Today - we read Act One of Merchant of Venice. We've watched the film, we've looked at modern translations and plot synopses for each of the acts. We've studied two speeches to familiarise ourselves with the language. Today, it was into the reading. I started, saying I'd read to them until they got the hang of the language. Well. That took 152 lines!! By then the kids were begging to take control. They wanted to read. They wanted to participate. Get out of the way Miss, you're obstructing my learning!! They didn't say that out loud, but the tone of the language (verbal and visual) was screaming to me that they wanted to be involved in their education, not just the passive recipients of knowledge.
See, that would have freaked me out in the last two years. Do it your way? Are you serious? Uhmmm... no. I'm the teacher, I know what you need better than you do. This year, however, with all the support and encouragement I've had from my enabling friends, handing control over to the students has been amazing. I loved that they wanted to take control - and so the reigns have been handed over. They tell me what they want and need to learn, and I fit it to the curriculum.
So, again today the students were in control. The parts were fought over, compromises were made, and they read it. At the end, my task for them was to draw a story board in their books of the Act (yes, I do still use paper. I learned last week to meet the kids where they're at in terms of devices). I wanted them to create a visual interpretation of the text to make sure they understood what they had just read. I thought it was an awesome idea. Boys especially like visual stuff, apparently.
The groan my kids gave me! Wow. Boy was I wrong. They did not want to draw a story board - so I threw it out to them. "Hands up - tell me what you want to do to show your understanding of the Act". The responses:
- Make a movie
- Give a 3-minute speech about the act
- Create a static image
- Write on the windows
- Write a summary in my book
- Look up a modern translation and plot summary because I still don't understand
They had amazing ideas - much better than mine. The kids were so engaged - they loved it! As I circulated checking their understanding they were all working at the level that they needed to. Personalised learning for the win!! Most importantly - they were engaged and they were demonstrating their understanding and processing the information in the way that they needed to. I was blown away.
My 10s were amazing - my 11s earlier in the day had some great insight too.
My all-time favourite film to teach is Freedom Writers. I've taught it a few times in my two years of teaching and each time I can teach it differently, depending on the class I have. This time through, we're using the film to examine issues that face education. The kids are loving it! They love telling me how to do my job. I posed this question to them today:
(the scene: Teacher Erin Gruwell was looking for texts that would engage her specific learners and was meeting resistance from her HoF who was vetoing her choices).
I had two amazing responses which my students have allowed me to share:
Students should have their own voice in setting the curriculum so as to avoid prejudiced expectations.
LOVE IT!!
Students voice should be included in setting the curriculum because students won't learn what they don't want to, if there [sic] voiced is included they will learn more on what interests them.
My kids are honestly the most amazing learners when they are given a voice and given the space to learn how they need to learn.
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