stood outside the classroom door and greeted us with a bright smile and a welcoming “Good Morning”. She made each of us feel like we were special and even on occasion I called her mom by accident. Excitement- Ms. Green, my fourth grade teacher. Now she was a ball of energy! You never knew what she was going to do or how she was going to do it. Somedays she came to school in full costume just to portray s person we were studying. Other days our learning involved singing and dancing. We were always the loudest class on the hall. Rigor-Mrs. Kapplar, my fifth grade teacher. She was tough as nails and everyone knew it. Rumors used to fly around about her all the time. I actually remember one of them being that she threw a desk. I doubt that seriously now, but I always felt academically challenged in her class. She knew I was smart and she pushed me. Every question was followed by another question. She was infamous for saying “Well prove it!”

These great educators inspired me to teach. Each one of them demonstrated their own individual creativity that helped me to understand and accept my own creativity. I saw them and admired their ability, skills, intellect, and quirkiness. My teachers were my role models. I see a little bit of each of them in myself. Just like Mrs. Hardesty, I use “big words”, but I call them challenge words. I too greet my children at the door with a welcoming smile like Mrs. Byrdsong. I sing and dance like Ms. Green-have you every created a pattern with your body? Or rapped out verses of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? And just like Mrs. Kapplar I challenge my students, through Renzulli Learning and Literature Circles. I hope than my 2nd graders present and pass are/have been inspired to dare and create, just like I was!

Assessments and PLCs

I believe that it is vital that educators alter their approach towards assessments by making them useful, by providing post test corrective instruction, and by permitting students to have second chances at them. In my classroom I strive to make all assessments follow the 4C’s meaning that they’re (continuous, cooperative, comprehensive, and creative). In addition I realize that with a diverse classroom of learners I need a myriad of ways to assess them. Assessments do not have to be limited to multiple choice and T or F questions given on Fridays.

How do we make this happen, by working cooperatively in PLCs...
I shared with my PLC an integrated unit for Black History Month where each child selects a person to research and portray (in full costume) at the wax museum. In this month long project that involves writing, reading, drama, dance, music, technology, and history students demonstrate mastery through their research skills, singing, acting, power point presentations, experiments, and even dance skills. It is an engaging unit that helps foster school and community relationships and provides an opportunity for performance based assessments.

Its not an easy task, but we can all take baby steps to make this happen!

The Creative Classroom

Creative thinkers need a classroom that inspires optimal development of creativity. Students should feel safe to express their own individuality and out of the box thinking. Learning environments such as this should:

• Focus and embrace the uniqueness of each child
• Foster imagination
• Encourage creative impulses
• Frequesntly provide provide positive feedback of children's work and ideas.
• Maintain student motivation for learning

In creative classrooms you will find children that:

• ask questions
• challenge answers and authority
• are curious
• see how various relationships work -synthesisers :)
• offer alternative solutions
• express opinions and ideas
• are risk takers
• collaborate
• ENGAGED!!!

How do we as educators reach the needs of the creative?

By providing students with various approaches to learning that promote cooperative learning, critical thinking, hands-on exploration, rigor, and imagination. As educators we must be willing to step outside of our comfort zones and shy away from "prescriptive lessons" that fail to foster creativeness-Prescriptive lessons offer prescriptive answers, and in doing so we offer a disservice to our children.

Self Evaluation of Cooperative Learning

My Strengths:
*Provide opportunities for CL
*Kagan’s model of CL. Only model that I was familiar with prior to the reading.
*Prior to beginning CL practices I teach students how to “work cooperatively”. This helps to reduce/eliminate feelings of “exploitation” and “free rider/sucker free” effects.
*Distinguishing the difference btwn. cooperative learning and group work (to students and parents).
*Differentiating CL assignments. (Only a strength because I group them mostly by ability, might not be a strength if I grouped them differently.

My Areas of Improvement:
*Need to be consistent in providing CL opportunities. Offer them throughout each unit, not just at the conclusion.
*Research and incorporate other models of CL (Johnson & Johnson and Slavin).
*Tend to group students by ability level.
*Increasing the time allotted to complete CL tasks. Groups ALWAYS finish prior or post to my planned schedule. Have to alter plans around CL groups-kids are engaged though :)
*Providing outlets for students that “opt out” or aren’t “ready” for CL opportunities.
*Allow students to self-assess and assess group members after CL tasks and projects as part of the assessment component.

My Reflection: I was first introduced to Cooperative Learning (CL) a few years ago at a professional development workshop. The workshop focused on the Spencer Kagan model of cooperative learning. I took the ideas and excitedly returned to my classroom ready to implement my newfound knowledge. What I learned was that you cannot jump into the pool of cooperative learning without knowing how to swim. I wanted my kids to look like the students in the video-eagerly working, engaged, and getting along. Well they didn’t because I failed to “teach” them how to work cooperatively, some students dominated while others lackadaisically sat back and watched all of the work get done. So what did I do? I quit CL and decided to give it a try with the next class.
The following school year I incorporated character education and get to know you activities of CL within the first days of school (procedures, procedures, procedures days). My students were learning the foundations of CL (roles, responsibilities, and expectations) from day one. As a result the students had a greater sense of responsibility for their own learning, they looked forward to “group time”, and my role as teacher shifted to that of facilitator.
Besides being time consuming (like everything else) I’ve found that the benefits out way the drawbacks of cooperative learning. I hope that next year I can add to my list of strengths within this aspect of teaching.