Not Part of the Required Blogs... Just Reflecting

I was thinking about some of the teachers who presented information to the various classes I was in, and was considering why certain classes appealed to me, especially classes that I didn’t usually like.  Those of you who are history lovers disregard my next couple of statements.  I never liked history.  In fact, it was more of a torture class in my grueling block schedule in high school.  Honestly, I probably don’t remember a thing about it accept that my history teachers would sit on a tall stool regurgitating facts about this and that.  I was not thrilled to take history in college, seeing as my history path had already been paved with terrible memories.  I took New Mexico History in college (required) and went into it expecting the usual.  A hunched over elderly man walked in 5 minutes late and apologized because his dog just wouldn’t have him leaving at such a time.  This made everyone laugh.  The man wrote a few quick points on the board and all of a sudden shot to life using strange voices and unconventional (sometimes offensive) gestures to paint a picture of New Mexico before it was actually New Mexico.  The entire class was mesmerized and at the end he said in a ragged voice “that is all for the day.  Be on time for the next class.”  With a grin he picked up his books and hobbled out.  His voices, analogies, and actions in class made that history class the only one I ever liked and the only history class I could ever remember anything from. 

I thought about my students.  Most of them have directly pointed out that they don’t like science, but “it’s ok because you’re weird miss.”  I reflected on this, thinking “is that I’m going to get in trouble eventually for being severely unconventional weird or I’m just a geek and the things I say spark their interest weird…”  I know I do weird things like taking my students into the hall with a spool of string and arranging them into the orbits of the electron cloud with accurate orbital shapes.  Some of the other teachers frowned at this saying I was letting them play and that wasn’t teaching them anything.  I disagree.  I think the lessons they take part in are the ones they learn the most from.  I can stand at the front of the class all day and tell them about s, p, d, and f orbitals and most of them will look at me like I’m crazy and totally shut down.  Making them get up and apply these ideas is a whole new concept to most of them.  When they say “we don’t get them smart words you’re using.  So this chemical reaction stuff don’t mean a daaaa… I mean a dang thing to us.”  Then I know I have to approach it differently…  Ok, let’s blow something up… Yup they get it now.  Those two chemicals reacted, meaning the atoms making up the molecules were rearranged to make other molecules.  Ding, ding, ding!  Folks we have a winner!!!  Maybe, unconventional can be good...  Not popular with some of the other teachers, but what if that’s what some of these kids need and even the ones who are on track appreciate a pretty show every once in a while.