Mike's Class - Grades 6-8
Mike's Class
Imagine a world where Reading, Writing and Social Studies are explored as a single discipline. A world where diverse students with different skills and abilites work indepently, non-competitively, personally and intellectually. A world that is a true learning community and respect is practiced not arbitrated. This is a classroom simply called: 'Mike's Class" Put the brakes on.. slow down... walk with us a bit.
One student is designing and making a dress inspired by a mythical bird. Another is writing a historical narrative on 9/11 that focuses on heroism, and discussing the possibilities with another student whose historical narrative is a photographic essay. Another student is finishing a model of the human body for another class they have. Two students are reading quietly in the corner in the "comfy" chairs. One student is finishing Dating Hamlet, which is the whole class read for the semester. Another is reading a book by Joyce Carol Oates, whose title I cannot see from here. Another student is editing video clips for a music video he is making... his head is casually and rhythmically bobbing in time to his assignment. Another student is sitting next to me. She is reading a poem I wrote in high school. She's laughing quietly. I was funnier then, she whispers.
I am Mike. I'm the teacher in here. I run this "classroom" but the students think they do. That takes a lot of pressure off of me. This corner of our school, this classroom, is a remarkable place. Instruction here is totally individualized. The climate is intellectually social. We respect each other here, except when we forget , and then we forgive each other.
We have read great books and trashy books together. We write and talk about them all the time. We express ourselves every day in writing, art, drama or song. We make things that are important to us. We like being here. It is a friendly, exciting safe place to be. We are all gifted here, but we are required to share our gifts. We are all flawed here, but we are expected to learn from our mistakes, not be punished for them. We are all different here but we are obligated to respect and value that about each other. We are all teachers. We are all students.
The list of books we have read in here is impressive. The whole class reads have been Siddhartha, Pigman and Dating Hamlet. The list books we've read individually is staggering. It's available on demand. Our theme for Social Studies was "1492". We studied what the rest of the world was doing while Columbus was stumbling his way across the Atlantic. In this process we explored the wide variety of how and why historical narratives are constructed. Then we started constructing our own. We used everything we learned in reading and writing to do this. Most of the time we feel we are doing all three subjects at the same time.
We go places because it's fun and the world has things to fascinate and teach us. We have done the vertical adventures course at Stone Valley. It was challenging, fun, scary and crazy at the same time. It gave us confidence, taught us to depend on each other and made it easier to ask each other for help. We are going back in the Spring to do two courses and staying overnight this time.
We have seen Three Cups of Tea on campus and got to meet and talk to the actor. He thought we were pretty cool. We felt the same way about him. Last weekend we had a Medieval Murder Mystery dinner. It was fun and sometimes a little out of hand. We have visited Buddhists. Next month we are giving out "free hugs" downtown, videotaping it, and popping it up on youtube. We learn a lot of things together. We learn a lot of things alone. We schedule our own time during the day. Some people spend over an hour reading, some not so much. Some prefer to spend more time in art than others.
There is the smell of bread baking. We have a student who likes to bake bread. She does. We'll eat it before the day ends. We sometimes just stop what we're doing and drink tea and talk. This "feels" like one of those days. One student has stopped what she is doing to help a student struggling with an art project. It happens with barely a word being spoken. It's expected here.
At the end of each day several things are certain. It will be extremely quiet in here sometimes. It will be extremely noisy in here sometimes. Several times the classroom will erupt in laughter. A couple of times two students will raise their voices in disagreement. Everyone will clean up a mess they probably didn't make. Someone will make a mess and forget to clean up.
If any of this sounds like you.. we wish you were here.