Running Toward The Classroom, Not From It

We need to make school FUN again! The finger painting, coloring, playground, and games (inside and outside of class) alongside academics project a light of jubilance in the soul of your child. As they ascend to higher grades, a subtle shadow or cloud can begin to encroach on their animation and desire to go to school and/or continue in a society that has failed them.

Of course, there are numerous distractions: social media, computers, and cell phones just to list a few, as there are well-documented after-school extra-curricular activities for students to engage themselves such as sports, chorus, or drama club. Students need to be challenged, academically fed, and entertained.

When I taught high school in California, I used to stand on a chair and act out the exploration of the Caribbean Islands and Central America. The chair was my ship…I first affixed my eyes into the shallow seas or Baja Mars (pronounced as Baha mahs) hence the English pronunciation The Bahamas…I continued my exploration, I looked over and saw land…it appeared to be a rich port to dock…I called it Puerto Rico…I then sailed the rich coast of southern Central America and called one stretch of land Costa Rica. Students would laugh and even ask, “Were you really there?” Incidentally, I apply the same tactic in teaching Hispanic Culture and Civilization in college. The point here is that I keep the students engaged, their intellect is slightly challenged, it’s fun or funny, and they learn a little Spanish and culture during the segment. I even had students say “Dr. G., I cut school today, but I didn’t cut your class.” Obviously, as an educator and a teacher, I didn’t want to hear that. By the same token, it indicated to me that my class was a fun and safe place to be, where a student uninhibitedly wanted to be.

As we are totally engrossed in the world of technology, the use of cell phones in the classroom can prove to be a positive omen. I again recall my days as a teacher. I would say “put your telephones away; turn them off; put them on mute or vibrate”. I was quickly corrected and amicably laughed at as the students would say “cell phone.” Dr. G. The phones were a distraction since students could tune into social media and immediately chat with friends. Today, I encourage students to bring their cell phone to class, but to keep it on mute. It is their portable library, their tape recorder, and their cheat sheet, among other things! I encourage them to use it to google facts. I may divide the class into groups of three to search a specific topic with a time limit of five minutes, then phones down. In this, I’m monitoring their phone usage, engaging them academically, exercising teamwork, and maintaining complete control of my classroom. Guidelines are placed as to what pertinent information to look for, and at times we convert our findings into a game of competition. School is FUN again!

We need to reel students back in…to enhance their social, cultural, and emotional development in a non-threatening, friendly environment. One Circle Foundation is the catalyst that encompasses all of the components necessary to make a child feel whole again. By having a healthy mind, a strong constitution, the gaiety of growing up, and the backing of loved ones, kids can conquer many of society's ills and the inevitable roadblocks they will encounter in their formative years.