Reflection 1

Capture:  This week in class, the ideology was presented that if a kid doesn't like broccoli, the solution isn't to give the kid more broccoli, or get mad at the kid for not eating the broccoli, but simply to disguise the broccoli.

Dip it in cheese, pour vinegar over it, serve it in a casserole. Simply change the context. Over time, the child will likely acquire a liking for broccoli without realizing changing process he is experiencing.

Analyze: This same philosophy can be applied to a class room. I can't count the number of times I personally have exclaimed "ewwww" when introduced to intimidating subject matter. Many times I have sat on the edge of my seat, ready to declare mutiny if the new concepts weren't presented clearly. Such was the case with Algebra and Chemistry. In those instances, I was being fed straight broccloli. And I detested every painful second.

Vastly different from my experiences with Algebra and Chemistry was my experience with reading. As a child I resisted reading quite defiantly. Reading was difficult. Reading was boring. Reading was something I could learn to do when I was older. Reading was my broccoli.

Enter in my cheese, my first grade teacher, Mrs. Walton.

Mrs. Walton must have sensed apprehension on the part of the entire class, for she made it her personal mission to instill a love of reading within us. For example, each student had a personal copy of the book, "My Father's Dragon." This small chapter book recounts the story of a young boy who goes on many unlikely adventures. Mrs. Walton used the excitement of these adventures to disguise the fact that page by page, we were learning how to read.

For instance, at one point in the book, the main character has to cross a crocodile-infested river. He searches through his backpack and discovers several lollipops and rubber bands. Using those tools, he attaches a lollipop to the tail of each crocodile. While the crocodiles are busy licking the lollipops attached to the tails of those beside them, the boy simply walks on top of their backs across the river.

We could have just read this humorous experience and called it a day. However, Mrs. Walton's dedication to really disguise our learning process ran deeper than just reading the words. To bring the story to life, she had each of us lie in a line across the classroom floor and attach a lollipop to the shoes of the neighbor directly in front of us. We stayed there, on our bellies, licking each other's lollipops for a quite a while as she read aloud to us.

Experiences like this changed what I had originally thought about reading. No longer was it just difficult, boring, and needless, but it was an adventure, escape, and enjoyable past time. With my personal broccoli adequately disguised, I never looked back.

Critique/Action: As I pursue my teaching career, I hope I will be one to not just encourage facts and deadlines, but one who will be able to instill a passion for learning. I think disguising my "broccoli with cheese" will have less to do with subject matter, and more to do with the environment. For example, I want my classroom to have engaging lesson plans, an "you can ask any question" kind of mindset, and curriculum that challenges students without making them feel incompetent.