School's out....okay, not really. For my 7 year old, school is out and he is having fun at camp all summer, while my husband and I still work. My 2 year old is in daycare and well, school is kind of ongoing for him. The difference is that now both of our sons are learning through play rather than structured lessons. My youngest enjoys this method of learning throughout the year. Now, my older son is able to reap the benefits as well. He goes on field trips every day that promote physical activity as well as creative thinking. It almost feels like he is learning more this way. He comes home and tells us about his day and asks a lot of questions. He reads more (language/literacy), explores more (science/social studies), and creates (art) more.
The learn-through-play topic has come up a lot in my research writing courses. Most of my students are military, but I also have a lot of students who are Head Start teachers. They are always finding ways to explain why so much more can be achieved through play. As a former pre-school teacher, I always find myself agreeing with them. Who wants to sit in a classroom all day and stare at words and numbers? In my classes, I always try to find a way to get the point across in the most creative way possible. Yes, there is a lot of writing, but we also have court-room debates, impromptu speeches, proposal writing about classes that the students would like to see offered, and group presentations on marketing strategies to recruit new students. The students tell me how much they love coming to class and I know they are more likely to remember what they learned because they associate each activity with the lessons. I usually end up seeing my students later at graduations or just around the island and they always bring up things we did in class. I feel so proud to be adding to their college memories in a constructive way. Especially since my college memories are flooded with night life, romantic encounters, and island adventures. I appreciate those memories, but sometimes I really wish I would've paid more attention in class. Only certain teachers ever made me pay attention and it wasn't until my senior year. So, even though I hope to one day be teaching more specific college English courses (in the graduate division) at a university for a long time, I'm so happy to be working with the undergrads.
On another note, it's summer now! I've been to the beach ALOT and this past weekend I went to a music festival. That definitely reminded me of college, but not in a good way (late hours, large crowds, super loud music, second-hand smoke, and overpriced drinks). I waited forever to see the rapper/singer I bought the tickets to see and he didn't show up until 1 in the morning! I felt so old because I used to be able to stay wide awake for longer than that, but not anymore. It didn't end until 2am and I have felt hungover (only 4 cran and vodkas) ever since. Wow, 31. = /
Thought of the day: Have you ever taken a really fun class where you ended up learning a lot more than you thought you would without even realizing it? I have a few favorites, (spanish, literary theory, nature writing, creative fiction writing, etc.) but one of the most memorable was a memoir class I took at UMASS. I learned so much about memory and also myself in the process. I was able to write about the fun college times and stop trying to relive them, which seems to be a struggle that alot of post-grads go through. I also figured out how much I love writing, especially about experiences on the reservation.
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