"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken
joy in creative expression and knowledge. "
- Albert Einstein
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The Wall of "Why"
I am so thankful to have another teacher in my family who has experienced some similar situations - the only difference is she teaches Kindergarten. She and I went out for a movie and dinner this past weekend, and she had mentioned to me how she wishes she could help her little ones find meaning with learning. Kindergarten is tough; for some of these children it's their first experience being immersed into a school environment. My cousin struggles with the lack of parental participation in her class. She worries for her students, because at their young age, it's vital for them to have an excitement for learning. I expressed to her my concern for my students now and in the future for finding meaning in their education. She gave me one of the most amazing ideas for a high school classroom. Her brother, who is a nurse, was required to create a poster for their "Wall of Why". His instructors told them that at points the [nursing] students will be completely fed up with the program, they will have really bad days, and they will make terrible mistakes; however, through this they need to remember the sole meaning as to why they are there. Therefore, they were required to create a poster with pictures, anything to be posted on their "Wall of Why" to remind them of what their purpose is, what their goals are, where they want to be at the end of the nursing program. Can someone say light bulb!
So, of course, I'm game for creating a "Wall of Why" for my students - the end is hard to see for high-schoolers, they need to be constantly reminded of their goals, their purpose in school and where they want to be after high school. I would be more than happy to sacrifice a wall of decorations, or even blank hallway space for a wall of purpose. I've even thought that a "Wall of Why" would be great for a teacher, maybe not a wall, but something to remind us of why we're teaching. A "Wall of Why" could be used for anything, healthier lifestyle, being a better person, teaching, or anything else.
Written purpose is much stronger, powerful and permanent than a thought of purpose that only lingers. The Mark Twain quote above would be great to add to the "Wall of Why", as well as the quote to the right.
I personally have struggles sometimes with making excuses and refusing to "find a way." I know that there are certain things that I am not good at doing, (i.e. test taking, staying committed to losing weight) but I know that in order to become a teacher I have to pass the Praxis test, in order to be healthy I have to work my body, and eat healthy foods. I have to find that purpose, and determination to be the best that I can be - why would I expect less of myself, or of my students? Hopefully you'll be inspired to create your own "Wall of Why", or "Paper of Purpose", this could be a great first day of school lesson plan - the best part is that their purpose is on the wall year-round, so when a reminder is needed, they can go to the "Wall of Why" and read why they are there.
"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." - Ralph Waldo Emerson as for those of us trying to find motivation to be healthier... "The best things in life make you sweaty." - Edgar Allen Poe
(The authorship of this quote is questionable, but hey! I always need motivation to go exercise - haha!)
Find meaning in your life - dream until your dreams come true. Live long and prosper, friends! Ms. Aden
Wow! The "wall of why" is an inspirational idea that I could use as a motivator for anything - teaching, fitness, meditation, religion, etc. I can especially see myself using this with my students in the future, either as an educational goal (as mentioned above) or as a personal "wall" that they can hang up at home or in the classroom that will motivate them to achieve their personal goals, whatever they may be. I just have to say thank you for sharing. I can't wait to steal some more ideas... haha.
I LOVE this! I think having a portion of a bulletin board in the classroom prepped for a "Wall of Why" the first day would be fantastic. Then, in our community building stuff, we can put things on it right away. It would all tie in: getting to know each other, making class goals, forming that community. Thanks for sharing, Amber!
I think the lack of parental participation that you mentioned earlier in your post is one of the things that I am most worried about in my classroom and it is slighlty disheartening that a Kindergarten teacher is experiencing this problem too. As a teacher I hope to rely a lot on the parental part of my student's education. They are a vital part of the student's life and have insights to personality traits and pet peeves that may only be expressed in school as acting out. With a strong home base and interactive parents, the students will see that adults care about what they are doing and will learn that school does matter and they should care about it.
I also enjoyed learning about the "Wall of Why" and I immediately thought this would be a good ice breaker for high school students. Have them create a poster to put on the wall of why so that throughout the school year, when they are struggling to stay on track, they can look back at their poster and get the boost that they need to push through their current problem to become what the aspire to be.
Wow! The "wall of why" is an inspirational idea that I could use as a motivator for anything - teaching, fitness, meditation, religion, etc. I can especially see myself using this with my students in the future, either as an educational goal (as mentioned above) or as a personal "wall" that they can hang up at home or in the classroom that will motivate them to achieve their personal goals, whatever they may be. I just have to say thank you for sharing. I can't wait to steal some more ideas... haha.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this! I think having a portion of a bulletin board in the classroom prepped for a "Wall of Why" the first day would be fantastic. Then, in our community building stuff, we can put things on it right away. It would all tie in: getting to know each other, making class goals, forming that community. Thanks for sharing, Amber!
ReplyDeleteI think the lack of parental participation that you mentioned earlier in your post is one of the things that I am most worried about in my classroom and it is slighlty disheartening that a Kindergarten teacher is experiencing this problem too. As a teacher I hope to rely a lot on the parental part of my student's education. They are a vital part of the student's life and have insights to personality traits and pet peeves that may only be expressed in school as acting out. With a strong home base and interactive parents, the students will see that adults care about what they are doing and will learn that school does matter and they should care about it.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed learning about the "Wall of Why" and I immediately thought this would be a good ice breaker for high school students. Have them create a poster to put on the wall of why so that throughout the school year, when they are struggling to stay on track, they can look back at their poster and get the boost that they need to push through their current problem to become what the aspire to be.