When you don't have all the answers

Linda Dow suggests freeing yourself from the necessity to be the eternal expert and descibes techniques for sharing the responsibility for learning and teaching alongside your students.

By Linda Dow

Bluing is a laundry product that makes white fabrics “whiter.” It can also be used with salt to grow crystals. (More about the photograph)

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• Teachnet: Scientific Method This site contains a few good ideas for experiments in the elementary classroom.

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As an elementary school science specialist, I was always looking for new and interesting activities. I came across an intriguing experiment that would support one of the objectives I was currently addressing. The list of materials included “bluing.” I had heard of bluing but I didn’t know precisely what it was. I asked around and everyone I spoke to seemed equally fuzzy on the subject. The consensus appeared to be that bluing was some sort of laundry product.

That evening found me in a 24-hour department store, searching the isles. I approached an employee for assistance and told her that I needed bluing for a science experiment in my class but I wasn’t exactly sure what it was.

She looked at me with a mixture of shock and disbelief and said, “You’re a teacher and you don’t know?!”

I have encountered this kind of incredulity on several other occasions when I was unable to identify a bird, the tree from which a shriveled leaf had come, the exact mineral composition of a skipping stone, the distance to a particular planet, the origin of a piece of fuzz, how many babies an opossum has or how long they live.

I don’t know everything. I’ve never pretended to know everything. But somehow, people — especially children — often expect teachers to have all the answers.

It’s a dangerous practice to feed their delusions of your omniscience. You’d have to be ever wary of the clever question or the student with a rich background of experiences. You’d have to know absolutely everything about a topic before you could teach it.

Chances are you won’t have time to become an expert on everything you address in your class. Besides, it’s not possible to learn every aspect of any topic. It’s much more reasonable to present yourself as a seasoned, enthusiastic learner. That way, there are no limits to what you and your students can explore together.

There are several approaches to studying and discovering as a group. They all require that you become more of a facilitator and less of an instructor. You have to relax a little and share some of the responsibility for learning. The result is that your students will have a real sense of accomplishment. Each time you study with your students, your own knowledge bank will grow.

Topic expert

This is one way to share the responsibility for teaching and learning. I first experienced being a topic expert on a study trip with the Museum of Natural Sciences. Prior to the trip, each participant was given a topic to research. Each of us became an expert in one area related to our studies. Throughout our week together, certain subjects would naturally come up and the expert for that topic would be called upon to share their knowledge with the group.

This provided a nice variety of approaches. The participants had invested in the curriculum and, therefore, it became more valuable to them. The leaders of the expedition did not have the burden of needing to know everything.

The practice could be applied to an elementary classroom. Of course, expectations would vary according to grade levels and abilities.

Some students will have rich resources at home. Some will not. In order to level the playing field, the students should have ready access to resource materials in your classroom and media center.

They might be encouraged to find photos, draw pictures, or make a poster of their research. The possibilities for products and presentations are numerous. The point is to give the students an opportunity to research and present some of the curriculum in your class.

As an extension to this practice, you might arrange to have your students present their projects to other classes in your school.

Video

Watching a video is often viewed as a teacher’s cop-out. I disagree. There are many, good quality productions that succinctly present information in an entertaining format. When used correctly and not excessively, video is an excellent way for both you and your students to learn.

Your students may be used to just sitting and watching passively. To foster active learning stop the tape frequently to ask questions, reinforce points made in the video, and replay segments when a point is missed.

I like the practice of designing viewing guides for watching. You can formulate several questions during your preview. (You’d never think of playing a video without previewing it, now, would you?)

While you are previewing, create a list of questions that focus on the ideas important for understanding the content. Go over the questions with your students before you show the video. This will give your students a reason to pay attention. Discuss the information after the video is viewed. Your own level of learning will also be heightened with this practice.

Guest speakers

There are many organizations and individuals who would love to come into your class and speak about their particular area of expertise. This can be a good introduction to a topic. Many of the students’ questions, as well as your own, can be answered during your speaker’s presentation.

Organizations and speakers that I have found to be particularly helpful are engineering associations, agriculture extension offices, forestry services personnel, county departments of soil and water conservation, gardening clubs, college and high school teachers and students, blue bird society members, rocket and mineralogy clubs — to name a few.

Send letters home with your students that describe when you plan to cover certain subjects and invite parents, siblings, and other family members to share their knowledge with your class. There is often expertise in your own community.

Experiments

Science skills such as designing valid tests, collecting data, and drawing conclusions improve with practice. The only way to get that practice is to jump in. Start with simple concepts and emphasize the process of scientific method.

I often used the Janice Van Cleave books as resources for easy to do, worthwhile experiments.

After successfully completing several experiments, your students will begin designing their own. They will carry that skill with them throughout their school careers and, perhaps, beyond. Besides, conducting an experiment is always so much fun!

Research

Research does not always have to involve complicated or lengthy projects. It can happen on the spur of the moment and should be a regular part of learning for your students and for you.

There are often questions that arise in class for which you do not have an answer. Model the good practice of clarifying definitions and double-checking facts as well as asking questions and discovering new information.

Encourage your students to look for the answers themselves and report what they find to class. Keep a set of encyclopedias on hand for instant information and make mini research assignments a regular part of your trip to the media center.

KWL

This is the age of information and our students are often very well informed. When you are about to explore a new topic it is a good idea to mine the prior knowledge that already exists in your own classroom.

• K — Find out what they already Know about the target concept. List their comments and check them for accuracy during your study.
• W — Discuss the possibilities with your students and find out what they Want to know. Make a list and be sure to include your own objectives from the Standard Course of Study. Check each item off as your class discovers the answers.
• L — Once the investigation is complete, review what you have Learned. Use this list as your basis for your assessment design.

Such a relief

Once you have shed the necessity to be the eternal expert, you and your class can become fellow learners. The pressure is off. Your job should be a lot less stressful, now that you don’t have to be a know-it-all.