Tuned In and Fired Up

Mr. Quinn was able to craft compelling classroom experiences which left his students with enduring memories of his lessons. His goal was to have moments of potent teaching in order to help his students achieve moments of inspired learning. One of the qualities that helped set Mr. Quinn apart from his colleges was that he really tried to learn with his students and not just teach them. He was continually questioning himself, Did I reach and make contact in a way that I knew they existed even though they may slide to the back of the room? to gauge the effectiveness of his teaching. Mr. Quinn was always very candid with his students, even as far as letting them know that a previous days lesson had not accomplished the desired results that he had hoped for. I believe in his being honest with his students, it gave him more credibility. In being open with his students and not afraid to share his own experiences with them he was doing the exact thing he was asking them to do: open up and share their own feelings, opinions, and experiences. I believe, this helped let the students know where he was coming from, helped let them know that he was once in their shoes, and also at times wasnt buying what they were selling. I believe, one successful teaching strategy he demonstrated was to relate the material he was teaching to the students. Students bring with them, into the classroom, a wealth of knowledge. In order to make a lesson engaging, one should connect it to the students prior knowledge. It helps a student to have a foundation or framework to attach their new learning to. It is wise to use a students interest where youre able to in order to better engage them in an exercise and help them find how its relevant to them. By using the grassy baseball field, Mr. Quinn was able to take a familiar object that students saw on a daily basis and have them look past it to the intricate layers beneath. Being patient with the students while they grabbed hold of the assignment and gained meaning from it can be difficult, but a very

necessary part of this lesson. Through doing this, students were able to draw meaning from the texture, color, and movement and become acutely aware of their environment and surroundings. This is easier said than done when a teacher is working in an environment where such high values are placed upon productivity. Encouraging students to find a deeper understanding takes time, time for them to make connections. As Jerry states, So I started to just look and look at this little plot of ground. All of a sudden it jumped out at me that this grass was a world a universe. As the author points out, He moves from a blunt, imperceptive encounter with the plot of grass to one where his full sensory apparatus is tuned in and active. No teacher is able to verbally teach the type of experience Jerry had while sitting in the ball field. Classroom climate and the ability to build a sense of community in ones classroom is another part of being an effective teacher and encourage genuine learning to happen. For the most part classrooms are not places that foster deeply personal thoughts and emotions. A student must feel a safe and valued member of a group before they will have any type of revealing conversation. Mr. Quinn used the text Huck Finn to create a context for a conversation on a time in your life you feel you matured. Such a conversation would not have been possible if Mr. Quinn hadnt been able to build an environment where the students felt respected and valued. One of the most important reasons that this lesson went so well is that Arnie, one of the students in the class felt as though it was time to have an important in depth conversation. Without Arnies help, Mr. Quinn would not have been able to get the discussion off the ground in such a way. Mr. Quinn had to structure the conversation in such a way as too not undermined Arnies role and break into the conversation. His contribution to the discussion was conversant rather than didactic. The important thing to remember in this type of lesson is that you cant have a deep discussion like the one room 36

had about how they matured, unless the students want to, they respect each other, and they can relate to each other. In Mr. Quinns assignment where he has the student write about the poem Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy he touches upon students need to make sense of the world. In this poem several of the girls in his class related with the poem and were able to make sense of their actions because of it. Through the classes discussions the boys who had not really related to this poem were able to see the intense meaning the female students had for it and were able to gain a new respect for them and the obstacles they face. Furthermore, students gained a new respect for volunteering with youngsters. In this program students were allowed to miss Mr. Quinns class to go to a elementary school to read to Kindergarten students. They found a deep appreciation for helping others and found that learning is about relationships. They gained confidence and real world experience when they decided to write a grant proposal to purchase books for the children they were reading to. I believe Mr Quinns shadow pedagogy was key in supporting the students through the grant proposal. This is the type of role he strives for in his class, being a supportive background player who allows the students strive for their own success. Mr. Quinn told us we were going to think like John Steinbeck. What we usually have to do is learn what Steinbeck or some historian said. We dont learn to be like them., Trey described after the plot of grass lesson was done. I agree with Treys assessment. I believe as I went through school a lot of emphasis was placed on teachers standing up in front of the class talking. For the most part, there was little to no active learning like the exercises described here in this book, which is such a shame. I believe that these students will carry these lessons with them and always remember the time when Mr. Quinn made them do these lessons.

Fortunately, I had a similar experience when I was in fifth grade. Her name was Mrs. Carlson and she used a lot of activities such as these. One such example was, after spending months learning about the gold rush and history at that time, we were allowed to go out and have our own Pioneer day. Students were grouped in families and we headed out in search of our own plot of land to start our new future. Thanks to the fourth graders, we even had our own attacking Indians (fifth graders). By experiencing and living the exercise, active knowledge was gained. It has been more than a decade since I was in fourth grade, yet I can still feel the excitement and wonder of waiting at the starting line to go claim our homestead. I can still feel how oppressive the dress for woman were during that time period by the long skirt and long sleeves that I had on. I cannot tell you about the times I sat bored in a classroom listening to a teacher drone on and on, but I can vividly still experience this one particular lesson from fourth grade. I have had a few teachers along the way after fourth grade that have touched on some examples of what Mr. Quinn showed. My seventh grade teacher was always on stage and was able to make us learn magically though acting out the scenes in history and my ninth grade teacher enjoyed having us write about controversial topics as abortion and book burning. I believe that is the secret to a good teacher, one who allows the student to learn in a relevant and meaningful way. I enjoyed how Mr. Quinn wanted to think outside of the box, because they werent responding to the Steinbeck lesson the way he had hoped. He was able to reflect on the previous days lesson and make adjustments to his current lesson plan to gain the outcome he wanted. The saying, Dont beat a dead horse, comes to mind. If something in a lesson plan isnt working or didnt achieve its intended goal, go at it from another angle. I believe in teaching like this is a require skill. A teacher will have a classroom of students from different walks of life, with different abilities and not all will respond to a lesson that is taught the same.

I believe that the plot of grass exercise is useful and plan on using it in my future Earth Science classroom. It allow students to take a closer look at the environment they live in, able to lead students to having insights about their own lives, and helps give students a better perspective of their place in the Universe. This is a wonderful way to help teach the aspect of observations without using judgment. I find the way Mr. Quinn taught to be inspiring. I believe that the way he looks at weighty issues and looks to discuss them and make sense out of them is another area that I hope to be like him. I believe that science is a wonderful place to discuss the problems of society and explore solutions to them. I believe that students shouldnt stop asking why and pressing for answers. Some of these issues may be controversial like the banning Huck Finn because of the use of nigger. Just because something is controversial, that doesnt mean it should be discussed; if anything, it should be discussed more. I believe this falls in line with issues like evolution in science. I look to write lessons plans that address my content goals while also allowing students the opportunity to learn more about the world and themselves. I believe that the exercises I introduce will need to be engaging and innovative and spark students imagination for the subject area I will teach. I truly believe every great teacher is a performer and as such, I will need to work on perfecting the deliverance of mine.