I taught Drama and Reading in my first year at Crazy Town. That year made me the teacher I am today. If I might say so myself, FABULOUS!!! I thought that I had learned, well...almost everything I needed to learn at Shortwood and the two schools I taught at before. But, three at teachers' college and two more years with what I now know to be "normal" students (and I am using normal loosely...remember Jon and the talking bus?) did not prepare me for finding out that I was sadly mistaken. Well maybe not sadly...because Crazy Town took me to school. I learned two extremely important lessons. Lessons every teacher MUST learn.
First, expect the unexpected. Second, NEVER MAKE ASSUMPTIONS. Here's how.
After learning how to use the body's natural motions, miming and sounds to express emotions we decided to have some fun. Each student in a Grade 8 class was asked to assume a character and an emotion. They would take turns playing for the class who would try to guess who this character was. I expected everyone except a very small boy who shrank to the back of the class every time I stepped into the room. He hardly showed interest and never turned in any assignments. A few times though I would catch him watching me or the others but he generally showed no interest. Everyone went to their spots and got ready. No movement from old boy. Not even a twitch.
Each student got up front and presented some mostly predictable characters: hungry person, beggar, coke head, gun man, various teachers and students. The usual. Time came for Mr. No Moves to share. I asked,"......would you like to share with the class today?" No response. I repeated the question and waited. This time he got up. The class went still (This would be the first time). He walked to the door and faced it, turning his back to the class. He pulled his shirt out of his pants and I prepared for another beggar type presentation. He turned and raced up the aisle, zigzagging between benches. He pulled on his hair and screamed "Raaaaaapppe!!!!!!" He shouted. He wailed. He shrieked. All the while jumping over benches, students, bags, the garbage bin. He finally threw himself to the floor and thrashed as he fought off unseen assailants. Then he got up. Pushed his shirt back in and went to his seat. The class was stunned.
I was floored. He had used every bit of available space in the room. He had mimed. He had used sound, facial expression, body language...everything we had been discussing for weeks. He had been listening and watching and learning!! He was innovative and gloriously unexpected. I gave him 100%.
Another day I was in a Grade 9 Reading class. We had just completed a vocabulary session and the students were writing sentences. They were not the brightest bulbs but they had heart. Nobody except them expected them to pass the Technical Entrance Exam for which they were being prepared. I like the class. They really tried. The class was quiet and I sat enjoying the peace when a boy came to my desk and whispered to me.
"Miss, you can spell something fi me."
" Ok. "
He put his book down bent over and said, " Spell a."
"Ummmm, what?"
" Spell A."
" A. You want me to spell a?"
He stared at me. "Yes."
" Ummm, well, just write a."
He wrote the letter and looked back at me expectantly.
"That's it." I said.
" Just a, Miss? Only a?"
"Yes."
"Miss, you sure?"
" I am sure."
He looked at his book, shook his head sceptically then smiled.
"Well, if you seh so, Miss."
I was never more surprised in my entire life. Here was a boy who could spell and use the word 'ambivalent' but did not know the first sound of that word. Something had to be done. I threw out the prescribed curriculum.
Now I start every group teaching only what needs to be learned. After that, I teach words like AMBIVALENT.
First, expect the unexpected. Second, NEVER MAKE ASSUMPTIONS. Here's how.
After learning how to use the body's natural motions, miming and sounds to express emotions we decided to have some fun. Each student in a Grade 8 class was asked to assume a character and an emotion. They would take turns playing for the class who would try to guess who this character was. I expected everyone except a very small boy who shrank to the back of the class every time I stepped into the room. He hardly showed interest and never turned in any assignments. A few times though I would catch him watching me or the others but he generally showed no interest. Everyone went to their spots and got ready. No movement from old boy. Not even a twitch.
Each student got up front and presented some mostly predictable characters: hungry person, beggar, coke head, gun man, various teachers and students. The usual. Time came for Mr. No Moves to share. I asked,"......would you like to share with the class today?" No response. I repeated the question and waited. This time he got up. The class went still (This would be the first time). He walked to the door and faced it, turning his back to the class. He pulled his shirt out of his pants and I prepared for another beggar type presentation. He turned and raced up the aisle, zigzagging between benches. He pulled on his hair and screamed "Raaaaaapppe!!!!!!" He shouted. He wailed. He shrieked. All the while jumping over benches, students, bags, the garbage bin. He finally threw himself to the floor and thrashed as he fought off unseen assailants. Then he got up. Pushed his shirt back in and went to his seat. The class was stunned.
I was floored. He had used every bit of available space in the room. He had mimed. He had used sound, facial expression, body language...everything we had been discussing for weeks. He had been listening and watching and learning!! He was innovative and gloriously unexpected. I gave him 100%.
Another day I was in a Grade 9 Reading class. We had just completed a vocabulary session and the students were writing sentences. They were not the brightest bulbs but they had heart. Nobody except them expected them to pass the Technical Entrance Exam for which they were being prepared. I like the class. They really tried. The class was quiet and I sat enjoying the peace when a boy came to my desk and whispered to me.
"Miss, you can spell something fi me."
" Ok. "
He put his book down bent over and said, " Spell a."
"Ummmm, what?"
" Spell A."
" A. You want me to spell a?"
He stared at me. "Yes."
" Ummm, well, just write a."
He wrote the letter and looked back at me expectantly.
"That's it." I said.
" Just a, Miss? Only a?"
"Yes."
"Miss, you sure?"
" I am sure."
He looked at his book, shook his head sceptically then smiled.
"Well, if you seh so, Miss."
I was never more surprised in my entire life. Here was a boy who could spell and use the word 'ambivalent' but did not know the first sound of that word. Something had to be done. I threw out the prescribed curriculum.
Now I start every group teaching only what needs to be learned. After that, I teach words like AMBIVALENT.