Today started with two hours of Map testing. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
In my classes today, we had a lot of fun. This was my 2 class day and they’re both DT 2 so we’re in building mode. They’re working on building shelters for their clients out of only paper. It has been super fun seeing them come up with interesting ways to connect their paper and make it stand on its own. There’s a little bit of everything, from making tiny paper pin joints to just twisting paper together, they have developed some great solutions.
Of course, there are also some students who are just stuck. They look at the challenge and just say, “I can’t do that”. I realized today that sometimes I get frustrated with those students a bit too quickly. I need to take the time to step back and recognize there is more at play than just a student giving up. There is a story behind the decision that goes well past the walls of my classroom. W
ith that in mind, my new mission is to stop and take a breath before I react to these students lack of progress and think more about how to help them see their own potential. How do I help these students find success and confidence in these challenges? I need to help set up some small successes for them so they can start to see a clearer path.
So as I challenge my students to stretch their own creativity, I need to practice what I preach. I need to stretch myself a bit and find ways to keep these students excited about learning and problem solving, because I want to set all my students up for the win, every time.
Ryan Harwood 