"But the really important ones are here. I don't want to get too technical, but these are called Core Memories. Each one came from a super important moment in Riley's life, like when she first scored a goal. That was so amazing! And each core memory powers a different aspect of Riley's personality. Like Hockey Island." - Joy, Inside Out

I recently watched Pixar’s Inside Out. If you haven’t seen it, you should. There is nothing ground breaking about the concept; however, it sparked a fuse within me that has lead to deep thinking around our memories and our emotional make-up. One concept I especially connected with was the idea that we have core memories that shape and aid the development of the many aspects of our personalities.

I began to wonder about my core memories.
What core memories have shaped my personality?
What core memories have shaped my teaching personality?
And what can I learn from identifying and reflecting on them?

My Core Teaching Memories
The project was on Japan. He gave me full marks for my efforts. My favourite part of the day was hearing him read. He read the BFG by Roald Dahl. Funny, he was exactly what I imagined the BFG to look like in my ten-year-old imagination.

I was twelve. My godmother took me to the theatre to see The Taming of the Shrew performed by The Bell Shakespeare Company. She gave me a thin narrative version before the play worrying that I wouldn’t understand it when I saw it. I understood it. That’s what theatre does - makes stories come to life. I remember the set, the costumes, the actor’s faces and the confetti that was blown into the audience. I went home and began to memorise Shakespeare.

I played grandma in our play Unhand Me Squire. I had to die dramatically on stage. I was nervous. Miss Dodd believed in me though (well at least she made me think she did) and so I died a most dramatic death. The audience loved it.

I was the only girl in my class and the teacher didn’t like me. I knew she didn’t like me because she told me often that she didn’t know why I was studying music. She liked to make music herself by screaming insults at us all from the tops of her lungs.

Year 12 English, King Lear. How can this man make Shakespeare suck so much? We snuck next door to listen to a real teacher teach, hiding in the cupboard at the back of her room. We called it Narnia. He didn’t know we had left; she knew we were there. She also made sure we got a copy of her notes.

The joy of my university lecturer, Dr Carol Richards. Boy, did she love teaching!

Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China. One hundred Political Science Majors sat before me. I am 21 years old and their English Teacher. “Um… Why don’t we start by practicing an introduction? Each of you stand, greet the class and introduce yourself.”
“Chinese name or English name?”
“You have English names?”
“Yes.”
“Ok. English names.”
That was the day I met Apple, Chewing Gum and God.

The first day of my first permanent teaching position. “Just so you know, the naughtiest boy in the school is in your year 11 class. Sing out if you need a hand and whatever you do don’t take any nonsense from him.” Turns out he was one of the best kids I have ever taught.

“And the winner is….” I can’t believe it. We just won a National Competition and I have been part of leading these students to this moment. My heart is full of pride, achievement and joy. For the first time I feel like I really do make a difference in their lives.

Skip forward a few years…

The nurse passes me my first little wrinkly, blood covered baby. My heart explodes.

I lose my third daughter to Congenital Heart Disease. As I enter my classroom for the first time since she passed away, I look into the eyes of my students and wonder if their parents or other teachers fully realise the gift they have been given.  It is a privilege to know and love these students each and every day.

One cubicle door is shut. Why the hell didn’t they look here first? “Hey there. I know it is you. It’s just me out here. Do you think you could open the door so I can make sure your ok?” Silence. Slowly the engaged symbol shifts to vacant. I take a breath. Her eyes meet mine. The saddest eyes I have ever seen. I hold her gaze as my right hand moves to her left and carefully untwines her fingers from around the knife.  “You’re ok,” I say to us both. “You’re going to be ok.”

His name is Peter. He loves wrestling and practical jokes. He is 13 years old and the best teacher I have ever had. He has quadriplegic cerebral palsy.  We laugh together until I have tears streaming down our faces.

“Do you know what your greatest and worst quality is?”,  begins my boss as she leans back in her chair. “You care too much.”  I decide to take this on board.

It is my second day at my new school. I excitedly tell my year 10’s about the great project we will be working on this term. My enthusiasm is met by blank stares and silence. “Is everything ok? Do you not like the sound of this idea?” More silence. One brave soul raises her hand, “We do Miss. Honestly we do. It’s just that we aren’t used to being challenged like this. You are going to take some time to get used too.”

And so I continue to collect these core memories.

Reflection
Firstly, I am surprised by the memories that came to me during this exercise. Moments I have not thought of in many years and moments I think of often. Each a volt of energy powering my Island of Teaching.

And then there are the faces. Faces of my many teachers, my many students, my many colleagues. Each has their own place on my island. Some have led by example, some have shown me what not to do through their own actions and some have opened my eyes to either the world around me or a part of myself.

Oscar Wilde wrote, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” He makes a point, but I wonder how much of ourselves come from everyone else? The people we meet, our relationships, our connections, our experiences with and through others. I have learnt and continue to learn about what type of teacher I want to be by watching other teachers teach; by being present in the moment with my students; by loving and engaging with those around me.

I am a creative teacher.
I am an independent learner.
I am a resilient teacher.
I am a performer.
I am an empathetic teacher.
I am an advocator for those students in my class that just don’t fit in.
I am a mother.
I am a ‘I-am-going-to-change-the-world’-kind-of-teacher.
I am a joy-fueled teacher.

And I am these things due to my lived experience. My teaching personality is built from my core memories – good and bad.

Challenge
I challenge you to undergo this same project. Identify and reflect on the core memories that have shaped you as a teacher. For me it has been an affirming opportunity and I don’t believe we affirm ourselves enough as teachers.  Instead of reflecting on your lesson plans, assessments and programs, take time to reflect on your own defining moments. What can be learnt from these experiences? What can be gained? What can we take with us on our journey?

Feel free to share some of your core teaching memories in the comments below.  Or better still share some of these memories with your own teaching colleagues. I think there is much to be learnt from the experiences of others and I feel if we, as teachers, had an insight into each others core teaching memories we may be more respectful of each others decisions and more open to those who teach differently to us.

Teaching in Nanjing, China.

A Workshop With Dr Carol Richards.

Exam supervision today. Trial HSC Chemistry Test. Questions like:

In which layer of the atmosphere is ozone considered a pollutant?
(A) Mesosphere
(B) Stratosphere
(C) Thermosphere
(D) Troposphere                                                                                        (HSC Chemistry Paper 2015)

What is the pH of a 0.018 mol L−1 solution of hydrochloric acid?
(A) 0.74
(B) 0.96
(C) 1.04
(D) 1.74                                                                                                   (HSC Chemistry Paper 2015)

A solution contains carbonate, chloride and sulfate ions.
Describe a sequence of tests that could be used to confirm the presence of each of these ions. 
Include ONE relevant chemical equation.                                                    (HSC Chemistry Paper 2015)

In less then 5 minutes this evening I could answer Question 1 - Troposphere. Google gave me a formula which I used with my calculator to answer the second question leading me to the answer 1.74. (I don’t have the answers here, so chemistry teachers correct me if I am wrong.) And the last question? Well, I can tell you after 20 seconds on the internet that I can confirm carbonate ions by testing with limewater and I am sure if I bothered I could quickly find out how to test for chloride and sulphate… but let’s be honest, I can’t be bothered. 

This got me thinking. I googled which HSC Course was apparently the hardest - Extension Maths 2 and Extension Hebrew. Hmmm… Extension Maths 2 has me a little stumped. I actually have to apply stuff to other stuff. However, if I have the formula and a calculator how hard can it be? The Hebrew paper is not available online, which is a shame because I know how to use google translate. 

So I tried a History paper. Tricky. They wanted me to have an opinion. Formulate an argument. Can’t google my opinion can I? And then there is the Drama Exam. Did you know they have to perform their own piece…created from their own minds…using their own creativity…and they have to do it with other people???? Can’t google that. Real life experience right here people, but I guess it won’t scale well. 

And I could go on, but I think I will just get to my point. Why are we teaching and testing stuff we can google? Why aren’t we just teaching students how to google? Teaching students to source the information they need and apply it? Does rote learning have a place at all? What is the point of learning factual information that no one is going to retain after the exam? What sort of examination is it if I can just google the information and have the answer in less then 5 minutes?

I am not trying to be irritating and I am not down playing the importance of Chemistry or any other subject. However, I am advocating for a change to our teaching, a difference in the way we learn, an alternative way of assessing. 

Let me expand by drawing on the lives of two male adults I know. One has a number of university degrees including a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering, Masters in Engineering, MBA’s coming out his ears. The other is an operational police detective… dropped out in year 10, underwent a trade, went back to TAFE to do his HSC and joined the police. Each of them are smart in their own rights. I often refer to the later as street smart. However, if I needed help in a critical situation, needed someone to think out of the box, needed someone who could solve an immediate problem, I would call the policeman… not the degreeman. Not someone who can google and reference an essay, but someone who can think on his feet, problem solve, relate to the people around him. 

I watch kids stress about memorising facts day in and day out and I wonder why.
“Miss, we HAVE to memorise this by next period.”
“Why?”
“We have a test.”
“Can you google it…”
“Um, I guess so.”
“So what is the point?”

Do you see my issue? Let’s teach them stuff they can’t google. Let’s test them on applying and creating rather then just knowing. Bloom was no idiot when he worked out his taxonomy. So, why are we still testing knowledge? Knowledge is at our figure tips. This generation does not need to know. This generation needs to be able to apply, analyse, synthesis, evaluate, create, and make connections. 

As Einstein said, “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.” Let’s not be stupid. Stop teaching the things we can google and start teaching the things that matter. 

My students gather around a piece of butcher’s paper. We have been studying a text and I want them to engage with it on a deeper level. 

“On this piece of paper, I would like you to all draw in silence a series of symbols that fully embody the themes and issues presented through the text.” 

They begin drawing. One girl jumps right in and draws a love heart - (The title of the play has ‘love’ in it). One girl writes some numbers - (The title of the play has the word ‘information’ in it.) Slowly another draws a puzzle with pieces missing; one draws a persons head with the tongue rolled out like a sheet of paper and numbers, symbols dripping out of the mouth; one draws a human being using binary code. More images flow and then they stop. We discuss.

“What images attract your attention? Engage you? Evoke emotion or cause you to question?”

Immediately students speak of the paper-tongued lady, the missing puzzle pieces and the human made up solely of information. When they were done, I asked,

“And who drew the heart?”

The kid that drew the heart (a bright and intelligent young lady I might add) begins to apologise, make excuses, explaining she can’t draw. She realises the superficiality of her work from our discussion. I interrupt her apology with the following,

“Thank you for failing.”

“MISSSSS!!!”, she declares. 

“Thank you for drawing what everyone else was first thinking. If you didn’t draw it someone else would have and now we can have a rich discussion because you pushed them to think further. We can also discuss why the play isn’t just this (pointed to heart) or this (pointed to the symbols). Thank you for failing, because if you didn’t then I have no purpose in this room.” 

She looked at me confused as my thanks was both heart-felt and genuine. It was not sarcastic or trite. It was warm and comforting. We then began to dissect why it wasn’t just about love or just about information and by the end of the lesson all the students in my class could see the rich layers within the text. 

This is one example of my new strategy - ‘Thank you for failing.’ I have been using it a lot over the last few weeks. At first there is the initial declaration of my name in horror, “MISSSSSS!!!” but when my students realise I am truly grateful for their error they begin to own their mistakes. This is the culture I want in my classroom.

My year 11’s already know my mantra - “If we aren’t failing, we aren’t learning.” They will heartedly joke that it is ok to ‘Fail in Drama’. They twist my words, but they do truly understand my intention. By creating a space where failing is valued, students become more open to taking risks, more likely to have a go answering a question and lastly become more resilient.

We need to change the language around failure to reverse the negative. When a student gives an incorrect answer to a question or makes an error in a practical task, harness it as a valuable learning experience rather than sighing and moving onto the next student. 

“Why did you think this was the answer?”
“This isn’t the answer so what do you think you may have missed?”
“Why didn’t this work out for you today?”
“What could we do better next time?”

And thank them. Thank them explicitly and whole-heartedly for their mistakes because if they were perfect all the time, there would be no need for teachers.

As I wrote silence descended across my classroom. All that could be heard was the squeak of the pen. I could see my students in the mirror and took delight in their looks of horror. I wondered how long it would take. A moment later one brave girl slowly raised her hand.
“Um, excuse me Miss… haven’t you met the AP yet?”
“Yes I have met the AP.”
“Well just so you know Miss, she’s not going to like this......In fact, I think she is going to go crazy.”

On my first day at my new school my students sat apprehensive, whispering, predicting my demise. Lucky for me the AP is actually much more relaxed then the students perceive her to be and I am still alive and well and able to write this post.

So what was I doing that caused my students to quiver in fear for my life? I was writing on the mirrors that adorn one wall of my classroom with liquid chalk and I have continued to write on them just about every day since.

I believe that our classroom walls should speak - actually sing, yell, hail, screech, whoop and yodel what we are learning. Walls can be collaboration spaces, project vision boards, idea centres, inspiration zones and working areas. Teachers hang up complete works, but there is little purpose to this. The learning has been done and we have moved onto something new. Showcasing completed work isn’t assisting the current learning and teaching. While on the other hand, talking walls can project the learning forward.

My walls change daily, weekly and monthly depending on what is happening in my room. Here are some of the ways I make my walls talk: 

Liquid chalk Collaboration - As I mentioned earlier I have wall to floor mirrors at one end of my class. (This is a Drama classroom.) Each year group is allocated a section of the mirrors and this is their collaboration space for a unit of work. I also write key elements or vital information onto these mirrors so we can continually refer back to them. My students use these mirrors independently now.    Just the other day I came into my classroom to find, in my absence the day before, my year 12’s had used the liquid chalk to plot out a complete structure for the piece they are currently working on. I could see their working, their decision making and we could easily modify the work if needed. This allows for effective collaboration, ongoing communication, self-directed learning and increased metacognition. The mirrors are still usable for dance or drama tasks despite the writing. Sometimes when we run out of space we also write on the windows. You could use liquid chalk on other surfaces (as I am aware most of you wouldn’t have mirrors!), including non-porous surfaces, blackboards, whiteboards, whiteboard painted walls, glass, metal, ceramic tiles, Perspex, laminated surfaces, enamel painted surfaces or any sealed surfaces. It wipes off fairly easily.  The cheapest place to purchase the markers is eBay. 

Project Vision Boards – Yes, I am aware of Pinterest, but there is something immediate and tangible about creating a living, breathing vision board. I recently completed a playbuilding unit with my Year 9 students with the stimulus ‘Tales of the Sea’. In this unit students needed to work collaboratively to create original stories centring on the ocean. As a lead in to this unit students completed two of the following multiple intelligence tasks to stimulate their thinking and creativity around the theme. They then placed their work on the class vision board (just a wall in my classroom) resulting in a remarkable spread of inspiration for their storytelling. Throughout the unit, when they became stuck or found it difficult to move their idea forward, they returned to the wall to springboard new ideas. These ideas could be applied to a wide range of projects. Think PBL, design projects, creative writing, and science units. I find this technique really grounds a unit of work.

Inspiration Zones – These can come in many forms. One permanent feature is my character wall (which you can read more about here) that assists students to conceive complex characters. I also have one small area dedicated to writing prompts formed from deep questions and sentence starters. Students visit this area to stimulate creative thinking in both practical and written work. Inspiration zones can take many forms depending on your subject area.

Functioning Scaffolds – I often use scaffolds on my classroom wall (such as the Playbuilding Ladder). The students move physically with game pieces through the scaffold. They pin their pieces where they are up to in the process, which allows me to see the progress they are or aren’t making. It also ensures the students really consider the steps they need to undertake.

Post-it – My classroom is often covered in post-it notes. Sometimes they are used to make comments or expand ideas on the collaboration space or vision board. Sometimes they are used as exit passes or AHA moments. There is also a window above my desk where students know they can post me a note or a thought using a post-it. Each year group has a set colour so that I can quickly identify a group of thoughts. (Eg. I know all yellow post-it notes belong to year 10.)

There are no limitations on what you can do. I currently have an entire script on my wall so that we can move pieces around, discuss elements as a class, highlight sections together etc. It looks a little messy but it is learning in action. And then, when we run out of room (which happens frequently) we roll out the good old butcher’s paper.

The walls of my classroom mirror the walls of my student’s minds. They aren’t used to impress other teachers or parents that enter. They aren’t there to display A+ work. They are there to sing, yell, hail, screech, whoop and yodel what we are learning. And when I clear them, wipe the mirrors clean, take the last unit down -we have a clear canvas to begin creating all over again.

If the walls of your classroom could talk, what would they say?

I wonder if you will like this post. I like that you might wonder about it. Most of all I like this routine in my classroom and wonder where it might take us next.  

Welcome to two of my favourite classroom phrases-  'I Like...' / 'I Wonder...'. 

I embedded this practice into my day-to-day teaching after attending The PBL Australia Conference. At this event presenters from The Buck Institute introduced us to 'Gallery Walks'. I don't believe this a new technique, nor do I claim it to be ground-breaking; however, it is an effective practice that can be beneficial in all classrooms. (Here is an example of one teacher implementing a 'Gallery Walk' in her language classroom.) During the conference we had to present an idea for a PBL unit in our class. We wrote up our concepts on butcher's paper and pinned them up around the room. This is where the 'Gallery Walk' came into play. We had to view and read each teachers proposal and contribute two thoughts on Post-It notes - one beginning with 'I Like...' and one beginning with 'I Wonder...'. When I collected my proposal I found the 'I Likes...' really affirmed my idea and the 'I Wonders..' challenged me to push it further. So I took this technique back into my classroom and the thinking that results from this simple routine continues to amaze me.

Here are some examples of how I have implemented in my classroom -

1. Gallery Walks - I use Gallery Walks hand-in-hand with these prompts. A Gallery Walk a great starting point for a new unit. One lesson I set up 15 iPads around the classroom with different photographs, video and other media loaded to the screen. Students had to go to each iPad, engage with the content (which was centred around various forms of puppetry) and write an 'I Like...' and an 'I Wonder...' for each station. We then discussed the comments as a whole group. As a teacher it informed me of the material they were engaging with and also alert me to the questions that stimulated their 'want' to learn. (Eg. I like how the puppeteer has made this character's emotions come to life through the physicality of the puppet. I wonder how the puppeteer was able to manipulate the joints of the puppet so that it moved in that manner.) I have also set up online Gallery Walks to maximise time. Students record their performances and I upload them to Edmodo. (Could be used for speeches, photos of work or written work too.) Students then comment under each recording using the terms 'I Like...' and 'I Wonder...' . (Eg. I like how you used your voice to convey emotion and engage the audience. I wonder if your could further enhance the character through their use of physical gesture.) Gallery Walks also work well with essays, visual products such as posters or photographs and audio material.)

2. Daily Feedback - At the end of 99% of my lessons students share and showcase their work, both practical and theoretical, with their peers. As we view this work as a class I ask the students to either provide verbal feedback using the terms 'I Like...' and 'I Wonder...' or provide written feedback (generally in the form of Post-It notes) again using the same terms. This either opens authentic verbal discussion about the work being presented or stimulates detailed written reflections in the individual students logbook. 

3. Teacher Feedback - I also manipulate these terms to guide my feedback to students both during the learning process and at formal assessment time. It reminds me to look for and name the positive in the first instance. It also provides a platform from which I can pose my constructive criticism in a way that is palatable for the student. (Eg. I like how you manipulated the elements of Drama to effectively engage the audience. However, I wonder if you could further refine your character to demonstrate more conviction and therefore extract more empathy from those watching.) By modelling this practice effectively the students further engage with the principals of kind, specific and helpful feedback which I believe these prompts clearly scaffold.

4. Exploring Texts - I often use these prompts as a way to discuss text. At the end of a chapter, stanza or a scene posing these sentence starters can lead to meaningful conversations. The 'I Likes...' open up moments in the chapter or scene that the student connected with. The 'I Wonders...' suggest predictions or pose questions that we as an audience would like the writer to answer as we delve further into the story. At the end of text it can also be a great way to being a review or extend on the lives of the characters after the event.

This language is now embedded in my classroom culture. My students are familiar with the terms and use them comfortably, with and without prompting, in classroom conversations. These two simple prompts have changed the way my students approach and respond to feedback. The feedback they provide each other is kind, specific and helpful as a result. The use of 'I Wonder...' compels them to critically think about their learning rather than feel their peers are critical of them. 'I Wonder...' also generates substantial exchanges in relation to new source material or texts. 

This technique takes literally no preparation in its simplest form and can be an effective tool for generating deeper thinking in the classroom. Using it regularly will also help shape the language of the classroom and the way students approach and respond to new material. I challenge you to use it daily for a week and let me know how you find it. I wonder if it will work as well for you as it has for me!