-Responding to a parent’s request to teach science to k-2-
I had a moment that humbled me recently. I received a phone call from a concerned mother wondering why science and outdoor education was only being offered to the 3rd - 5th graders, and not the younger students, at the Donnelly After-school Program. As I heard my self-listing of the reasons... "it’s a staffing issue… we just don’t have the resources"… I realized I was just listing off a bunch of excuses. I actually felt a tinge of disappointment in myself. I have always set a goal of inclusivity in my teaching and all of a sudden I felt that I had failed to meet that goal.
After that phone call I thought a lot about what it means to teach inclusively, and how important that concept is to me and my teaching philosophy. I want to be the type of teacher that teaches to all abilities. It seems so obvious, but many times this doesn’t happen. Often times we design lesson plans for the average student, those who fall right in the middle of the spectrum of ability. If we design lessons and activities for both ends of that spectrum we would not only include the average student but we would make sure to include those who may have learning disabilities and those who are above average and need a challenge. This was a concept introduced to me during my master’s program and I have made it part of my teaching philosophy, so to realize that I had neglected to include the “littles,” as we call them, really made me stop and think.
The outcome of this phone call, and humbling experience, is that we now teach science to all ages at Donnelly After-school Program. There were some challenging logistics that in the end weren’t really that challenging, and I’m now consistently bombarded with kids emphatically asking “do we get to stay for science today?!”
Here are some simple ways to ensure you’re teaching to the entire learning spectrum.
- Offer options: If you are requiring a reflective activity allow the students to choose how they want to express their learning allow them to draw a picture, write a poem, or write a paragraph.
- Experiential learning is for everyone! Create an experience for your students, have them get hands on. Everyone will take something different from the experience.
- Have students on the advanced end of the learning spectrum act as mentors to other students give them responsibility for their classmates learning this will challenge them.
