The last time I stepped foot inside an elementary school classroom was of course, when I was in elementary school. On the ride over to Rockbridge County Elementary School, I did not know what to expect. I wanted creativity and I wanted passion and I wanted to know where a 5th grade classroom stood with constructive discussions. I didn’t expect, when coming into the school, to be immersed back into 5th grade, sucked down a rabbit hole of youth academia.
I was blown away by the art hung up in the hallways on my way to Ms. Cosgriff’s class. The children in the halls, absent from other classrooms, directing our group to the right classes was an ironic surprise: 10-year-olds are directing us, the adults. When we got to the classroom, the one in which we would be observing, there was art all over the walls and even a class pet! Viserion, the class bearded dragon, was one of the most thought-provoking pieces of the classroom. I am passionate about teachers creating a lively space in which their students can feel comfortable inventing in, and I definitely saw that in Ms. Cosgriff’s class.
As a jolting surprise, Ms. Cosgriff involved the other observers and I to help facilitate the conversation! I was not prepared for this, and I don’t think my classmates were either. Acting flexible, I sat down with some of the fifth graders and opened up my book, Edward Tulane. Because Boss said, “conversation starts to build as students discuss the problem and compare strategies,” my main goals was to get my group talking and sharing their thoughts. I asked provoking questions as to poke at my fifth grader’s minds, but I was not expecting one member of the group to dominate the conversation (12).
I wasn’t prepared for coaxing the voice out of the children who otherwise go quiet; however, that is my goal. Every child has an opinion worth voicing — it’s just sifting through the brush on the way to that clearing that I need practice on. For my next visit, I look forward to hopefully learning the children’s names to call for their unique conversation.
Bri,
I appreciate your grace under pressure, and your observations of flipped authority. I wondered what your impressions were of Ms. Cosgriff, or how the students responded to Edward Tulane? Did they seem used to giving their opinion? I would have liked to hear a bit more about the “conversation”, since I know many were quiet. Did they have specific passages or reasons for their arts-based responses?
I wonder how this experience might influent your own efforts to build discussion or find ways in as you said to “get them to talk”.
What I noticed was your efforts to get on their level, sharing your own immediate transactions and feelings about the text, which was a good way to build trust.
MAJ Hodde