A repost:
Why should we transmit mere information to our students when we can transmit so much more: interest, meaning, fun? Maybe we could even transmit to them a reason to believe in life. Why teach merely to their minds?
Why not teach to their bodies and hearts as well? Maybe, if more of our kids’ teachers did that, we wouldn’t have so many shootings.
The problem is that most classes, except for art and music and classes and like that, don’t even do that. They don’t even try. They can’t transmit anything fun. So many classes are robotic and formulaic experiences for the kids. In some schools, kids hate art.
But in our classes, because of the nature of language, we can do more than merely transmit information – we can transmit so much more! We – little old us – can transmit levels of joy! I learned this from teaching my students and got a refresher course in it two summers ago from Kate Taluga.
What is joy? Anything that is interesting to the kids! Anything that they can feel in their bodies and laugh about. Anything compelling. Anything not so stuck in their minds. We can do it. We can do it if we really try. We can make the kids believe in themselves as learners. How about that?
Let’s try to keep this in heart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18EAqHx2lMk