I made a simple connection with a group of seniors in an Advanced Reading class this past week. I was a guest teacher in one of my English teacher's classes, and my objective was to have the students understand how Ernest Hemingway protrayed the coming-of-age experience through natural fears. We read two of his short stories, "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" and "Indian Camp." Both stories that contrast how individuals compensate for their fears in unpleasant circumstances. The connection was this: I drew a T Chart on the board and labeled the two sides Ages 3-9 and Ages 10-18. Then each student filled in the chart with their fears they faced between those ages and how the comforted those fears. Every one of the 31 students had the Boogeyman as a fear in their early childhood, and each one used the covers on their bed to comfort themselves. You see the Boogeyman can't get you as long as the covers are over your head. This small task is the essence of Situational Learning. In this case, the students were able to connect because of a past situation they could relate to, even to the young Nick Adams in Indian Camp, when he witnesses the backwardness of birth and death. Situational Learning allows student to do three things:
1) Use prior knowledge
2) Add relevance to personal learning
3) Apply concepts, rather than just facts, to future situations
These students commented on how the "covers concept" of avoiding fears (rational or irrational, like the Boogeyman) only distances one from fears, instead of overcoming them. Now these students will be able to make critical choices about their future based in a concept learned in a situation , rather than from notes or a textbook.
Every objective taught in a classroom should hold the weight of this question: Can the concept or skill being taught be used by the learner in a relevant situation in their lives?
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First, I was the English teacher whose class you guided through the lesson you've described above, as you know. I think in addition to setting the foundation for students to relate to the information you were about to give them, you created a sense of anticipation in these students. Also, there was a sense of community, a sense of a shared experience--every student feared the Boogeyman. This bound the class together, and everyone seemed genuinely invested in the moment--a very difficult thing to accomplish on a regular basis within the classroom.
ReplyDeleteBut can this be done every single class? Theoretically, there is no question that it can. The trick is how to accomplish this effective teaching tool without it becoming rote or blase. How does one keep this novel?
Second, I think you have cut to the quick when you speak of relevance IN THEIR LIVES. However, there is still an enormous barrier that must be surmounted. The student has to be willing to invest in the lesson/experience. Even if a student can relate to the experience, they may simply refuse as a matter of defiance or protest. Certainly, these are things that are sometimes beyond the control of the teacher. But there is no question that relevancy will only enhance learning opportunities.