 |
| Photo by Alex Wypyszinski. Click to see the entire photo essay |
Regardless of how teachable moments start, we seize them and our classrooms are richer because of it. If we never stray from our plan, our students lose because we are missing those amazing discussions.
So, what sparked this reflection? I was checking the weather forecast the other day and saw a link to an article, "Amateur Photographer Captures Grizzly Bear Chasing a Bison Down a Highway in Yellowstone." I don't read Field and Stream, but had to check this out. These 16 photographs are all about seizing the moment. The photographer was out to take pictures of geysers. What if he hadn't started shooting the drama unfolding in front of him? He would have missed out on this rare opportunity the same way that teachers can miss opportunities if we aren't willing to stray from the plan.
There's a side note to this as well. Photographer Alex Wypyszinski did all this without specialized equipment. He skillfully used what he had (a digital point and shoot camera) and got great results.
As educators, we can do that too.
Hey Natalie - I really like your point. And as a matter of pure coincidence, I was looking at my own photos of Yellowstone today. I failed to capture anything as close to that. But I should return to the topic on hand. I come from a family of educators. When I informed my parents that I was planning on becoming a teacher, we had a long talk about classroom priorities. They told me that it is important to teach content, but at the end of the day I am teaching students. So much emphasis is placed on standardized tests. But as you mention, there is so much more to education that passing a test. I live for those moments where I can teach students real-life lessons, especially if they are related to my physics curriculum.
ReplyDeleteI have pictures and posters on my classroom wall from my travels all over North America. Above the display are the words "Explore Your World". I teach in a very sheltered community. If I can open the eyes of my students, in addition to teaching then the required physics curriculum, then I have done my job as a teacher.