Brain Dump #1

/ Catherine Cabiness-Atkinson, Ed.D. / Leave a comment

My world history class (500-1500 C.E.) is a semester-long course. Don’t get me started on how, why, or the injustice around that as that’s a story for another time. One of the benefits of teaching a semester course is the ability to course-correct half-way through the school year. I don’t have to wait until August to start anew. I can do that in January (at the half-way point in the school year).

Having implemented brain dumping with my GATE/PreAP students, and reading their reflections on the benefits of that on their ability to retain information, I decided to institute regular brain dumps across all of my six world history courses this semester. I don’t have the GATE/PreAP class this semester, so all of my world history classes contain a heterogeneous mix of high-achievers, English language learners, and special education students. I see this as a positive because these students were randomly assigned to my classes so I should be able to get a good idea of the impact of brain dumping on the ability of my student to retain information over the long-haul.

Friday marked the introduction of brain dumping to my students. This was a timed exercise in which students were given three minutes to dump the contents of their brains onto a blank piece of white paper using only pencil.

The second part was another three-minute timed exercise in which students shared their brain dumps with their group. Anything they did not have on their mindmap, they could add in pen. The point being, what was written in pencil are things they remember and the items written in pen are those they need to spend a bit more time on since they did not remember it without prompting.

I collected their first brain dumps because when we do another one on this same topic, I will pass out their first attempt so that they can (hopefully) see growth over time.

What I loved hearing from the conversations of students is the fact that many remembered the details of the various themes of geography after being reminded by their group. This realization served to lend value to this process as believe students gained confidence in the knowledge that they had the information in their brain, they just had to activate it.

One may ask why use valuable class time for this exercise if you only have 20 weeks to teach 1000 years of history. And I would ask: How can we afford not to? Isn’t the whole point of education to help students learn the content so they can apply it to their lives?

This is a valuable strategy to employ with your students. If you consistently apply it, I believe you will soon find yourself in agreement with me: Brain dumps are worth it.

Where’s the E?

/ Catherine Cabiness-Atkinson, Ed.D. / Leave a comment

Most teachers have–from time to time–encountered a completely random question from their students. It’s the nature of the profession. However, if you are a teacher of middle school children, you know that these random questions are not so much from time to time but rather most of the time.

For example, earlier this week I was talking to my students about an extra credit opportunity based on the grade they earned on an assignment. I put the grade scale on the board with the accompanying extra credit points:

  • 100 – 90% = A = 5 extra credit points
  • 89 – 80% = B = 4 extra credit points
  • 79 – 70% = C = 3 extra credit points

You get the picture, right?

Well, as I’m getting the students ready for the extra credit assignment…I’m explaining the steps, what they have to do, when the grades will be updated, and then suddenly a hand shoots straight up in the air.

I saw the students quietly talking while I was explaining the assignment, so naturally I figured someone was going to ask me a question about what I just said because they were talking while I was talking.

Wrong.

What occurred next is completely normal in a middle school classroom…

  • S1: Why isn’t there an E?
  • Me: What?
  • S1: You know, we have A, B, C, D, and F
  • Me: . . .
  • S2: Yeah, so where’s the E?
  • Me: Um, I . . .don’t . . . know . . . ?
  • S1: It makes no sense
  • S2: Yeah, there really should be an E

It was a question about the grade scale.

At this point, I busted out laughing, because what else can you do when posed with a random question like that?

I suppose some teachers might balk at being interrupted with what may seem like a completely off-topic question…and sometimes I’m a bit taken back, too. But truth be told, I want my students to ask questions. It shows that they are engaged…that they are thinking…and that they want answers.

Other reasons why I love random questions is because it shows that…

  • Middle schoolers are still curious about things
  • Middle schoolers harbor little fear when it comes to asking the weird questions
  • Middle schoolers have no problem seeking an answer the moment they have a question even if it’s not remotely related to the task or topic at hand
  • Middle schoolers are not afraid to ask me questions (Yay!)
  • Middle schoolers think I have the answers (Ha! Yeah right)

I felt the need to share this because I know that some teachers may get perturbed by the random question. But why? Isn’t the curiosity of kids one of the best parts about being a classroom teacher? I love their thinking and where it takes them. Oh sure, random questions interrupt my train of thought (especially if I’m on a roll)…but I have to say when I stop and engage with my students, it’s all worth it in the end. I mean, don’t we tell our students to not be afraid of asking questions because someone else likely has the same question, too?

I’m convinced that middle schoolers have tons of random questions that pop in and out of their heads. And I love the moments when one of them shares their question with me. Not surprisingly, their peers are typically curious about the answer as well. And it gives all of us a chance to be human. To connect. Bond. And better yet…to have a good laugh together.

Have I mentioned that I love my middle schoolers?

My #oneword2020

/ Catherine Cabiness-Atkinson, Ed.D. / Leave a comment

On our first day back from winter break, I had my students begin by choosing #oneword that they would like to be known by the end of the year – December 2020. I asked my kiddoes to think about the person that they would like to become and narrow it down to one adjective (or noun) that would best describe them. I told them that this #oneword would perhaps be easier to remember than a list of resolutions that many of us are quick to shed before January is even over.

And because I don’t ask students to do things that I wouldn’t do myself, I also chose #oneword that I would like people to use to describe me by the end of 2020…

I chose my #oneword because in the hustle and bustle of work, school, and life, I feel as if I’m juggling too many things…trying to straddle too many worlds…I’m flitting in and out of conversations, trying to pay attention to everything, but missing many things. To be clear, I am good about putting my cell phone away when I’m with friends, but that doesn’t mean that my brain isn’t somewhere else when it really should be here…in the moment…with my friends. I have felt very guilty about this for quite some time. In fact, in all of that craziness, I know I am not giving my full attention to my friends and family, and I should…because I know that life is short and that we cannot get back lost time.

So my #oneword for 2020 is to be present when I am with friends and family. It’s going to take quite a bit of effort, and I expect that I will fail quite a few times along the way. However, by December 2020, I hope that my friends and family will look back on the times we spent together throughout this year and know that I was present whenever we were together.

Wish me luck.