Bridges
This week we discussed building bridges, a topic from William Ayers book "To Teach". This is a metaphor on how to connect with your students and how to help your students connect with each other. This is very important to the impact we have as teachers in help molding young people's character and to be sensitive to the differences in one another. In the classroom students get a first hand experience in interacting with other people their age who have different racial, social , and financial backgrounds.
This was evident on my visit to Shaker Middle School. The school has used the diversity in its students to its advantage. They have created a school that is welcoming and gives the appearance that the school belongs to the students. Much of the artwork and words of encouragement that are painted on the walls is done by the students.
In the classroom the teachers have done and excellent job connecting with their students. The students have embraced each others differences and work together with out bias. This is valuable in challenging student to think and use information given to come to their own answer either right or wrong. If the student gets it wrong they are not shunned for getting it wrong but are worked with to see where they may have gone wrong in their conclusion. The teachers at the middle school have done a great job building a passion for learning in the student.
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