Have you ever reflected on what used to be and realize that so
many things are still relevant, but you feel like you don’t have time or are
under too much stress to take it on to dig it out and reflect? Nope, can’t
relate – I’m always composed, never overwhelmed or buried in paper, and easily
skip out of the building each day on the heels of the kids.
We continually have conversations in my classroom about always
doing your best no matter what, persevering through tough things, not comparing
our learning to others, and learning from a mistake. I think I have made a huge mistake in the
past few years. I used to read lots of
research; it was intriguing, it was inspiring.
Since having had all the free time in the world, with raising three
kids, the pressures of the new Common Core, and looming high stakes testing, well.....for
several years I’ve fallen away from professional reading. In the past few months I’m very happy to say
that I’ve reconnected with some of my favorites.
During a recent chat in my classroom an incredibly guarded
child matter-of-factly said, “Well, you DO know there’s more than one way
someone can be smart. And, you CAN’T be
grade smart”. This innocent 8 year old
made me realize that I have missed Howard Gardner. The idea of multiple intelligences was one of
those things that struck me the first time I read them years ago – it validated
who I am and most importantly, who I was.
All of a sudden, it stripped away the labels, the odd glances, and
negativity that was always focused on the way I learned best (I’m “art smart”
and always “got it” so easily, so quickly when I could think in pictures....only
acceptable all alone at home, on my own paper of course). It was “fingernails on a chalkboard
excruciating” for me to sit in a chair, in a row, book in hand, blank paper,
graphite ready to scratch an answer in for what seemed to be eternity (can you
guess....I’m “body smart” – please DO NOT confuse this with running, for me it
has a WHOLE different meaning!). It was my struggle, no truthfully it was a
battle, for every year of school after Kindergarten. I’ve said before I was NOT the best student,
as the story of my report card reminds me, throughout all of my years of
school; believing that I was dumb, not doing “well” according to tests, being
told I was doing things the “wrong” way.
I used to think my Aunt Joy was NUTS when she used to tell my mother
that I was “the smartest of all the five of them”. Unfortunately, Lewy Body dementia has stolen her voice, but I’d
give anything to know what she saw in me that the teachers couldn’t.
I am VERY honest with my kids and share stories of when I was
in school and the things I had to do to learn and how much trouble I used to
get in because I wasn’t doing it “the right way”. We have talked about how hard I tried but the
teachers just weren’t happy with me and the way I thought. I try and reflect on my classroom as much as
I can to make it different for my kids.
Maybe I make myself crazy (may be easier for me since I’m halfway there!)
by doing this and changing things for the continually changing needs of my
kids, but it’s what I do.
So, inspired by the introverted kiddo I dug out my Multiple
Intelligence research, blew off the dust, and created a brand new kid friendly
survey. My kids were ecstatic, the
excitement was palpable....I felt like we were getting ready for the Travers
Race in Saratoga! We talked about how
the survey wasn’t “more is better” when choosing answers and how they may find
that they are smart in many areas and some may surprise them. And then, it was the moment! The kids grabbed their survey, threw their
heads down, pencils moved at break neck speed to complete the survey, they were
chomping at the bit to tally their results and find out how smart they really
were. You would have thought it was
Christmas morning when they finished – papers flapping in the air, calling out
what kinds of smart they were searching for a common “smarty” they could relate
to. I heard things like: “That’s awesome!” “Hey, me too!” “Does that surprise you?” I’m really not sure
that many of these kids believed they were smart since a number on a paper is
what society reveres as smart.
I think of kids in many traditional experiences now, classrooms
that continue to focus on ritual and test prep, modules and worksheets, those
where skill and drill outweigh voice and choice. Classrooms where teachers are
fearful, administrators are domineering and controlling and learning is done by
demand. My stomach turns and my heart
breaks when I think about the kids like me in rooms like that that still exist. I can’t fathom how as much as things have changed
in education many times they really stay the same. Knowing what we know through research, VALID
research, how can we ignore the learning styles of our kids? Isn’t our job to prep them for LIFE, not focus
on a test or rigid, developmentally inappropriate lessons? I truly believe that
part of the “real” prep we need to do is to validate each child for the way
their brain works. Can you imagine NOT
doing what you love? Or being forced to
do things in a way that you didn’t understand, couldn’t relate to, or were
simply painful to get through?
Not surprisingly, the guy who always seems to be “antsy”, continually
playing with things, bouncing his leg, doing anything he can to NOT work at his
homebase – he was body smart. The kiddo
who just won’t walk away from a challenge, and bites on her pencil feverishly until
she figures out a Brain Buster – yup, math smart. The one who never seems to stop drumming on
his legs, humming his favorite tunes – I called that one in week 2, he’s music smart.
The child who always dives to the window
seat to snuggle up and soak up the sun – you got it, as nature
smart as they come! It was so awesome to
spend the time doing this – I can’t tell you the joy and validation the kids
showed. Most didn’t surprise me; after
watching the kids learn over the past 9 weeks it was easy for me to predict,
but it was a reassuring surprise and validation for the kids. It was like high tide - negativity, odd
glances, and labels all fell away and insight, self-affirmation, and pride
filled in.
As we finished going over the data, one kiddo who is very
hesitant and appears almost fearful of making a mistake approached me. Looking glum, head bowed, almost on the verge
of tears, he quietly said, “Mrs. W., this says I’m Math smart and I just don’t
understand”. I explained what “Math
smart” really means and what your brain “sees” and interprets as math. Within nano seconds after I finished with the
explanation his head snapped up, face beaming, arms flailing, he cheered, “Well,
now this COMPLETELY makes sense!”
Yes buddy, no words could be truer.
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