Category: Authentic Teaching

Teaching Authentically to a Class Full of Learners

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

The question repeatedly comes up about how one teacher can possibly manage a class-full of students working on a class-full of different projects. The answer is the teacher can’t and shouldn’t!

Authentic projects should come from a student’s own experiences and interests, but should be based on a common starting point and common curriculum goals. 

For example, if you are chartered to teach a curriculum objective about how our economy works, and what can impact it, you will most likely have some students do a project about Taylor Swift, while others might pursue a project about football (and coincidentally, both are intertwined at the time I am writing this). Others might explore interest rates, time of year – there are so many things that impact our economy – that’s the point. 

I would somehow manage to make my project about figure skating – that would be hard to show how this sport impacts the economy – but that is part of authentic learning. Maybe at the end I will find out there is limited to no impact. That’s fine, I learned something, didn’t I! (And mentioning figure skating in this blog allowed me to finally post a photo I took of my favorite figure skaters!)

The teacher keeps presenting lessons about how the economy works, based on age-level and curriculum objectives. Then the teacher directs traffic, offers suggestions, and assists with problem-solving. ”Assists” being the key word. 

So, the teacher plans the lessons about how our economy works, and then sits back, listens, and drinks coffee. Seriously, the more engaged your students are, the more time you have to listen, really listen, to your students – and drink coffee. By listening, you are getting ideas for future lessons, and by drinking coffee you are super energized and excited about their projects! And they are super excited as well, as they are learning the concept through research that excites and engages them. Engagement soars, learning soars, learning is retained, curriculum goals are met.

Happy Authentic Teaching

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

I have had this photo on my laptop for two years, and twice I have forgotten about it, and not posted a blog about it during the holiday season. So, please pardon this post in April, or consider it a “Happy Authentic Teaching” post.

This is a wreath that hangs every year at a hotel near where we live. I absolutely love this wreath. To me it represents everything that good teaching should be. Our charter is to teach reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. Throw in some of the creative arts, and some physical education…. But this is leaving out our most important charter. Teaching children how to think. Not what to think, but HOW TO THINK. How to research, record, understand, relay, improve…

And I look at this wreath, this wonderful square wreath, and I smile! A wonderful teacher taught this designer how to think!

Authentic Project Ideas – Dams

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Project Ideas, Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

This is a dam in Iowa. When my husband showed me this picture I didn’t even realize at first that it was a dam. Very attractively done, in my opinion.

This got us talking about the pros and cons of dams. Dams prevent many problems, but they also cause many problems.

Authentic Learning – These ideas can be used at any grade level. With younger students there will be more group produced work.

Read: Gather and read information from several sources. (Good authentic lessons don’t rely on just one source…Why not?)

Write: Take notes about what you are reading.

Math: How many dams are in our country? Create a graph showing numbers for the last decade/century.

Geography: Where are they dams. Create a map. Do they tend to be in one part of the country or all over?

Science: What problems do they prevent and why? What problems do they cause and why? Write a report. Create a poster or tri-board. Write a pamphlet.

Opinion: What do you think? What should we do about current dams/future dams.

Really Authentic Learning: This research may take your students in another direction – water usage, water shortages, conservation…

A New Year

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Books for Children, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

I have decided to start the new year with an adaption of my favorite story. Many times, during my teaching career, I gifted a copy of this adaption, and a starfish necklace, to teachers I worked with, to remind them why we we do what we do.

A young boy was walking on the beach, he paused every so often, to pick up an object and throw it into the ocean. A man was watching the young boy. The boy came closer and the man said, “May I ask what you are doing?”

The young boy replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the water by themselves. If they don’t get back into the water, they will die.” 

The man replied, “But there must be hundreds of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t be able to make much of a difference.”

The boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

Adapted from The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977)

As I have stated many times, this blog started as a means to promote my books. Then it gradually, and authentically changed to be a means for me to post authentic ideas for teaching. So my blog about authentic teaching and learning is totally authentic! I didn’t plan for it to happen, it just did. And because I followed my interests and didn’t remain constrained by the original purpose of this blog, I have continued to grow as an educator, even in retirement.

Not only have I continued to grow as an educator, but I have been able to continue to make a difference in my own little way. Anyone who teaches, understands that we all want to make a difference, in our own little way. I know my blog does that. I get the biggest thrill to see all the different countries that people are from who read my blog. Wow, what a head trip!

Also, writing my books has allowed me to continue to make a difference. All of my books, children’s and adult, are written to educate. And, of course, being asked to write a book about The Jared Box Project – what an honor. Eyen, Tex, and I feel truly privileged that we were able to help spread the word about this amazing project.

So, I begin 2024 by thanking you for allowing me to indulge in my passions, and feel that I am continuing in my own little authentic way to make a small difference in the world.

As educators, it is easy to become overwhelmed with what we are tasked to accomplish.  So, remember the starfish story, try to make a difference, one starfish at a time…

A Most Wonderful Time of Year – Maybe

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

“Giving Back.” This has always been my “theme” for December, and a very authentic one at that. I have shared ideas for giving to others throughout my blog. Most can be found under “Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills.”

For so many, hmmmm, maybe most of us, the holidays is not a Hallmark Holiday Special. (Not knocking them, I love them!) There is definitely a “set up” for most people. The holidays never turn out as you want, or expect them to.

I have always found that giving to others is the highlight of my holiday season. For those who have so much, it is important to give back. And for those who have less, but can still give, it really takes the sting out of the disappointments that might occur.

I hope your holiday season is going well, wherever and whatever you are celebrating! You are making my holiday season brighter by just reading my blog!

Teaching Authentically at the Holidays

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Social Awareness and Responsibility Skills, Uncategorized

This is the time of year when I always come back to my favorite family holiday story. I have told it many times, but feel it is worthy of repeating.

As a preteen in South Florida (note the Florida themed Christmas Tree in the photo above) my great-grandfather gave me Avon face powder for a holiday gift. Needless to say, I was disappointed by this gift. Instead of lecturing me about being ungrateful, or exchanging the powder for a different gift, my mother agreed that this was not a great gift for a girl my age. She suggested that perhaps there was a young woman somewhere that might not be getting gifts for the holidays who would appreciate this gift.

This was before the internet, Giving Trees, etc., and it took many phone calls for my mother to find an agency that was collecting gifts for needy families. We ended up “adopting” a family for the holidays. Our whole family picked out gifts for this family. This was a tradition we continued throughout my childhood, and a tradition I continued with my own children.

With the internet, Toys for Tots, Giving Trees… There are so many ways for children to become authentically engaged in the spirit of the holidays. Children can be given examples of ways to make the holidays special for others, can choose to engage in these activities/organizations, or come up with new authentic ideas.

Happy December! Happy Authentic Teaching!

The Gift of Authentic Learning

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

On a recent road trip, we ended up spending the night in Wilson, Kansas.
This city is the Czech Capital of Kansas and has the largest Czech Egg in the
world!

There were also many other smaller, gorgeous eggs around the town. If you
have ever visited Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, it reminded me of that town,
except there were Groundhogs all over Punxsutawney, and Eggs all over Wilson.

So much of authentic learning is paying attention to what is around
you. Add a dose of curiosity and a cell phone to do some research, and an
overnight stop becomes a lesson in Czech and Slovak folk art, culture, and history.

I was fortunate enough to attend a middle school that operated by authentic
teaching and learning. This developed a life-long curiosity that has never left me. I just can’t drive by the largest Czech Egg in the world without looking this up and doing research. By the time I was finished I had spent an evening reading about the history of the Slavic region of the world.

What a gift that middle school gave me.

Unfortunately, the town Folk Art Gift Shop was being renovated. My husband
viewed this as a bonus as we didn’t leave the town with a shopping bag of gorgeous Czech Eggs.  (No worries, I believe you can buy them on line!)

Dealing with Fear

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

There is much going on in the world today that can cause children, and adults, to feel fear. I realize that fear is a huge, and loaded topic. Some topics should be referred to and dealt with by mental health professionals. But other fears, including many brought up by topics taught in class, can be dealt with authentically.

The older I get, the more I don’t like heights. I am sure that it has something to do with the fact that the older I get, the wiser I get. Wise people do not ride trains up the side of very tall mountains!

Well, I am happy to say I overcame my fear. Mostly because I had no choice, as we had purchased tickets to ride to the top of Pikes Peak, and they weren’t cheap! I also read the history of the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and it had a perfect safety record for 127 years. And my husband held my hand – which does not make it safer, but whatever works!

As I stated, fear is a topic that is going to come up in education. Letting children express their fears is important. Letting them put their fears into authentic context is very important. Letting them learn more about, and research what they are afraid of is a solid first step to overcoming, or at least dealing with, a fear. My research about the Cog Railway helped me feel safe enough to go on it. Looking at the safety records of airlines helps me feel better when I fly. Researching the actual number of alligator attacks in Florida makes me feel safer when I visit my mother. Learning about the shark attacks in the oceans makes me stay out of the ocean! Not giving on that one!

And I almost forgot to mention the donuts at the top of Pikes Peak, world famous, delicious, and another motivation to get on the train!

Authentic Projects vs Themed Units

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

What is the difference between an Authentic Project and Themed Learning.  Basically, when a project is authentic, the student is allowed to explore and learn about what interests them.

In a Themed Unit, the students are usually presented with worksheets and assignments with little to no allowance for authentic exploration. 

Think of it this way.  You introduce a driving question about tornadoes.  (This popped into my head because we are traveling in the Midwest and seem to be a day behind some horrible weather that has spawned tornadoes.)  In a Themed Unit the students learn about tornadoes, do research about tornadoes, write about tornadoes…they may even create posters, displays, and diagrams about tornadoes.  But the unit ends there.

In an Authentic Project you can start with the same driving question.  Perhaps, “What causes a tornado?” But from there, students may follow other paths of interest based on your introductory lessons and their research.  One student may want to explore how to build tornado resistant structures.  One student may find that hurricanes spawn tornadoes, and become interested in learning more about hurricanes.  One may want to start a fundraiser for recent victims of tornadoes.

I have discussed before how even though this sounds like an impossible scenario for the classroom teacher to control, it is actually easier as you have motivated students who are creating their own authentic learning situations.

Need to teach percentages during this time…pull everyone back together to do a lesson on the percentage of your country that is prone to tornadoes (this is a themed unit – then return the students to their authentic learning).

Tricks of the Trade

by Eleanor K. Smith, posted in Authentic Teaching, Blog, Uncategorized

Teaching is an art. And artists have many tricks of the trade, as do teachers.

I recently remembered an event that happened years (decades) ago, that I know definitely made me a better teacher. A trick of the trade, so to speak. Early in my career, before marriage, children…when I actually had some free time…I took figure skating lessons. I was a legend…in my own mind! I could jump at least a quarter of an inch off the ice for a distance of at least two inches. I could spin so fast that you had time to do your laundry during each rotation, but hey…I was impressed with myself!

I took private lessons, which was honestly therapy for me. You can’t focus on anything else while you are skating, if you want to remain upright! So, it took my mind off of school problems, boyfriend problems, etc.

At one point, I worked on the entrance to a spin for about six months and made no progress. One night my instructor was sick, so I took a lesson with someone else. I learned the entrance that night. When my instructor was back, she was amazed and asked me how I finally got it. I told her that the substitute instructor told me to put my weight on the back of the blade, and all of the sudden it happened. She said she had been telling me that for six months. I replied no, she had been telling me to lean back. She was totally exasperated and replied that that is the same thing!

Now basically both convey the same message. But obviously one statement resonated with me, while one did not. When I thought about it later, I took leaning back to mean to lean my back back. I wasn’t leaning back on the blade. Now in hindsight it seems obvious that I needed to lean back on the blade, but I just wasn’t hearing that. It was just semantics really. But the different words made all the difference to me.

As a special education teacher, one of my tricks of the trade was to listen how the classroom teachers were explaining something and then use different words to explain the same thing. Or to use a different example. Or a different approach. It wasn’t that one of us was teaching better than the other…it was just that you never knew what was going to make it click for a student. And I learned this from the figure skating incident.

Using projects to teach authentically will only work if teachers continue to work on the art of teaching. It actually becomes even more of an art when you teach authentically, because it is different, and engaging, and wonderful.

And the above photo is of my figure skating awards, which are now 40 years old…and I still have them and still am proud! See you at the Olympics!!