"Ah Ha" Moments

I am taking a graduate course right now called "Models of Instruction." One of our assignments has been to design, teach, and evaluate four lessons using different models from our textbook and class discussions.

I'll be the first to admit that I was skeptical. Many of these models require the kids to be analytical thinkers and reflectors. I have a hard enough time getting my kids to grasp basic concepts!, I thought to myself.

I was very pleased with the results. I designed a geometry review activity for yesterday's math lesson in preparation for our unit test. This "graffiti model" had kids working in small groups, moving all around the classroom, and responding to questions on posters with markers. By the end of the lesson, each group had to make a generalization about a mathematical question posed to them. Finally, I asked my students to jot down on a Post-It Note something they learned through today's math lesson.

Here are a couple of their responses:

• “I learnd that an obtus angle can go almost totely flat.” - Hannah

• “I lerned that you don’t have to just cut something to show a line of simetre.” - Caleb

Here are a couple of my own recent "ah ha" moments:

• I learned that you need to put a comma between a two adjectives. (Thank you to my talented, witty friend, Jim. I probably should have known that already!)

• I learned that there is something very cool going on in Pakistan right now.

• I learned that sometimes I don't give eight-year olds enough credit.