Yesterday on the way to Z I had time to stop at a coffee shop for a break. I knew I would have time to do some work so I brought a book on teaching writing and my notebook for free writing. When my sandwich and coffee arrived I had to decide what I would do. I decided to free write on a topic worrying me at the moment and as a result made a decision which turned out to be an important one.
I wrote:
“I have been thinking a lot about cutting the course down from 60 hours to 30 hours. I can see myself making a lot of mistakes. At the moment it is irrelevant that I don’t agree with the cut in hours or that I am frustrated that I had no say in the matter. What is relevant now is how I choose to use those 30 hours available to me and I how I make them significant enough for the teachers to come back for more.
I must be wary of trying to pack too much into too little time. What I can see happening is me racing through the “material” and not letting the teachers talk, collaborate on and process what is being learned. Slow down should be my message to myself. Giving the teachers time to discuss what they have been doing in the classroom since the last session is not a waste of time – it is reflection, it is socially processing the new knowledge.
If each teacher presents her peers with a short oral narrative on something she is doing in her classroom or reflects aloud on questions she is dealing with, these must be seen as real learning activities.
I believe that in this way, the teacher participants will be more active in their learning, they will be taking responsibility for putting new knowledge into practice. They will possibly be made more aware of their learning.
last year at K there were a few teachers who complained that the course was too theoretical. They weren’t actively involved and didn’t understand that the activities and strategies presented could and should be explored in the classroom. If I had given 10 minutes at the beginning of each session for discussion in small groups, they would have heard what their peers were experiencing.”
When I finished my free writing (and my snack), I made a decision to change the timetable for the session. I really had planned too much. After the session I was convinced that I had made the right decision. The discussions and the writing exercises really were essential.
This decision will mean that that there will be topics I don’t touch this year but tht is realistic when I remember that I only have 30 hours…
Image: http://www.everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=240700
It sounds like the freewrite worked for you Nikki – maybe the coffee helped! … such a warm, welcoming picture on opening up thesisthoughts tonight.
Your advice seems sound: slow down… Maybe less will be more: less material… but more talk and active participation.
I like your comment that a short oral narrative or reflecting aloud with peers “must be seen as real learning activities.” And what better way to get the teachers actively involved in thinking about their practices. They may then make stronger connections to the theory in your course. What aspects of writing do you look at in this course?