All About Teaching >> Instruction Strategies >> The power of just one word...
The power of just one word...
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Posted 3 months ago During the years that I was a classroom teacher I learned a creativity technique that can be applied to EVERY classroom by ALL teachers. Surprisingly, few take advantage of it. What's this earth shattering technique? It can be summed up in just one word: Ask. I asked people I knew and people I didn't know if they could help me in my classroom. Here's a brief list of how asking helped me and my students: 1. During my last semester in college (a million years ago) I worked as an intern to a member of the New York City Council. I got to know the Director of Research. He went on to become a NYC Civil Court Judge. When I was part of a law studies program, I contacted him and he invited my class to his courtroom where we put on a mock trial...with him as the judge. 2. My wife reads Country Woman magazine, even though we are city slickers from NYC. There was an article about a teacher in a one-room school house in Nebraska. I sent her a letter asking if she wanted her students to be pen pals with mine. She (who besides being the teacher was a rancher) agreed...and we are still friends. 3. As part of the law studies program, I asked a pathologist (who happens to be my brother-in-law) to speak to the students about forensics. He did...everyone enjoyed it. 4. As part of American History I spoke about quill pens. I knew an expert on the subject who came in and demonstrated how to cut and use quill pens. The one thing I learned is that if you don't ask, you'll never get someone to help. The worst that can happen is that they will say no. I was very lucky...no one ever said no. Ask! |
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| Posted 3 months ago I agree. Asking is the best way for most things. If you dont ask you will never know the could have beens and you end up in the i should have asked world. Every cloud has a silver lining. |
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| Posted 3 months ago True! Working with children and for them makes asking a necessary method to get material or people for various school activities and in the name of the children asking becomes easier, somehow justified. I find it more difficult to ask for myself, in that case I subconsciously feel my asking as begging. |
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| Posted 3 months ago That too will change after time. You will want to use us so it makes ur job easier. The point of our professionn is to do what it takes to teach the childre or young adults in our classrooms the skills for success. Why stand by yourself and try it on your own when there are so many to ask. We are meant to be useful to onne another. Besides most teachers are not selfish with their ideas. Every cloud has a silver lining. |
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| Posted 3 months ago I asked people to do things because I knew it would be interesting for me and the kids. And they learned a lot from each experience...as did I. |
