When Elizabeth and I were talking last night, she shared all of her careful plans for the Heron's day today. I went in to the classroom with every intention of following her instructions. But then…
L.B. grabbed the copy of the Robin's Prairie_Creek_News which came off the presses on Friday. At morning meeting, he raised his hand for a class announcement and asked if we could "make a Shakespeare newspaper, like the one the Robin's made only for our Shakespeare time." There was an instant buzz and ideas being thrown about. This was they type of moment one lives for as a teacher, a truly emergent opportunity. I let the buzz grow for a moment or two then asked if the class wanted to follow this idea during our Shakespeare theme time. "YES!" And so it was decided.
When we (finally) got to theme time, the kids were popping with ideas. In 15 minutes we filled a board: a letter to the editor against the theaters, fashion news (sumptuary laws), royal gossip, news of the Queen's latest bath, various fires and plagues, advertisements, fencing advice, the crime beat. We had a few minutes to start our articles and then it was recess time (the announcement was met with more than a few groans).
One of the things I like about teaching at Prairie Creek is the students' sense of possibility. Learning is so much more powerful when students feel like they are in control; when they've chosen the work they are doing. They rarely sit back and wait to be told what they are to do — instead, we're often (metaphorically and literally) trying to keep up. MM
The Rookery 