As a teacher, I admit that I have my days when I wonder if I did any good that day. Did I actually teach anything today? Did I make a difference? I have to cross my fingers and toes, wish on the third star to the right, and collect four leaf clovers as I hope to see some evidence of growth. Once in a very random while, when I'm not even trying that hard, a lesson happens and the response is so great that I feel like I am on top of the world. Of course, I use all of that uplifting energy to play it cool. "Oh...you liked that lesson? Ya, whatevs..." Then the students log off and the dance party commences (cue "Groove Is in the Heart" by the Deee-Lites).
One such lesson occurred a few weeks ago. We were in W.E.L.L. class and the topic was the adolescent brain. As someone who loves learning about the adolescent brain, I had planned this lesson with the hopes that the students would appreciate knowing what was going on inside their heads. We watched a short video and then had a discussion. The crazy thing was, I didn't even need to prompt a discussion. The video ended and all of the hands went up. Almost everyone in the class had something to share. Most of the comments went something like this:
- I always wondered why I forget details so quickly!
- I know what they were talking about - that's how I feel all the time!
- I can't believe that I understand why all these weird things are happening!
The comments and discussion went on so long that they forgot about their 10 minute break (which, rest assured, they NEVER forget about). I let them know that they could log off for their break, but only a few students did. The rest stayed on zoom and continued the discussion.
One aspect of the adolescent brain is that they are striving to be independent and they are struggling with the question of "Who am I?" Learning about the inner workings of their brains excited them. It gave them pieces to the puzzle that they did not have before. It was wonderful to watch them gain an understanding of how things are working and why things are happening as they do.
The moral of the story, I suppose, is three-fold:
- Students love learning about their brains. (Mental note: I should do that more often with them.)
- When students feel excited about a topic, they will have deep, meaningful discussions.
- The groove IS in the heart.
Dance on, friends.
-Ms. Danielle
