Transforming the Space —
Cultivating a Flower Garden
“Alright welcome back, it’s great to see you all again! We’ve got a lot to get through today so let’s dive right in. Today’s learning targets are…”
Did I lose you, yet? If you’re one of the 26 rectangular boxes in my social studies class then the answer is likely, yes. But, to be truthfully honest, I don’t blame you one bit. Logging into a class and listening to your teacher share content that doesn’t feel relevant to you couldn’t possibly hold your attention for more than a few seconds. It is like lifeless soil, the nutrients might be there but without proper TLC, a flower garden won’t grow. But then how do we teach? How do we transform the soil into something more? What should it look like?
Under “normal” circumstances I’d be able to share countless strategies for engaging students. This year isn’t normal, and truth be told, I don’t have the answer to this question and like countless other educators adapting to pandemic teaching, I’m working tirelessly to figure it out.
As I think about where I’ve been so far this school year, there was a moment when my virtual classroom felt alive. It felt like so much more than just a one-way transaction of knowledge. It felt reciprocal. What was so different about that moment?
I was listening to my students more than they were listening to me.
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Insert C3WP. If you’re unfamiliar with the acronym, it stands for College, Career, and Community Writers Program and is a professional development program offered through the National Writing Project. Within this approach, students read various texts and interact with them by noticing and naming what information resonates with them, questions they might have, connections they make, and how the text is impactful. Discussions with peers show how their thinking grows or changes with each new text in the set.
In social studies, we use this program as an inquiry tool for students to learn content, write and revise claims, and support these claims with evidence.
In the first quarter, students learned about the American Revolution. There’s the acts, and the protests, there’s the battles and the boycotts, we touched on all of the essential topics. The seed was planted.
At the end of the unit, students chose a current individual they knew a lot about. This figure could have a political background, they could be a famous singer/songwriter, an athlete, really anyone who had one of the following identities: African American, Indigenous, or a woman as these were the marginalized groups during the American Revolution. Students chose figures like Michelle Obama, Billie Eilish, Jason Reynolds, Myron Lizer, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to name a few. With each additional text read, students determined, based on what they know about the current individual, if that person would have sided with the Loyalists (who were loyal to the British crown), the Patriots (colonists fighting for independence from Britain), or if they’d remain neutral. Ideas sprouted.
By writing their thoughts and discussing in small groups after each new text was presented, students shared how their thinking had shifted based on the new text. Students received feedback from their peers, they agreed and disagreed respectfully, and authentic conversations blossomed.
As I reflect on this unit, and think about what made it feel so different from the Groundhog Day-ness of the rest of the virtual school year thus far, I think it was the listening. For the first time, I was able to truly listen to my students and watch them deeply engage with the learning process. I entered breakout rooms hearing voices that didn’t stop when they noticed I’d entered, but rather kept their fruitful conversations flowing.
When I started this virtual teaching journey, I was so concerned about what I was getting from the students. I needed to see their faces. I needed to know everything about them. I needed to know if they were learning and what they were learning. I was so worried about what I needed from them, my eyes weren’t open to what they needed from me. They needed me to listen. Now that my eyes are open, I can truly see the beautiful garden that’s been cultivated.
Looking forward, I plan to utilize the C3WP structure when possible, allowing students to engage in meaningful learning experiences through inquiry. We will dig into the Electoral College and discuss the various positions on its purpose and function in our government system. C3WP works because it allows all students to access the content. Student opinions and thoughts matter through this process, and in addition they are developing the skills of writing a claim and supporting it with evidence and reasoning. Even if I’m not using C3WP, I want the learning to matter to my students.
