Fundraising for a Good Cause: Going Green

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Reducing plastic waste by providing water bottles for all students.

“Oh my goodness! I made the best cookies I’ve ever made last night!” A 17-year-old teenage boy jumps up and down and squeals with excitement continuing, “Dr. Markham you’ll be so impressed”. My laughter is suppressed but a huge smile emerges. His utter delight is absolutely precious.

“My Mom and I made the best carrot cake ever!” claims another as she proudly places down her cake and cupcakes on the table.

The baked goods pour in and students, with great pride and excitement, place their items on the table.  Teachers have also generously contributed and they gingerly position their goods. They are more critical of their own donations, always “confessing” how they might have “cheated” on the recipe.  They are reminded that the only requirement was “organic” and they walk away smiling as they have, indeed, met that requirement.

We sell from 8:00 – 8:20 and then again during the break from 9:50 -10:00.  We are surprised that our little effort has already generated nearly 100 Euros.  Elementary and Secondary lunch brings us close to 200 Euros and then the after school time slot generated some more, to be counted for a final tally on Monday.  For our small school with a student body of under 200 students (Pre-K through 12th), we were thrilled with these results.

Along with our raffle in the spring, we’ve very likely raised the needed funds to provide a water bottle to all 1st – 12th graders, eliminating the need to purchase water bottles and significantly reducing plastic waste at the school.

Our entire Green Group is elated with this progress thus the momentum for our “Going Green” initiative is building. A good strong group of students who are truly passionate about being green and who are eager to be involved in every way invigorates me.

So, what was needed for our successful organic bake sale?

  • A good cause – I think it helps that is was for a local, school cause.
  • Eager student and teacher bakers (all of our Green Team participated and I sent out an email inviting all staff to participate)
  • Sharing of ideas where to purchase the organic ingredients (thankfully, in the Netherlands that is easy)
  • Approval from the admin and our cafeteria manager
  • Request for tables from our Facilities Department
  • A cash box with some change
  • Student volunteers and one teacher per selling session
  • A camera to document
  • Email notifications to staff and parents
  • A blurb in our morning announcements all week
  • Posters (made from paper from the recycling bins, of course!) advertising the bake sale and it’s cause
  • A price list

Why am I always surprised by the amount of work these events puts on us, the involved teachers? Of course, this feat was pulled off with the help of four teachers other than myself (not including teacher bakers). It felt like my entire day was spent at that bake sale with breaks to go teach my students. Not to mention the preparation meetings with students, emails, reminders, and general foot-work.

It’s worth it though. It’s marvellous to foster a passion in students and to see them awaken in their success. Thus, don’t be discouraged when faced with the workload of “a good cause” because you’re cultivating caring, arousing awareness, and stimulating independence. And truly, it IS worth it.




Benefits of Recording Formative Assessment

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It’s our Open House night. Parents pour through hoping for insight on how their child’s school experience is going. However, this isn’t a night to talk about students. It’s a night to talk about curriculum, general class structure, and possibly specifics about projects or assignments currently underway or coming up.

My fallback is my web site because everything is there. Parents respond positively to the web site as it is very informative and it’s not only a way for students to know what is going on but parents as well.

However, the big surprise came when a few parents added,

“Oh, and I love how you monitor their progress”

“…she looks at Power School and sees improvement and it makes her feels so good about herself”

“I like how you can see how they are learning.”

And I’m surprised and pleased that they’re following Power School that closely and that they recognize my attempt to monitor and follow progress.

There is definitely a train of thought that supports not recording or reporting on formative assessments. However, my policy is to record and report on as many formative assessments as possible.

But not checking this box in Power School, the number will not be included in the students' grade.

But not checking this box in Power School, the number will not be included in the students' grade.

For example, with my Entry Tickets I can actually quantitatively determine how much a student knows at a given time. This number then gets recorded in Power School as a non-counted Test/Quiz score (it is removed from impacting their final grade). Thus, students (and parents) can see different “progress reports” throughout the unit. The content of these entry tickets will ultimately be the content of the unit test so the progression should directly be reflected in their test score at the end.

At a glance I can determine who is progressing and I can target struggling learners, especially during group and individual work. Currently, my 8th graders are working on a lab that contains negative and positive controls and for some reason they are really having a difficult time wrapping their heads around this concept.  However, many are grasping it and I can see it. There are a handful who remain very unsure and today during the lab I spent time with all lab teams but was able to linger longer with those students who I know, based on their entry tickets,  are really struggling more than the others. My goal was to help them visualize the concept with their experiment.

Tomorrow’s Entry Tick will, indeed, tell me if the visualization helped!

The practice of reporting on formative assessment has yielded some surprising results:

  • In the time it takes students to prepare for our first activity, I know who needs help and I know exactly what I need to focus on that day (and isn't that the entire purpose of formative assessment?).
  • Students become more focused on learning specifics.
  • Students ask more questions.
  • Students arrive more prepared to class, knowing I’m going to probe their knowledge.
  • Student know they will get more chances to learn the topic, and have hope if they still 'don't get it'.
  • Students seem happier and more motivated to tackle difficult topics.
  • Being questioned in a quiz format de-stresses the entire experience of “being tested”. It’s just part of learning now.
  • No time is wasted at the beginning of class because students are engaged as they walk through the door, already reading through their entry tickets.
  • Oh, and parents are happier.

My entry ticket assessments and the recording of them is spreading to all of my classes!  

More formative Assessment

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Entry Tickets

It’s good to have a routine.  But then it’s also good to sometimes change up those everyday activities.  This week began a new routine in the classroom.

Students were greeted at the doorway.  They almost ran into each other as they realized they were expected to line up and wait for further instructions.  Their routine of simply entering the classroom first thing in the morning was interrupted.  They paused and smiled with curiosity, wondering what was up my sleeve.  After our regular greetings, each student received a small piece of paper with three questions on it.  They followed the instructions to take a seat, remove their lab work from their backpacks and answer the questions.  Furrowed brows, scribbling pencils, and the flipping of lab pages followed.  Immediately students were immersed in the work at hand, reflecting on and processing what was accomplished in the previous class and preparing for the current lesson.

They passed their papers forward and we discussed what the rest of the lab entailed.  As they gathered goggles, dawned aprons, and assembled supplies, I took a quick look at the entry tickets, immediately assessing what the students did and did not understand about the lab.  As I circled between the lab pairs during the lab I was able to target the misconceptions.

Furthermore, at the end of the class we jointly created a set of tables to clarify the definitions for and identification of the positive and negative controls in the lab (relating to the entry point questions).

The entry tickets directed me in how the lesson needed to progress and took the students down a path of greater understanding. The technique will become a regular addition and will also spread to my other classes.  Adding a new technique into a lesson also engages the students and generates a new kind of energy within the classroom.  Encouraging more formative assessment and the courage to try new techniques in the classroom!

Becoming a Scientist

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It’s how you think.

The gas flame hissed at full height while a pot sat precariously askew on the burner. There, at eye level to the flame and pot stood my little 5-year old son.  He was trying to stabilize the pot with one hand while clutching a partially filled balloon in the grimy damp fingers of his other hand.  Sweat dripped from his temples as he focused intently on his task.  He didn’t even notice me approaching his hazardous situation.

“What are you doing?”

He looks up at me with his big, open, intense blue eyes. Maintaining his grip on pot and balloon he explains, “Trying to figure something out”.  I help him with the pot as he continues; “You know how when you have a balloon in the hot car it pops?  Well, I want to know if that has to do with the heat of the car. “

We study his experimental set-up and he adds, “The balloon should get bigger if I put it in the hot water”

And there it was. The inherent curiosity. The desire to know. The determination to find out. The pursuit of a test. A formed hypothesis. It wasn’t something we taught him. It was just there.

Of course, with my guidance he completed his experiment and jumped with joy when that balloon began to expand.  He loved the idea of air molecules speeding up so fast to take up more space and pushing on the sides of the balloon to make it look like it was “filling up”. 

“If we take it out now, it will shrink again, right?”  Of course, we did it.

It seems his entire childhood was spent in testing the world. As an adult this son continues to think like a scientist, answering everyday life’s questions using the scientific method. He can’t help it. I know, because I’m the same way. 

However, not everyone thinks this way.  I see it all the time in the classroom. One student sits in a stupor while his neighbor has ten great ideas for research questions. Despite learning the proper steps and being shown the way, it still is so much more difficult for some than others.

As science teachers, it is our responsibility to do everything we can to teach the scientific method and use it as the framework for all activities in the lab.  All students can learn to formulate a proper research question, to form a hypothesis, to generate a table of variables, and to carry out an experiment using necessary lab skills.   However, some students will be stronger at thinking up innovative questions and designing creative experiments because their minds think differently than their peers.

The different wiring of brains becomes more and more apparent as students progress into the more advanced classes and are expected to become more and more independent in the design of experiments.  Students really separate out during the internal assessment process in IB science where total independence is required.  Then, there are the students who choose to do their extended essay project in a science, which is an opportunity for them to design and conduct an experiment completely stemming from their own interests, not a small feat.

It is a pleasure to foster the growth of budding scientists but there is something really special about spotting that scientific mind and seeing it wonder and wander through a myriad of questions and possibilities.  It’s true, the best I can offer as a teacher is to teach the students the framework of the scientific method (and content) and to foster the growth and expansion of the mind.  Scientists need the freedom to meander intellectually and be free to test their ideas.  That’s my job, to give those minds that freedom. 

Getting New Students up To Speed

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It is an IB Biology Year 1 class. A new transfer student has been added to the class and I notice that he isn’t as involved as his team members. I mention that he should be allowed to contribute to the lab. The “old timers” kind of give me “that look”, like “do you know what you are asking us to do?”

So, another member of the team assigns him the task of measuring out a buffer solution into a graduated cylinder. This is a relatively innocuous task. The expectation is that the student approaches the graduated cylinder at eye level and carefully pours the buffer into the cylinder. As the required volume is neared, a pipette is utilized to finish the measuring. The new student grabs the buffer solution and holds it at shoulder level and pours it down onto the graduated cylinder, spilling liquid all over the cart.

Silence follows as his lab mates glare at me clearly holding me accountable for the bumble and potential damage to their experiment. Of course, I’m shocked that a Junior in High School has not been taught this basic lab skill.  It’s an IB course and I’m wondering how I can possibly teach this student what he needs to know while proceeding with the class.

In another instance, students eagerly access my web site and follow a link I’ve shared with them.  A new student sits and stares at her computer with blank eyes.  As I approach her to help her I realize she has no idea how the computer works, how to enter a web link (i.e. to my web site), or even how to conduct a Google search.  Further time with her reveals that she hasn’t logged on to her school email or to PowerSchool yet, skills her peers manage as easily as using a phone.  Again, I wonder how I can get her up to speed.

Just today I asked a group of students about the processes of photosynthesis and respiration, topics we covered in previous years at the school.  Returning students eagerly share knowledge while new students shrink in shame.

What about the scientific method?  Returning students have been taught the scientific method with vigor since the 6th grade. They can form a valid research question. They can identify variables.  After 8th grade they can design their own experiments with moderate assistance.  As they progress through the years they gain lab skills and become comfortable and competent with nearly any piece of  equipment set before them.

So, when new students transfer in lacking what seems to me basic skills I find myself at a loss.  Peers can help them with some tasks.  I can turn to learning support and EAL teachers for other tasks, especially regarding the computer.  However, in the end, these students require 1:1 guidance to bring them up to speed.  How grateful I am to students who are willing to help and who are able to proceed independently while I coach new students in various situations.

I’m curious if anyone out there has ideas on how to ease this burden of new transfer students lacking basic skills expected of their grade level.  I wonder if we could create a skills set for each level of science and put it as a requirement in he admissions process.  Somehow I don’t think that would fly.  Any suggestions out there?

web links to images: Eye on the graduated cylinder and Young boy viewing graduated cylinder

Instead of Retakes, More Formative Assessment

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Why where there three versions of the same exam?  Two options to retake the test? What happened last year? This situation coupled to reflection on my unit plan and consideration of my current students, led to the logical conclusion that a change needed to be made.

The first version of the quiz was easily converted into a series of thought provoking questions that were transferred into a power point. The students have completed their first task and seem somewhat confident in their knowledge. At least they are proud of their work.  So, out come the whiteboards and dry-erase markers. This is a first for these students and they are curious. The “rules” cause a few furtive glances and it’s clear some students are worried they’ll be put on the spot or their ignorance will be displayed for all to see. However, once the first couple of questions are behind us, the smiles and laughter begin. They realize my message was real: this is to determine what I still need to focus on to help them master the content they must know. They see it’s part of the learning process. The ensuing discussion on several of the questions clearly helps students take a step closer to understanding.

You can see their smiles.  Assessment can be fun!   You can also see how different their answers were which, in this case, indicated inconsistencies in understanding.

The questions are projected on the screen in front so student can read and process the information. They are given time to record their answer and then all student hold up the boards at the same time. During this session of formative assessment, the questions are multiple choice, however, they do allow for higher level thinking. More often than not, more than one answer is acceptable and when students explain their choice(s), I can detect their level of understanding. Selection of one 'correct' choice often indicates beginning understanding while selection of more than one can indicate deeper understanding.  At least, that's the way I attempt to design the questions. Formative assessment at this level, with well thought out questions can yield a wealth of information about student understanding and where the lesson/unit needs to go next.

At the end of the session it’s clear to me why last year additional versions of the quiz were offered. The work we’ve done thus far simply isn’t enough for understanding to be achieved. Additional re-enforcement activities (with planned formative assessment) are being built in with the design for greater learning to take place.

I’m so glad I reconsidered the direction of this unit. I can’t over emphasize the power of formative assessment. Seriously, we should be building it in multiple times to every lesson. 

An IB Learner is ....Caring.

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How do we foster caring in our students?

They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others.  They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.    (from the IB Learner Profile)

“Is there anything else Dr. Markham?” 

“No, thank you so much, that was a huge help”

“I mean, can I help you with that?” He gestures towards my unplanted plant and the huge bag of soil.  “My hands are already dirty,” he continues.

He has already descended and climbed the three flights of stairs twice on this errand.  On the first journey down, he extracted the dead tree from the huge, heavy clay pot, returning with the soil still in the pot.  After hearing the explanation that the soil lacked necessary nutrients for my new plant, he repeated his steps in order to dump the dirt.  Small beads of sweat drip from his temples.  He smiles.  He genuinely wants to help, to finish the task.  He cares.

We tenderly transplant the small tree from its temporary container.  The earthy smell of the soil wafts into the room and it feels good to handle the dirt as we center the plant in the clay pot. My student asks me about the Going Green Group at the school.  He’s sincere in his desire to become part of it, including putting in extra time after school to work on setting up a non-for-profit foundation for the initiative.

Seriously, I’m touched.  It’s so great to see a young man sincerely caring about something.  He is clearly developing this attribute as an IB Learner.

This is in stark contrast to the student who earlier in the week sat on one of the tables in the classroom gazing at the turtle (as many students enjoy doing) and remarked,   “I figure I’ve done my part.  I’ve filled in all the blanks for applications.  I’m going to do the minimum now, you know?” 

How do we foster caring in our students?  How do we help them realize that our part in this world is never actually “done”? 

In an effort to expose our student population to the Going Green initiative of the school, we have begun showing students the short video clip on eco-schools of which our school is a member.  Some students have responded with a sense of caring.  My South Africa trip reached another segment of learners.  That trip fostered a burgeoning sense of caring for the world and environment.   Global Issues Network and Mini United Nations attract the “caring” characteristic in yet other groups of students.  CAS projects can put students into a situation of actually serving others, instilling a sense of care.  Our job as educators isn’t simply about teaching content and helping students acquire skills.  It is so much more.  Hopefully we can also provide exposure to different worthwhile “causes” so that students begin to develop this important learning characteristic, that of caring.  We want them to leave our institutions of learning eager and prepared to invest in truly making the world a better place through their social and environmental influences. How do you foster a sense of caring in teenagers?

Same Curriculum BUT Different Class, Different Needs

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I remember telling colleagues once, “If I’m teaching the same exact lessons in 20 years, please shoot me”.  However, once you’ve put a lot of time and energy into a lesson and it went well, you think, “That could be used again”.   Yet, if we’re honest with ourselves, it can always be a little better.  Whether it’s considering the EAL students more, including more formative assessments, being more clear on a given point(s), engaging the students even more, employing the perfect follow-up activity. etc.  There’s ALWAYS something to improve on.

They are new students.  Their academic levels, based on our standards, are unknown.  Their English skills are unknown.  Where to begin?  Well, in Science, laboratory safety is a good place to start.  The students must understand this content before embarking on any experiment and it conveniently serves to formatively assess language skills.

After reviewing the location of all emergency equipment the command is given, “Everyone point to the location of the emergency shower”.  If a student doesn’t respond until he/she sees others pointing, it is a sign of a potential English language weakness.  The items of lab safety have been explicitly discussed and demonstrated and a simple, multiple-choice quiz that is designed for everyone to reach 100% is administered.  When students struggle to understand the questions, taking an exceedingly long amount of time to complete the quiz, or querying several times,“what does this mean” or simply guessing their way through , there’s another sign of a potential English language gap.  A brief one-on-one conversation is usually also a dead give away of some challenges we, as teachers, might face with different students in the upcoming year.

This year, indeed, one of my classes has more EAL learners in it than in preceding years.   Of course, this means immediate adjustments.  The good news, however, is that often these adjustments and modifications are simply what we refer to in the profession as “best practices”.  For example, for EAL learners an introduction to the vocabulary words they will face in the upcoming unit is often beneficial.  So, a gap activity proves useful not only to them but everyone else in the class.  They are given cards to match; one has the definition, while another has the coinciding vocabulary word.  They work in teams to match words they already know and to decipher words they don’t know yet.  The deciphering process is very useful as it encourages analysis of roots within a word (of course, the students don’t know that’s what they are doing) and to study the language for any clues they can pick up from context or correlation to their mother tongue.

Knowing that students would be deciphering vocabulary definitions from Internet web sites with the task of converting the definitions into their own words, I took the Internet definitions and put them on the cards.  The students were encouraged to read words and definitions aloud to each other in pairs, seeking for understanding and finding the matches.  Each card is discussed as a class together, while we work through reading strategies and explicitly cover the content.  Then, I share the glorious trick of Google Translate (which, to my surprise my students did not know): if you copy and paste a web link into Google Translate, it will translate the entire web page for you!  Their eyes really lit up with excitement when I shared that.  Hopefully the research task was, indeed, easier.   

So, the bottom line, is that we must evaluate our curriculum each year to determine how well it fits to the current students in our class(es).  We must not fear change as it is directed by the need to modify and adapt lessons to meet the needs of our students.  It will only make our students more successful and us better.  Embrace change!

A Murder Mystery

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An International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) Entry Point

Our sides ache. Our cheeks ache. The laughter snowballs and we just can’t stop. We’re slaphappy. It’s 17:30 and we’re still at the school, working out a script for the Murder Mystery 7th and 8th grade Entry Point for the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) program at the school. The Murder Mystery activity was downloaded from the Internet but needed serious overhaul as there were many gaps and inconsistencies but we finally worked through it, and made a fun time of it for sure.

Treasure chests, playing cards, a “Last Testament and Will”, candy, student journals, and newspaper were either rounded up or created.  You’d be surprised at how difficult it was to secure newspaper.  Student invitations with character description and instructions printed and handed out. A clipboard for each classroom with all the paper work was put together. In the end, six teachers collaborated to pull this off.

This morning we gathered with the students and the drama began.  We commenced with character introductions. Some students were very prepared and engaged, mocking an accent or acquiring a mannerism.  The room was abuzz with questions, laughter, and curiosity during the “get to know each other” session in which students, in character, were supposed to find out things about others. Finally, it was time to enact the script.  Focused students realized the flow and spontaneously contributed, eager for the outcome.  A melodramatic ending topped off the event.  The sharing of candy from the treasure chest elicited cheers and smiles. 

The event culminated with students intent on their journal reflections.

What is an entry point supposed accomplish? or to be like?

From the IMYC manual:

“… sets an exciting context for the … explicit purpose of a new beginning.”

“intended to be engaging enough so that students will begin to think about the idea of the Theme and Big Idea”

“outside the box”

“generate interest and, hopefully, excitement about the Theme and learning that is to come”

It’s time for teachers to reflect.  It’s time to determine whether the intentions of the IMYC for the entry point were met. In many ways, yes.  But we can do better. 

We can always do better, right? That’s a teacher’s job.  No matter how good, it can always be better. 

A Test for Me: Do you really need two skeletons?

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Summer has taken its toll on our chemical storage room. Renovation in rooms throughout the school has unexplainably resulted in an influx of plastic bins filled with countless items including such things as goggles small enough for 1st graders, sand timers, craft paper, and boarders for bulletin boards.  Bins and boxes clutter the floor and fill the countertops. It’s overwhelming, as we need the space for lab preparations and possibly student lab work. Unfortunately, our days are booked beyond comprehension.  Fortunately, there is a part-time lab assistant who does wonders for us. Thankfully, he begins to tackle the disorder.

We’re standing amidst the chaos. He points to a box, “Shall I just chuck it?” clearly confident we’ll respond affirmatively.

Our eyes scan the rolls of periodic tables, science posters, and maps. There are now six different science teachers and a health teacher that might find something useful in that box.  We each use items periodically from the box. 

My colleague quickly responds, “No, definitely not. It may look like it’s not used but that’s because we put it back once we’re done using it”. 

He’s somewhat exasperated but accepts the verdict, allowing his eyes to wander to other potentially “unuseful” items that can be tossed to clear away some space for lab work. My colleague and I meander back into my room to rummage around in the storage room.

After a few minutes he leans into my room and queries, “Do we really need two skeletons?” 

My thoughts race: biology, integrated science, health, and elementary classes all use the skeletons. About once a year both are being utilized simultaneously. They’re expensive. What if the school grows?  What if we remove one and regret it?  They don’t take up that much room.  Better safe then sorry.

Despite not having spoken a word between us, my colleague and I respond in unison, “Yes, we need them”.  Irrational?  Perhaps.

He looks at us in disbelief and barely suppresses an eye-roll. We don’t hear a word from him the rest of the day.

The room is becoming more orderly, even usable.  After entering the room recently, this is what I saw:

It’s a test, isn’t it? If the apron and/or lab coat remain the entire year then he knows we don’t really need two skeletons. Or maybe he was annoyed. Or maybe he’s drying the apron and coat after a washing. Or maybe he’s just being funny.

In any case, it made me laugh. I’m leaving it ‘cause it makes me smile every time I walk through there. 

The First Day: Introductions, Icebreakers, and more.

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As much as you want to just “start in”, you can’t.

Introductions are, indeed, needed.  The business of class expectations, the syllabus, and lab safety must, indeed, be addressed.

Each student is handed a playing card just before entering the classroom.  They smile, curious.  No matter how old they are, students enjoy the unexpected.  The instruction,  “Find the match” sends them scurrying into the classroom. They locate their matching card and carefully seat themselves determining who will be sitting by them.  Backbacks are slid onto the floor beneath the tables.  Instinctively students take out their pencil cases, eager to tackle the task in front of them.  What is it about the presence of a glue stick that is particularly exciting? Joviality ensues as each student ponders his or her favorite movie, book, ice cream, drink, etc. from the summer.  

“I cried so hard in that movie”

“So did I.  The book made me cry too”

“What if you don’t like any other drinks other than water?”

“It was a thick book but I made it through”

And on and on it goes as students reminisce and share while filling out their cards.  After they glue the paper onto one of the cards, we share as a group.  And that’s fun too. Most students are surprised that I have both read and seen “Divergent” and they eagerly offer their critiques.  We find common ground, we laugh, we joke, we know it’s going to be a good year.

Next they work in pairs or small groups to fill in the blanks on the class expectations.  The laminated poster waits upside down while they work away.  For some reason, they have fun with this too!  “A _ _ _ _ _ on t _ _ _” (Arrive on time) and “Take ‘o _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _’ of your l _ _ _ _ _ _ _”  (Take ownership of your learning) both seem to really stump them.  Students seem to enjoy the challenge of this nonthreatening, ungraded activity.

The lab safety contract they’ll read at home and we’ll cover during the next class.

Of course I’d like to say, “Science rocks.  You’re going to learn.  You’re going to enjoy it” and move on, however, we review the syllabus.  Students with computers bookmark my web site and confirm that class activity and homework will be posted there.  It still amazes me how much at ease they are with their computers.  After all, it is only the first day and some students are new to the school.  Finding the site and creating a bookmark is nothing to them.

With some classes we also talk about eco-schools (and our goal to become one) or move on to content.  Second year IB students already plunge into a Paper 1 exam, evaluating how helpful their summer stack of notecards are (or aren't).

We’re off and running and boy does it feel wonderful!  I hope the students are as eager as I am.  Wishing all returning teachers and students an energized year full of discovery and learning.

Back to school: Will this year be as good as years past?

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The smell of freshly cut wood and paint fill the air.  Summer renovations are still underway.  No one is in sight.  The turtle tank and bags of supplies weigh heavy on my shoulders as I climb the stairs to the top floor.  Down the empty hallway I trudge.  How will it feel to be back in the classroom?  This year will be different as two of my children have graduated and my husband has taken a position at another school.  Will it feel empty or lonely or somehow less meaningful to me?

Mr. T back in the classroom, checking me out as always.

The first task is to get “Mr. T” settled. Then, the arrangement of my desk, shelves, and student tables needs to be addressed.  The cleaning team has relocated my desk and shelves and I decide to leave their arrangement.  “Change is good,” I think.

The first days are filled with meetings and planning while teachers try to squeeze in moments inside their classrooms to make preparations for next week.  Schedules, student needs, curriculum, orders, lesson plans.  Embraces.  Sharing of summer experiences.  It’s great to see colleagues.  Friendships.  Collaboration.  Invigoration through comradery found in common goals.  I’m energized

One morning while watching Mr. T ingest his food pellet, I reflect on the upcoming school year and a surge of happiness fills me.  Excitement and anticipation envelop me.  I’m so grateful that I truly enjoy my job and feel 100% eager for the coming school year.  Once again, it’s confirmed that teaching is where I belong.  Yes, this year will definitely be as good as years past and probably even better.

Wishing the same fulfilment to all returning teachers out there!  Make it a wonderful year!

Is the IB Worth it?

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A parent's perspective

A follow up to a previous post in which I, as a parent, seriously questioned the value of the IB education: Click here for the first blog post

Working hard while others are still enjoying the care-free life of a summer break.

Glorious, sunny, cool, fall weather has settled in on the Netherlands.  Students officially return to school in a week and many are squeezing in the last summer activities before facing the routine of classes and homework.  However, one student arrives in my classroom every day this week at 11:30, working steadily until 3:30, 4:00, or even 4:30 p.m.  He is working on his extended essay for IB biology.

He has built his on electrophorese apparatus to compare genomic DNA of specific regional plants.

 

His project to me, as his teacher, is thrilling and his dedication to it impresses me.  The quiet one-on-one time he has with me in between my meetings and pre-school duties is a pleasure as he is a genuinely interested and curious student who has taken full ownership of his project. 

His gel - I love the use of legos to make the wells.

As a teacher I am a strong advocate of the IB, its curriculum, and its ability to prepare students for the university.

However, as a mother, I wonder what the mother of this IB student thinks.  Is she concerned about all of his responsibilities?  Of course, the real crunch hasn’t arrived.  I remember back on my own amazement at the time and energy required of IB students, from a mom’s perspective.  I remember my own questioning of whether the value of an IB education offsets the sacrifice required to obtain the IB diploma.

It is now behind us, as a family.  Our two teenagers have completed and earned their IB diplomas.  They are happy with the results and I’m grateful the hard work paid off.  However, the question remains, is the IB worth it? 

From a mom’s perspective, I now have arrived at the conclusion that it IS worth it.  Not only is the curriculum rigorous and preparatory for college, but the process of learning how to manage time, prioritize, and yes, deal with long nights and challenges are also preparations for the life to come.  So many of my students have returned to me to report how well the IB prepared them for college.  My own children have already dealt with facing the real world post-high school experience with a mature and capable attitude partly due to their IB training.

There are some other things I advocate more strongly for now that I have both teacher and mom perspective.  One is that students (and parents) consider what the ideal IB student is.  The IB guide states that “IB learners strive to be inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective”.  The first day of class my new IB students review these and actually write a paragraph on what it means to be an IB learner. This is part of my plan because the idea of a complete and well-rounded learner is so important to me.

A student who approaches learning with the IB learner attributes will enjoy most fully the benefits of an IB diploma.  My daughter took IB Dutch despite not having the proper background for this journey.  To compensate, she attended a Dutch camp and really worked hard to learn the language.  As a risk-taker she discovered her ability to stretch herself beyond her limits and in the end, learned what she was ultimately capable of.  Both of my children continued to play sports through their second year of IB, a choice I now fully advocate as it provided them with much needed balance. The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Extended Essay (EE) provided them with an in-depth opportunity to be inquirers, thinkers, and communicators. CAS fostered caring.  IB teachers and the program overall encouraged them to be knowledgeable, principled, reflective, and open-minded.  Additionally, my children have had a globally minded education that enables them to embark on life's journey as world citizens prepared to collaborate with and work with a multitude of cultures.  Finally, they have the satisfaction of having extended themselves and achieved something worthwhile.

Yes, the IB is worth it.  

Diving: An argument for Standards Based Grading

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In order to become a certified diver an individual must master certain tasks and grasp certain concepts.  The concepts are assessed in written format while the skills are assessed by actually completing them for the instructor under water both in the pool as well as in the ocean.  As I've written about in previous blogs, I recently underwent diving certification.  The experience has resulted in significant reflection on my part.

In the process of certification, if a student struggled with a skill, he/she continued working on that skill until it was mastered and then moved on, often catching up with the group.  The expectation was that everyone would eventually master all the skills.  All students encouraged each other to gather courage and complete the tasks, especially if anyone was feeling nervous or even scared. 

If a student wasn’t successful with the written assessments, he/she was required to complete some additional studying and then reassess, continuing the cycle until sufficient content was mastered.

As a diver, you need to know how to enter the water several ways, including "walking in" to deep water as shown here.  As a diving student you must perform each method for the instructor.

Modifications were built in all along the way to make sure students had the proper support to master both skills and content.  Extra time was given, further instruction was offered, and additional examples provided.

During my own certification process, on our last open water dive, a student did not properly assemble her gear and during the checks it was determined that she had an empty tank preventing her from beginning the dive with us.  She had to remain on the boat waiting for a full tank of air.  It didn’t matter that she had a good attitude, she’d done her homework, she participated in class, and had almost rigged her gear properly.  The skill wasn’t mastered so she could not enter the water, as her life would be in danger.  She had to wait and redo the task before entering the water.

In diving you must be able to properly set up the gear in order to survive under water.  

Furthermore, another student lost his mask in the water, an honest mistake.  The rest of the group tried to figure out a way to help him, finally, the girl without the tank gave him her mask.  When one member of our group fell overboard before we had arrived at the dive site, we all helped him back into the boat making sure he was safe and prepared to proceed.  There was a team effort to make sure everyone had a fair chance to succeed.

In diving, if the focus weren’t mastery of skills in addition to understanding of content, life would be endangered.  While good attitude, completion of homework, attentiveness, and care all help in mastering skills and understanding content, these attributes do not determine a good diver and therefore are not included in determining whether an individual has qualified for diving certification.

As I’ve reflected on this experience, I realize how much I advocate for this same approach in the classroom.  Shouldn’t the expectation be that all students attain the skills and master the content?  Shouldn’t we have “back up plans” to help teach students who don’t “get it” the first time around?  Shouldn’t the environment be supportive and positive with students cheering each other on and helping each other out? Shouldn’t pupils be allowed extra time and additional assessments, if necessary, to demonstrate mastery?  If it were so, wouldn’t students be less intimidated about asking questions and would feel more encouraged with a determination to succeed?  Furthermore, while completion of homework, attendance, neatness, and preparedness (i.e. having proper supplies) are important learning behaviors in helping a student to succeed, these attributes do not determine whether a student has, indeed, mastered skills and understood the content.

As teachers everywhere are returning to the classroom, we are all considering what type of environment we seek and how to achieve it.  In the end, we all want a positive learning atmosphere in which all students thrive in the learning process.  The question is how do we ensure it for this coming year for all of our students?  I suggest, that if we look to the model of diving certification, we might find some answers to take us in that direction!

South Africa 2014: Will I do a trip like this again?

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“OK, we have one last task for all of you to do before we head back home”.  Student heads lift up over the seats in the tour bus to determine what their teachers have in mind.  The three of us, stand in unison, and hand out sheets of paper to be filled in anonymously.  Once each student demonstrates that he/she has a writing utensil, we began with the questions:

  • What did you gain (personally and/or academically) from this experience?
  • What was your favorite part of this trip?
  • What surprised you the most about this trip?
  • Would you take a trip like this again? (Why/Why not).

View from the bus

View from the bus

We glance at the expansive, dry, beautiful South African landscape from the bus windows.  As we pass through small villages we see women gathering water at the local water pump.  Most students write carefully and thoughtfully, some taking thirty minutes to answer the questions.  As the students fill out their papers, we three teachers (a teacher from another school, Eva, and I) answer the questions for ourselves and discuss together our responses and analyze whether we’ll organize a similar trip in a year.

Intent on identifying species

To fully determine whether it’s worth planning another trip, we consider the evaluations from the 18 students between our two schools, the results being very similar. 

Here are the responses of the ten students from my school:

“Yes”

“I would do a trip like this again because I feel like it is for a good cause by informing people of the importance of conservation and spreading awareness.  But I also feel like it would be more effective and enjoyable with a smaller group of people and a longer duration of trip.  I thought it was super fun/awesome/cool beanz but I would have liked more research to be involved”

“I would definitely make a trip like this again because I had a lot of fun on this trip.  From making new friends, to learning the most crazy stuff in the world.  I will keep a lot of great memories.  Can’t be more grateful that I could go on this trip.”

“Yes, good way to get a ‘vacation’ and hands on learning”

“Yes, because this is my second trip like this.”

“100%.   I learned so much from this trip and I think it’s an awesome and rewarding way to see a new place.  My eyes are now opened to new things, and if I had the opportunity to do something like this again, I definitely would.”

“The trip was amazing, and I got closer to the people I never really cared for too much before.  But I probably would not take a trip like this again.  Not only is it really expensive, but two weeks is not enough time in one of these beautiful locations, let only one.  I would definitely return to the places, thought most likely to Sodwana Bay”

Studying the remains of a newly hatched turtle.

“Absolutely!  It was one of the best experiences of my life.  I learned so much about the environment and myself”

“Yes, I would, because the knowledge I gained won’t fade.  Next trip I would do with people I know again.”

“Yes, I love this kind of work and I’d like to pursue my future jobs in this field.”

There were a total of five teachers on the trip and we discussed every step of the program together, being very critical of the educational component of the two-week adventure.  However, in retrospect, the students learned and gained so much from both the hands-on work as well as the lecture series.  Students took notes, asked questions, discussed, and never complained.  Students wanted more research and we, as teachers, agreed.  So, in planning for the future, I would ensure that the research would at least be better framed in context with the educational component, at least giving more meaning to the research.  Furthermore, I will look into sites that have a larger research component.  In talking with students and reading through their evaluations, we concluded that the trip was, indeed, a trip of a lifetime and that the lives of our students were definitely affected for the positive.  Powerful components of the experience included:

On the game transect on which we saw the black rhino (the rhino is in the top right hand corner). It was so fun to share such amazing experiences with my students.

  • Hands on experience with ecology
  • Application of content learned in the classroom in school, making it really “come alive”
  • Exposure to real field scientists
  • Access to a vast array of content in the fields of ecology and conservation
  • Interaction with interesting people who work in conservation
  • Amazing sites
  • Awareness of the need for conservation
  • Insight into different career paths
  • Global connectedness as far as working with people from all over the world and awareness of how what is happening in specific areas of the earth affects the rest of the world
  • Conviction of one’s own role in conservation and knowledge that individuals can make a difference

Yes, I’ll definitely plan another trip like this again. 

I’m currently considering two different groups with which I can conduct a trip.  Also, I’m deciding on the exact location as well.  I will decide by September!

South Africa 2014: Final Reflections on the marine experience

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Diving and Lectures

The sand is cool and firm to our bare feet. The sun is cresting at the horizon. The air is chilled, untouched as of yet by the rising sun. Quite a bit of self-control is required to strip down to the swimsuit and to pull the cold damp wet suits onto our chilled bodies.  Some laugh nervously while others complain of the cold. The sea spreading out from the sand invites us to enter its dark and murky waters for a view of the amazing world beneath.

So far my reporting on this trip has been only partial: that of the dive certification program.  In another setting, several people in our group arrived on site with diving certification already complete.  These individuals began diving on the first day.  Their program was supposed to incorporate dive ecology and research into their experience.  However, it didn’t quite work out like we imagined.

The organization by Wallacea and the dive center wasn’t exactly coordinated to meet the specific needs of our group (divers and non-divers mixed) in the most efficient manner.  Thus, the divers would participate in a dive but then had 4-6 hours of free time at the beach and camp basically waiting for the rest of us to finish up.  According to the program emailed to me before departure, I thought they would be receiving the ecology course during that time.  For several reasons (short staffing, we were the first group of the season, etc.) the ecology lectures were reserved for the nighttime, after dinner.

The lectures were full of fascinating content, much of which pertained directly to what the divers were observing during their dives.  Furthermore, the certified divers were given tasks of identifying fish but the necessary information was delivered to them late at night as opposed to during the down time in the afternoon.  Thus, they didn’t benefit fully from either the lecture series or the information required for identification skills.  As educators, my fellow colleagues and I would have organized this aspect of the program entirely differently.

By the time the non-divers finished their certification requirements for the day and their homework, they were simply too exhausted to focus on and process the lecture series.  Additionally, it wasn’t as meaningful to them as to the certified divers since they hadn’t been in the ocean yet.

If I were to do a diving program again, I would definitely require everyone to complete or partially complete (at least through the open water dives) a PADI certification course.  If all students were on the same page, it would be more manageable for the instructors to oversee the time for all participants fully.  This is definitely the best way to maximize the benefits of such a “research” experience.   Coming already certified allows students to more quickly enter the research world of identification and species counts.

Conservation

The students responded most to the conservation lectures, especially because these were more hands on.  These included:

  • An offsite tour of a shark conservation center and a brief, powerful lecture on the importance of sharks and their conservation.
  • A short presentation on the beach about the turtles of the Indian Ocean and the conservation needs surrounding these species.
  • A Dune Walk and discussion on the importance of the dunes and the botany of the coast
  • A Tide Pools survey in which students attempted to view and identify species found within the tide pools

Students did absorb knowledge from the learning opportunities presented to them at the marine site, as indicated in the evaluation responses:

“I learned so much about the tightly knit ecosystems in the ocean and that they really do affect humans a lot. I can make a difference”

“I found out that I cared about things that I hadn’t thought about before like eating seafood”

“I learned a lot more about how fragile the world is”

“My favorite part of the trip was my first open water dive, because it opened a whole new world for me”

“The open water dives changed my life thoroughly”

Our entire group.  In the end, everyone gained from the marine experience, regardless of final outcome.

Social Networking and Global Collaboration

Another aspect of the trip was the interaction of our students with each other as well as with students from other schools.  At camp students played cards and socialized.  During this week students from different school groups mixed and began to form friendships.  It would have been nice to have the groups mixed up during research expeditions in the bush to encourage meeting new people.  As a student wrote in the evaluation, “I gained a whole new social circle all around the world”.  Ecology is very much a global profession, requiring collaborations from every corner of the earth.  It’s powerful for students to experience with others from around the world and form opinions and convictions together.  The international element of conservation was reinforced by the fact that guides and lecturers came from not only South Africa but also Ireland, Germany, and the USA.

Culture

They were beautiful.  Girls and boys dressed in coordinated clothing.  Hair short.  Lean and energetic.  The music, whistles, and drums began and the singing and dancing commenced.  We were all captivated.  For our last night at Sodwana Bay we were favoured with a traditional Zulu dance number by local children.  The evening was very special and it made me long for more interactions such as this.  One of our students, in the evaluation, claimed this to be one of the most treasured experiences of the trip.

Overall

The experience at the marine site, though not what we anticipated, was definitely valuable, mostly from the standpoint of ecology and conservation awareness and its role on a global level.

South Africa 2014: My students ARE my peers

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To complete our dive certification we must complete four open water (i.e. in the Indian Ocean) dives over two days. 

Our transfers to the beach occur between 6:15 and 7:15 a.m. with breakfast available from 5:30.  We are loaded like cattle into the pick-up trucks and herded to the beach.

The sun is up and, thankfully, is beginning to afford some warmth against the chilly morning.  The wet suits are cold, however we manage to pull them over our goose-bump riddled skin. We line up on the log facing the sun and looking at the expansive ocean beyond for our briefing.  The first dive is only an orientation. No skills will be expected as we simply experience the underwater world together for the first time. The remaining three open water dives will require us to repeat all the skills we completed in the pool. 

Preparing to launch our boat.  We walk beside it until it is afloat and then scramble into the boat for take-off.

We all perch at the edge of the boat, heavy with gear. The countdown for our rollback into the water is about to begin.  How will we feel once it’s time to actually roll over the edge backward into the ocean?  Are we ready?  We should be, we’ve completed all the proper checks.  The captain of the boat shouts, "1, 2, 3, go".  We all plunge backwards into the sea.  With our inflated BCDs, we bounce back to the surface. breathing through our regulators and realizing that so far everything is fine. 

Transport to and from dive site.  Near the dive site we put on all our gear (which is in the center of the boat during transport) and prepare to roll off the edge.  

Our instructor beckons us to the buoy that contains the line that will guide us to the bottom.  I position myself towards the back in case I have trouble equalizing.  We descend.  It's a bit murky but I can see the guideline.  Bubbles from those preceding me percolate upwards towards me.  The person in front of me is flailing and fins are hitting me in the face so I switch to the other side of the rope and experience significantly more calm.  I'm breathing fine.  I'm equalizing.  Everything is working.  Soon the ocean floor emerges below.  The others leave the rope and gather at a sandy spot near our instructor.  Coral and beautiful fish surround us.  Yes, we have entered a whole new world.  It's amazing.  It's calming, despite our chaotic presence.  Mostly I feel like I'm trying to avoid the kicking fins and flailing arms of my co-divers, my students.  It's interesting, in this situation, their role as “my students” has completely dissipated: they are currently my peers, as we are in this, learning and experiencing together. Yet, I still worry about them and hope they are all having a good first dive.   The thirty minutes flies by and I can't believe it's time to ascend.  We successfully surface. Finally we heave ourselves, with help, back onto the boat.  We are handed lollipops that are balm to the salty taste in our mouths.  We suck happily on our pops as the boat speeds us back to shore.  Everyone is smiling and everyone is feeling a sense of accomplishment, though we remain a bit reserved knowing that we still have to pass a skill set down in the ocean.

We have a two hour break before our second dive.  Mostly we spend it in the sun, soaking up some rays and getting warm. The first part of the second dive involves covering some skills at which we all are successful.  Then, we have some time to follow our instructor in observing the sights.  This is when we realize how fun it is to dive.  This is when we realize we probably WILL return to the water as a diver.  That afternoon we are asked to reflect on our dive experiences.  Our thoughts are similar and we share together.

The next day we complete our final two dives for certification.  Before the final dive, however, a few things happen.  A student loses his mask in the ocean.  An instructor attempts to find it to no avail.  Then, another student, all rigged up, loses his sense of balance and falls off the boat before we are at the actual dive site.  Ha ha.  So, he has to take off all his gear, board the goat, and re-rig himself.  Finally, in our pre-dive check it is discovered that a student did not properly check her oxygen tank and has rigged up an empty tank - she must wait on the boat for a replacement tank.  With all these mishaps I have no comment, after all, any of it could have happened to me.  Again, there is this strong sense that in this situation I stand on equal ground in every way with my students.  As co-students, we all turn to our dive instructors for guidance, questions, and help.  For all those able to complete the entire certification process, we are 100% successful!  Two people were unable to finish due to sickness or injury, however, I’m confident they will complete their certification this summer.

We are certified divers!

During our fun dive on the following day, we are significantly more relaxed as a group as we approach a dive as certified divers.  During the dive I receive a tap on my shoulder.  It’s my buddy signing to me asking for my air levels.  I signal back.  There’s my buddy.  My student.  My peer.  We are depending on each other to be there for one another and to make sure we both make it to the surface safely.

This transition from student/teacher to peer has been an interesting one. We’ve been able to get to know each other on a whole new level.  It makes me appreciate my students all the more.  They are delightful, fun, interesting, thoughtful, and trustworthy.  I advocate working with students on a non-school sponsored trip.   It’s eye-opening and rewarding.   I suspect that it builds foundations and relationships for years to come.

South Africa 2014: Students don’t give up and Teachers assess properly!

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Preparing to roll back into the pool

We are zipping through our Open Dive Course and it is feeling good.  We finish off with the theory and prepare for our final confined water dive.  The impending swim without my mask is terrifying me but I proceed forth.  We roll backwards off the bench, a task the others were fearing, into the cold pool water.

Thankfully, the first task is, indeed, the maskless swim and my turn is first.  I am encouraged by the example of our teacher as he makes it seem so simple.  It is so much easier than the first exercise.  I actually feel relaxed about it and experience zero panic.  As soon as I'm finished I let the other people in my group know that it was easy by giving them the double OK signal.  Fortunately, everyone else ends with a double "OK" as well.   The rest of the confined water dive is a piece of cake.

We take our final exam and mark it.  One person in our group must retake but we'll do it later tonight.  So, most of us head to the beach to see that for the first time.  One student is remaining on site to finish up some skills that she couldn't complete in our earlier confined dives so I stay with her.

One student , Samantha (I have permission to use her name and photos) had been so overwhelmed with the mask task that she had exited the water the day before.  The experience had panicked and scared her to a point of tears.  Today she finished all the theory and testing with us and has only the confined water dives to complete, including both mask tasks. 

Samantha waits patiently for all the other groups to finish their confined water dives and then enters the frigid waters with the other students who were struggling with the mask.    They are a group of five.  The sun is beginning to set and the water is probably at its coldest.  Already, admiration builds within me as my own courage would wane if I were expected to enter the water this late in the day and face three confined water dives without my peers.  However, Samantha jumps in without hesitation, however, within minutes there are signs of her feeling cold.

I'm sitting in the sun.  It's warm and peaceful.  I watch carefully when it's Samantha’s turn to go, and am relieved that she easily completes the mask-removal skill that so befuddled her the day before.  Before a half hour has passed, all the other students have dropped out because they can’t work the mask or they are too cold.  Samantha, however, carries on, determined to catch up with the others in her group.  I watch the on goings around the pool and chat with the instructors.  It is relaxing and I am hoping the rest of our group is enjoying the beach and that Samantha will finish the confined water dives.  The temperatures drop with the setting sun and I seriously wonder if she can survive in the water to finish all the requirements. Task after task she completes with a steady eye on her goal.  She doesn’t deviate.  She’s asked if she wants to exit the pool before continuing but she declines.  Finally, diving instructor and successful student, both blue-lipped, exit the pool.  Samantha becomes the hero of the day as she has endured the frigid waters for longer than anyone else during this entire certification process, persevering to complete the tasks.  Everyone around the pool cheers her success.

That evening our student that required reassessment of the written exam, studies diligently in the mess hall.  Her peers surround her writing practice problems, quizzing her, and encouraging her.  Here is another student that won’t give up.  Surrounding her at other tables student groups socialize, play cards, and celebrate the end of the day.  However, this student pours over the dive manual and asks questions and seeks to master the content.  Later, the dive instructor takes her to a secluded place and gives her another opportunity to pass the exam.  She emerges triumphant and once again we have cause to celebrate.

These two students have set a great example today of determination.  Everyone in our group expresses admiration and is genuinely congratulatory.  We all feel good. 

Students studying from their dive manuals in the mess hall, even though there will be no grade assigned to the HW.

On another note, we have not earned grades in dive certification.  Though we all have homework, no one received a grade for it.  The homework was utilized to determine what else we needed to learn.  There was a set of skills and a specific amount of knowledge to be mastered.  SIMPLE.  No one was ranked.  Everyone simply had to master the skills to move on.  This is the climate we should achieve in the “regular” classroom in schools.  Create environment wherein no one gives up.  Foster an atmosphere in which everyone is motivated to continue until skills and content are mastered.  Build in time for all to complete the tasks.  Provide extra support so all will succeed.  Praise perseverance and hard work.  Of course, in the end, this leads me back to one of my favorite subjects.  We need to assess students on what they know and can do.  Period.  In diving, you need to know the skills so that you do not die underwater.  Thus, it would have been ridiculous to “pass” someone simply because he/she completed all the homework, worked hard, had a good attitude, and was focused in every lesson.  While those skills are important, they don’t necessarily add up to being a good diver and it would be ethically irresponsible to pass someone based on those criteria.  Needless to say, I advocate a similar approach to education in schools! 

Cheers to determined students and proper assessments!  

South Africa 2014: Students and Teachers in this together

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My mixed feelings continue.  We enter the frigid pool once again for the second confined dive.  The cold is so unpleasant that I just feel like I'm suffering through the experience.  The first task we undertake is to remove our mask for one minute under water.  I find this absolutely terrifying and am suppressing panic for the entire minute.  What a strange sensation to continue breathing with the regulator but have water creep into my nostril spaces.  It takes me some time to process exactly what I am doing to maintain a no panic status.  I am breathing deeply in and then pushing air out through my mouth and nose while keeping my eyes closed.  That seeping sensation into my nostrils is most uncomfortable and unsettling.  Then, I need to put the mask on and clear it.  Again, suppressed panic.  I dare to open my eyes, fearing that I haven't cleared the mask and to my relief, it is clear.  I give the "OK" signal.  After the mask task, the rest seems easy.  One of our students has exited the water over the mask task.  Apparently there are several students from the different groups that have difficulty with the mask task.

With our instructor

During the pre-dive debriefing when we are discussing buddy diving and sharing air the dive instructor tells us, "You always look out for yourself first.  Never share your regulator with your buddy.  They ran out of air so you shouldn't risk your life for them.  That's when I realize I probably shouldn’t be diving with anyone that I care about.  I’d probably give my regulator to anyone in this group.

Well, we finish the rest of the confined dive and eagerly exit the water seeking sunshine, warmth and lunch.  Then, another lecture and quizzes.  It is a relief to have another day behind us. 

Doubt about the entire certification process consumes me.  Why am I even doing this?  Will I ever dive again?  12 years ago I did complete a dive certification program but it was not as thorough as this one and it’s as though I hadn’t done it.  The fear factor is just so huge now.  The need to “put up a front” for my students has disintegrated.  I openly share my fears with them as they do theirs.  Truly, we’re in this together.

Fish after fish after fish are flashing before my eyes on the PPT shining on the wall in the mess hall.  I've lost focus.  I can't keep them apart.  It is just another fish as far as I'm concerned.  The kids are zoned out.  This is probably most interesting to the kids that have actually been diving and have seen these fish.

Fear is tearing through me regarding the first open water dive.  We have to repeat all the tasks we've completed in closed water and I completely dread it: that mask task.  What if someone panics in the ocean???  Again, doubt fills my mind and I just cannot focus on this fish lecture, despite the fact that they are, indeed, seriously cool.  Parrot fish.  Trigger fish.  Seriously?  4 types of trigger fish?  and all different by markings.  "Our Snappers", he says.  They are pelagic.  What the hell is pelagic?  Oh, Open water.  But seriously, there are two snappers on the screen and they look so different in shape and color - I can't imagine being able to put those two in the same family.  Now there are 4 more snapper fish on a new slide: humpback, yellow, twin-spot, blue banded.  Fish, fish, fish and more fish.  On to the surgeonfish.  I cannot look at another picture of a fish.  Thank goodness, now he's talking about conservation of herbivores.

Why not put out some fish I.D. cards for the students and have them practice identifying fish???  That would have been so much better. They need some hands on activity that engages them.

We got lucky in that the staff seemed to notice that the students were completely ZONED and the second lecture was cancelled.  Even the chaperones thrilled to be done with the lectures.  None of us could take any more.  There’s something about being really active all day in the outdoors and sun, finishing off a healthy dinner, and then settling down for a lesson.  What can I learn from this?  We, as teachers, definitely need to be aware of our students’ activities and exam schedules if we want to help them optimize their learning time.  And, the value of hands on, engaging work is forever engraved into my mind.

South Africa 2014: Students and teachers morphing into peers

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Up at 4:15 a.m., bags out on the gravel in the dark by 4:45 a.m.  Grab some meager breakfast and pile into the jeeps by 5:00 a.m.  Off we go on the bumpy dirt road taking us back to Hoedspruit.  For our final sighting we see 3 spotted hyenas – a great way to end our time in the Bush.  Then I doze the rest of the way.  We board luxurious busses to begin our journey to Sodwana Bay.

The tents at Sodwana Bay - for students and teachers alike.

We arrive early evening and are shown our tents.  We are camping.  Dinner and orientation.  We are divided into groups based on our diving experience: Group A consists of the experienced divers; Group B contains the referral divers (they’ve completed most of their certification; Group C is designed for non-divers, or the snorkelers; and finally, Group C, of which I’m a member, is reserved for those of us seeking to complete diver’s certification.  Finally, we settled into a good night’s sleep before we begin our coastal experience.

The training pool with the classroom behind.

Inside the classroom

In the morning the certified and referral divers as well as the snorkelers head to the coast where they begin diving.  The rest of us are escorted into "the classroom" at the dive center which is a rounded one-room building with a thatched roof - very "beachy". Inside the walls and floor are all exposed wood reinforcing that "beachy" feeling. Wet-suits hanging from the rafters and draped over chairs and benches confirm that we are at a diving center.  Fins, masks, and snorkels are placed around the room awaiting the return of this week's user.  We seat ourselves on benches around a large square wooden picnic table that takes up most of the space in the room. Our attention is directed to the small T.V. at the front of the room. Videos #1 and #2 are our assignment.  We pull out our dive manuals to follow along with the video. There I sit with my students who are now my peers.

Most of our group outside on the deck of the scuba center.  This is where we received our lectures.

Our video session is followed by a "lecture" outside on the deck of the scuba center. Our instructor is a sarcastic 50+ scraggly blond man who happens to be a manager of the dive center. I have to admit, I'm impressed with his knowledge of physics as it relates to diving. Furthermore, he explains things really well, using analogies and spatial activities that involve us standing up and walking around, mimicking various aspects of a dive. Despite his gruff personality, he's actually a good teacher. 

Some of us in the water during our "confined water dive".

It is our turn in the pool for our first confined water dive. The water is frigid. Several of us are shivering. Can I just clarify that I HATE cold? As my body rattles under water I'm doubting the selection of a winter location for this "summer research expedition".  I question whether this is "worth it" but I attempt a smile for my students.  But actually I hate this experience because I'm so cold. However, our group all completes the confined water skills and a small sense of satisfaction begins to swell within me.

Students and teacher (that's me) climb out of the pool and laughing together we share our thoughts regarding our first underwater experience with scuba gear. We are on the same level, experiencing and learning together. I don't know if they feel it yet, but I am a student with them.  

The best part of the day is the hot, and I mean hot, outdoor shower!  The luxury shower assigned to teachers is attached to the site leader's house.  It is surrounded by a high stucco wall.  Huge potted plants hang down over the sides and trees and bushes spring up all around.  The area is spacious and includes a sink and toilet in addition to the shower.  The most amazing feature is that when I turn on the water, hot water pours out. For the first time during the entire South African experience, there is necessity to turn the cold water knob in the shower.

In the evening, we meet back in the mess hall and the divers and snorkelers tell of their experiences.  The snorkelers are definitely the most enthusiastic of the students.  They have seen manta ray and humpback whales!  It is now noticeable that the different school groups are, indeed, mixing and friendship are forming.

Following our curry dinner (chicken or vegie) with beet salad we receive our first ecology reef lecture.  Though it is interesting, it is tiring to sit through a lecture at the end of the day.  Along with the students, the teachers struggle to maintain attention and that night everyone slips into the sleeping bags eager for rest.