As you may have noticed, I absolutely love soup, and find that it can serve as a metaphor for many things in life.
Imagine a classroom as a dinner table. Around it are young minds, growing and absorbing information. They are all hungry for knowledge, and eagerly wait for what is going to be served. Suddenly, the platter arrives, and the cook reveals... boiled cabbage. That is all for today, and the next day, and the day after that. It won’t take long for the children to start looking for other sorts of nourishment, and yes, it will generally be junk food. But what if instead of boiled cabbage, the cook brought a variety of delicious soups, every day a little different? Better yet, what if teachers allow students to make their own soup?
Like good soup, good teachers incorporate different flavours to their approach to teaching. They are aware of the differences between their students, and add a variety of flavours and textures to reach all types of learners. Each student is an individual, with unique backgrounds and needs; if some of them really hate carrots and want to leave those on the bowl, there will be still plenty in the soup to nourish them.
Integrating different subjects also helps create a more wholesome meal. When you bring math into science, and science into art, and art into everything, and season it with a bit of writing, then you have a unified flavour that kids can really sink their teeth into.
And, perhaps most importantly, each student should be considered a cook-in-training -- each with the ability to design their own soup, based on their passions and their spark. In this vision, the teacher becomes the coach, providing resources and ingredients as needed, but allowing the student to bring their own ingredients to their own unique projects. This is why I love the inquiry process so much: through inquiry, a student is allowed to design exactly how she will display her learning. Through the use of new technology and online resources, we are now able to inspire and assist students anywhere in the creation of their own delicious recipe.
And, thanks to all the technology we have so readily available, It is a wonderful time to be a soup teacher!
To find out more about my beliefs regarding teaching, please visit my Frame of Reference page.
Imagine a classroom as a dinner table. Around it are young minds, growing and absorbing information. They are all hungry for knowledge, and eagerly wait for what is going to be served. Suddenly, the platter arrives, and the cook reveals... boiled cabbage. That is all for today, and the next day, and the day after that. It won’t take long for the children to start looking for other sorts of nourishment, and yes, it will generally be junk food. But what if instead of boiled cabbage, the cook brought a variety of delicious soups, every day a little different? Better yet, what if teachers allow students to make their own soup?
Like good soup, good teachers incorporate different flavours to their approach to teaching. They are aware of the differences between their students, and add a variety of flavours and textures to reach all types of learners. Each student is an individual, with unique backgrounds and needs; if some of them really hate carrots and want to leave those on the bowl, there will be still plenty in the soup to nourish them.
Integrating different subjects also helps create a more wholesome meal. When you bring math into science, and science into art, and art into everything, and season it with a bit of writing, then you have a unified flavour that kids can really sink their teeth into.
And, perhaps most importantly, each student should be considered a cook-in-training -- each with the ability to design their own soup, based on their passions and their spark. In this vision, the teacher becomes the coach, providing resources and ingredients as needed, but allowing the student to bring their own ingredients to their own unique projects. This is why I love the inquiry process so much: through inquiry, a student is allowed to design exactly how she will display her learning. Through the use of new technology and online resources, we are now able to inspire and assist students anywhere in the creation of their own delicious recipe.
And, thanks to all the technology we have so readily available, It is a wonderful time to be a soup teacher!
To find out more about my beliefs regarding teaching, please visit my Frame of Reference page.
** Photo of spoon source: Pixabay **