The Classroom-Team

Its difficult to judge my own work especially when the workshops with students go well. Its easy when workshops go poorly. I can pinpoint the source of the difficulty and solve the problem. But when the class does well, and all the students are engaged, I'm lost for problems to solve. As far as I'm concerned I had no problems. So, my math has to change. In order to progress and refine my lessons when classes go well I need to think about the group work besides the nutrition themes I am talking about. I need to think about the group dynamics: the foundations for teaching nutrition or any other themed lesson. If these foundational issues of group unity, group motivation, and group knowledge are not worked on and addressed in a healthy way, the group will not care to stand up for the moral lessons of your themed lessons. Thus, the group and I need to stop and think as the confusion subsides and we realize the foundation of society is cooperation and/or competition.

Because my company gives no feedback and provides no models for education to use as some guide for lessons, I need to do is develop a system of educational models. As I map out the many ways educators can aim to build a captivating, engaging, interactive, and educational lesson, with such a map any organization can begin to narrow in on a desired model as they rule out the models not meeting expectations. Thus, the evolution of an educator's style of teaching. Without a definitive model to work for, educators working to advance and improve their organization will be left with vague understandings of the desired lessons made more clear only by the random materials we are supposed to use for the classes. Worksheets and posters. All I have to work with to build a captivating, engaging, interactive, and educational lesson are worksheets and posters. I need to sit down. I'm confused.

But I have faith in myself. I have faith in the groups of young people I see. I've stopped in and failed and I've stopped in and succeeded. But, from now on I know how important working on the foundation of the group is. And now I know there is no more time to sit down and think. Now is the time to stand up for the others coming after, admit your vulnerability, and ask your students to join you to build a new group. How the new group understands there work is the concern. And the work isn't just nutrition. NO. From now on the work includes standing up, debating, and acting together. In other words: Democracy.