In my mind, PBL is this beautiful creation that has been digging deep roots and blooming upward in me for 30 years. It is such a integral part of who I am as a learner and as a person, I often struggle to explain it in a way for someone completely new to grasp what it looks like. In my excitement to share, ideas burst from my mind and are often greeted by a "deer in the headlights" sort of response.
So this week I reflected on what a very first, baby step might be for someone looking to make a small change. This brought me all the way back to my own schooling and what projected me on this pathway: teachers who said "yes." In a high school English class I had this idea that we could mount a play instead of writing an essay. And the teacher said "yes". After a drama unit I wanted to learn more about video editing, so I proposed an independent course. And the teacher said "yes." In teacher's college I wanted to study project-based learning more in depth, so I wrote a course syllabus, and the dean said "yes." This week in my grade 7 French class, I outlined our next project. Two students then raised their hand and said "but at the end, can we do this?" And I said "yes". Yes it is scary. I had outlined how I thought this project should unfold. I bet my English teacher had planned on reading 30 essays about "A Man for All Seasons". I wonder if my university dean and high school guidance counselor were treading new ground with independent learning. But each time they said "yes" I gained immeasurable confidence as a learner, someone who could drive my own education. High quality PBL design is a rigorous and time-consuming process. As a first year teacher with 4 different world language grades to teach, it's hard to have that many good projects on-going at the same time. It's hard to have enough great ideas. Take the pressure off yourself with two simple actions: 1. Listen. Give your students a chance to express ideas about what they are studying. Build a classroom culture that welcomes questioning and challenging so students feel like they can propose something different instead of just towing the line. 2. Say yes. If they ask to take things sideways, go with it. Show students you respect their ideas and initiative. It might mean a little after school scramble on your part as you google ideas and blast out to the Twitter-verse for a little PBL advice and help, but have confidence. So this week listen to your students and encourage a sharing of ideas, and if you can, say yes!
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Terri-AnnPersonal reflections on project-based learning. Archives
April 2021
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