I wanted to write a blog about authentic project ideas for Valentine’s Day. But, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to write it as a blog with an authentic project idea, or approach this as a blog about the importance of doing things for others, giving back, community service… Or a blog about really hitting math skills with the project…
Then I remembered that the whole point of teaching authentically is that you can and should be incorporating all of this into every project. This is what makes it real. This is what makes it count. This is why your students will actually learn and internalize what you are teaching.
I always joke that what made me a good teacher, and good parent, was that I was lazy! I didn’t do anything for the kids that they could do for themselves. But, the truth of the matter, is that it takes more work to have your students/children do as much as they can for themselves. You need to closely monitor, redirect, teach, discuss, model… This makes the experience authentic, and educational.
Cutting out paper hearts for your students to use in a project takes time. However, having them cut out the hearts, prepare all needed materials, takes even more time. Have them work out a budget for their project. Discuss where the materials come from. Do they need to fundraise? Are the materials needed available in your school/home? Who pays for these materials? It takes a great deal of time to go through a project this way, but the payoff is huge!
Having your students prepare all the materials for a project means the end product might not be perfect. But perfection is not our goal. Having every finished product look the same is not our goal. Learning is our goal!
Having your class decide on a way to do something for someone else for Valentine’s Day might not end up with the exact community service project that you had in mind, but again they will have ownership and a much more meaningful, real experience.
It feels like you are letting go of all control, but that is not true at all. You have your objectives, and you are guiding your students towards those objectives. It just isn’t set in stone how you will accomplish those objectives.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy February! Happy Authentic Teaching and Learning!
The Educational Journey 