 |
| Click to hear podcast |
It was a responsibility I
took seriously as the head class counselor for the twelfth grade. Several
teachers and I served as advisors for these young people four years earlier
that culminated with a retreat under my leadership for three days when they became seniors. It
was part of the validation component the school
embraced to complement the rigorous academic program, appealing to the social
emotional child. We departed from school
at eight a.m. and made the six-hour bus trip to a YMCA camp in the northern
part of the state. Unlike school, it included outdoor military-style events on
ropes and other devices to encourage personal and team challenges under the guidance
of trained outdoor education counselors. It was a camp-like venue and affirmed
students with small and large group interactive gatherings including
testimonials and talent shows. I was involved in several these during my career
which proved to be a unique, once in a lifetime, feel-good endeavor for
students.
It was novel, unlike a
school day with the routine of classes and all the components that make the
school year seem long and uneventful. The night campfires, hikes through the
wilderness, and the cabin atmosphere were a stark contrast to the school
hallways, a catalyst for students undergoing an emotional transformation and
reckoning of where they were relative to their peer group, a few hundred miles
from home. We encouraged one another through the strenuous obstacle courses and
sharing sessions, activating psychomotor, cognitive, and emotional functions.
A special visitation to my classroom
I had an incredible number
of novel experiences as a student through my graduate school days and wanted to
provide the same for my pupils. I realized early in my career that novelty maintained student
attention and activated both their interest and thinking levels. In fact, the
retreats were events the
administration and faculty took
seriously because of their novelty, a selling point to attract students to our
school, and provide an uplifting experience amidst the day to day school
schedule.
Novelty was the code word
also when our school entertained a visitation by the eighth grade to the high
school to give them a perspective on their next four years. The school's
admissions office carefully scripted it to show off the high school and help in
the transition to ninth grade. It included several novel experiences that
surely left an impression on these eighth graders that would be communicated to
their parents when they got home.
Here is what transpired:
1. They
partnered with members of the eleventh grade because they would be their
twelfth-grade 'buddies' the following year serving as tour guides, orienting
them to key areas around the high school.
2. They
visited the first three classes of the eleventh graders.
3. All
the students did a bee-line to the foyer on the first floor where bagels,
juice, and donuts were served during the 15-minute recess at 9:40 a.m. It was a
sea of humanity as the whole high school with the visitors crowded into the
foyer.
4. The
juniors in my chemistry course brought their eighth graders into the class, a
double-period lab session upon request from the admissions department to
entertain the group for this laboratory. I was reluctant because it entailed
mixing reagents but went ahead because the middle school had a physical science
course that incorporated chemicals in their program.
The eighth graders
crowded in the room next to their mentors in chairs brought in for this special
class visitation for what would turn out to be one of the most inspiring
moments of my career. I did a pre-lab presentation in the same room they would
occupy three years later taking the same course, dutifully taking notes, and
asking questions alongside my students! All eyes were on me as I explored one
of the most important tenets of science: The Law of Conservation of Energy,
outlining the steps and calling attention to the dangers associated with some
of the reagents. We reviewed the theoretical aspects of this subject and the
lab would prove to be a valuable application of the principles.
It got interesting in
ways that I did not anticipate after they went back to the lab and started the
process outlined in the manual. My students were incredibly patient as they
explained how to use each apparatus, with some groups allowing the
eighth-graders to do most of the work – measuring, pouring, stirring, weighing.
I could hear my students vocalizing instructions: "add 25 milliliters of the 0.1 molar
hydrochloric acid into the Erlenmeyer flask. It is this tube here – just pour
up to here, to the line marked 25. Then add this to the calorimeter cup. Nice
job. Keep the eye goggles on……." There was a chorus of eighth-grade
chatter, too: "This is so interesting" "Could we come back next
week and do a lab again with you?" Both parties were engrossed in what
they were doing. I saw outstanding mentoring, admittedly distraught the evening
before because the admissions team talked me into having the eighth graders in
my room for such a serious investigation but uplifted because it turned out
splendidly. How could I predict that my students would be so mature when given
this challenge? Of course, lab experiences are very engrossing for children,
but it was novel for everyone involved, perhaps to the level of thrill for the
eighth graders, as they were validated as science thinkers by
the upperclassmen, who were given license to set the agenda in the lab.
There was plenty of talk,
too, about visitations to the other classes, the dynamic of my colleagues as
content areas facilitators, and the sophistication of the lessons they were
encountering that day. I worked with talented colleagues and they made a big
impression on the young people that day.
5. Both
lunch periods were blended into a full hour venue using the cafeteria and adjoining
foyer spaces. The food was first rate and the kitchen staff excelled this day.
Students were free to roam, and a bluegrass band performed on the lawn area
adjacent to the school.
6. An
assembly was planned which featured renditions by various musicians from the
high school and a short drama production from Shakespeare's Macbeth. Everyone squeezed into the
theater and enjoyed the presentation.
Okay, I'll admit the high
school overextended itself, but felt it was appropriate to impress the eighth graders,
representing a microcosm of what transpired in the high school throughout the
year. There was a coffee that evening, too, for the eighth-grade parents, and
the high school administrators discussed the workings of the division and
answered questions, particularly concerns about grades and homework loads – issues that
come up every year. The entire day was choreographed well and the eighth-grade
community (students and parents) were satisfied with what awaited them in the
years to come.
I noticed a significant
amount of face-to-face interaction – well
above the norm for a school day. Interaction between the high school and middle
school students was prevalent as witnessed by the look of respect and
admiration showered on the eleventh graders by their charges. The close-order
proximity between students in a
laboratory situation was critical because of the need to communicate
instructions, and the eleventh graders gained confidence as they were given
considerable leverage while expediting their leadership role. It was a novel day as the dopaminergic
effect kept people attentive.
As an institution grounded in student advocacy and respect, the
administration could not be happier –
they planned a novel day and again demonstrated that the institution affirms
and values people: the eighth graders, their parents, and the faculty.
Hard to sustain the novelty
However, the novelty of a school year
diminishes as the combination of tests, quizzes, homework load, athletic, and
drama commitments weigh heavily on students producing a fair amount of monotony
and some stress. That brings up the question:
Can a school sustain
novelty throughout a school
year? Novelty is inherent during the first two weeks in September after the
three-month vacation, as students are reacquainted with their friends, finding
their new teachers and courses interesting because the freshness of the
experience coupled with the pleasant early fall outdoors. However, the 2009
High School Survey of Student Engagement Project (HSSSE) revealed that
two-thirds are bored or essentially not connected to school.1
The novelty wears thin because the
processes that were interesting at first are now routine as the renewal of
friendships ends and the scenery is all too familiar. The brain anticipates
rewards and seeks interesting opportunities, but repetition and commonality
prevail, losing in the competition with the media and poor sleep habits.
Teens and happiness
Perhaps the most
definitive correlation between novelty and school was
conducted through a happiness study in children sixth through twelfth grade.
The students wore special wristwatches that sent random signals between 7:30
a.m. to 10:30 p.m. for one week. It encompassed twelve communities,
thirty-three different schools, and eight hundred participants. Upon receiving
the signal, the students completed a questionnaire.
Are you surprised by the
results? The lowest level of happiness was when students were in school and the
highest level occurred when they were out of school conversing or playing with
friends particularly on weekends but dipped by Sunday afternoon in anticipation
of the coming school week, when they would lose control of their time management and activity schedule. The authors concluded
with what I consider the most significant quote in this book:
Teenagers ascribe
happiness to their moods when they are in situations of relative freedom, in
the company of age-mates, able to engage in flow activities that stretch their skills and makes them feel
alive and proud.2
The survey was extensive
and Csikszentmihalyi and Hunter noted that happiness
correlated with several factors such as extraverted lifestyle, being in the
company of people, and performing high skill challenges. They found that gifted
teenagers who enjoy exercising their talents such as mathematics, music,
science, art, and athletics will set an agenda to practice that talent in high
school. Moreover, young people who engage in studying tend to be happier,
building psychological capital for the spectrum of opportunities they can
pursue later in life. There was no correlation between happiness and financial
affluence since teens are less happy in a suburban lifestyle that is sterile,
for instance, because they have few opportunities to express themselves.
That said, is it the
responsibility of schools to make students happy in the classroom? Is it even
fair to put pressure on teachers beyond the nurturing of content area lesson plans to give
children an emotional lift? I do not believe it is the responsibility of a
school to serve as adult cheerleaders but think it important, nevertheless, to
acknowledge Csikszentmihalyi and Hunter's findings that generate happiness in teens:
"situations of relative freedom, in the company of age-mates, able to
engage in flow activities that stretch their
skills."
In that regard, consider
that human interaction is a key factor in personal fulfillment. We are a highly
social species and communication between parties involve various sectors of our
intelligence. Furthermore, limiting interaction by requiring children to be
quiet and audio-attentive in a facts-based curriculum through most of the
school day disenfranchises up to two-thirds of a student body, limiting the key
initiative of schools: cognitive processing of content areas and facilitation of higher-level
reasoning skills. The
audio-attentive facts-based classroom curtails the socialization and friendship
that perpetuate "flow activities that stretch their
skills". What is recommended
then is assertive and validated engagement, the kind
that puts students in a turned-on energetic mode throughout a classroom period.
After you have established the tone you desire and outlined the parameters of
your curriculum, give the students opportunities to run the class. Students
appreciate your integrity and trust, and are happy in that environment because
they gain a sense of control, including collegiality and tolerance, as they are immersed in your subject. I am amazed that
students conduct themselves as well as they do in restrictive environments,
contrary to their energy and thinking potentials, mainly out of respect for
their teachers and the carrot associated with getting a diploma, avoid failure,
or dodge admonishment.
Schools are so consumed
with the administrative day to day operation, that little time is spent
brainstorming on novel inclusions that allow for student expression or
"engage in flow activities" or creative dreaming. Elevated levels of focus and
motivation occur when interaction is permitted at both
school-wide and classroom levels.
To embrace the range of students at the
institution level, I suggest the following novel activities with some more
feasible depending on the size of the school, affirming them as members of a
valued community. In addition to this list I recommend the school
administration create a slate of
novel, and whenever possible, interactive activities at all levels. I will discuss
classroom innovations in subsequent chapters.
1
Merge lunch
periods once a month with musical entertainment (individual guitarist or
bluegrass groups are good for this setting). Allow the students to eat with
their friends in areas around the school. Have the kitchen staff make
sandwiches for the occasion to expedite the process. Plan a special assembly
with surprise speakers or student musical talents on display.
2
Have
themed dress days. Those that feature regional sports team jerseys work well.
3
Divide
the school into four divisions of mixed grades that represent competition in
community service and other contests where points are accumulated, and a
final contest day is held in June, with a winner picked for the school year.
4
Coordinate
tutoring or games between high school and the lower grades.
5
Institute
overnight or all-day retreats with an outdoor education camp in your
region. Many are in the United States and the counselors are trained to
provide communication and physical challenges for students that build
camaraderie and
cooperation. If travel is a problem, have the counselors come to your school
and perform the events.
6
Have at
least one recess every day. Students perform better in
classes following a recess period.
7
Coordinate
field trips to places in your region including planetariums, hands-on nature centers, natural science museums, art
museums, nursing homes, historical sites, archeological sites, government
buildings, processing plants. Have an objective and procure handouts from
these places ahead of time.
8
Establish
an assembly program. If the theater cannot hold your entire student body,
break it into sections. There are a sizable number of possibilities here
including speakers from your school and local colleges. Your students and
faculty can display their music and drama talents. Special interest
assemblies related to trips and experiences are
appreciated. Have question and answer sessions, too.
9
Embellish
your advising program to include opportunities for one on one chats between
the advisor and student to discuss academic progress and interests. The close
order interaction between a student and adult in
conversation is healthy. The advisor should be part of the school's parent
conference schedule.
10
Allow
secondary school students to find a personal space in the building where they
can hang out when not in class. Being part of the school yearbook, for
instance, offers an office. Band and orchestra rooms served that purpose for
many of my peers. In some schools, students have a carrel in a room or
library that they keep supplies and other personal items.
Validate
and Empower: Augustus Klock and Robert Oppenheimer
|
|
Robert
Oppenheimer
Theoretical physicist and
head of the Los Alamos Laboratory
Department of Energy, Office of Public Affairs
|
"It
is almost forty-five years since Augustus Klock taught me
physics and chemistry. He loved these sciences both as craft and knowledge.
He loved the devices of the laboratory, and the great discoveries that had
been made before, and the view of nature – part order, part puzzle, that is
the condition of science. But above all, he loved young people, to whom he
hoped to give some touch, some taste, some love of life, and in whose
awakening he saw destiny." [Klock commented: "He [Oppenheimer] was so
brilliant that no teacher would have been skillful enough to prevent him from
getting an education."] (p.40)
Monk, R., (2013)
Robert Oppenheimer: A Life Inside the Center, Anchor Publishers
|
References
1. Bunge,
S., Mackey, Hill, Stone, (2011). Differential effects of reasoning and speed
training in children, Developmental
Science, Volume 14, Issue 3, 582–590
2. Steriade,
M., (1996). Arousal: Revisiting the reticular activating system. Science 272 (5259): 225–226.
3. Phelps
E., (2004). Human emotion and memory: interactions of the amygdala and
hippocampal complex, Curr Opin Neurobiol.
Apr; 14(2):198-202.
4. Arias-Carrión
O., Pöppel E. (2007). Dopamine, learning and reward-seeking
behavior. Act Neurobiol Exp 67 (4): 481–488.
5. Alberts,
B., Essential Cell Biology 3rd ed. (2009). New York: Garland
Science.
6. Jenkins,
I., Brooks, D., Nixon, P., Frackowiak, R., and Passingham, R., (2009). Motor
sequence learning: a study with positron emission tomography, The Journal of Neuroscience, 1 June 1994,
14(6): 3775-3790
7. Bloom,
B., Engelhart, M., Furst, E., Hill, W., Krathwohl, D., (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The
classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New
York: David McKay Company.
8. Ericsson,
K., (2006). The Influence of Experience and Deliberate Practice on the
Development of Superior Expert Performance, Cambridge
Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance, Cambridge University Press,
685-706
9. Bloom,
B., (1985). Developing Talent in Young
People, Ballantine
