Objectives:
|
Create a strong opening
and conclusion.
Select an appropriate outline which allows listeners to easily follow and understand your speech. Make your message clear, with supporting material directly contributing to that message. Use appropriate transitions when moving from one idea to another. |
#2 Organize your Speech:
Expeditionary Learning
A teacher really is a special calling. There are many reasons why I love teaching at Venture Academy.
Three reasons really explain why I accepted the job. I have liberty
to create my own curriculum, the school focuses on service, and it is a
hands-on approach to learning.
When I was a student teacher in Las Vegas, I remember when I was finally able to take the reins of the classroom, lessons, and planning. I had taken weeks of my precious dating time to plan a fabulous unit on health. I planned engaging work with a celebration of learning at the end, where they shared the work they had completed. Everything turned out great. My assessment from my cooperating teacher at the end of the unit although was very disappointing. The only critique I can remember from that meeting was that I did not stick to the lessons laid out in the book. She pointed out the chapters of reading I had skipped to include this unit. She stressed how important it was to stick to the curriculum. I felt frustrated that she disliked my creative energy.
Instead of teaching at a school where they scripted what I needed to teach, I searched for one that would allow me to create my own curriculum. When I interviewed at Venture, the director introduced me to Expeditionary Learning. Instead of teaching random topics sporadically throughout the year, like what I was doing in Vegas, teachers choose topics that are locally connected to students. For example, some of our past expeditions have been the Transcontinental Railroad, Bird Migration, or the one we are currently doing, the Wasatch Mountains. Students have one science expedition and one social studies expedition each year. That subject is then taught in depth for 12-16 weeks. The Language Arts and Math classes support what they need to know to accomplish tasks for completing projects in expedition. Instead of letting the curriculum drive the teaching, teachers drive the learning. Teachers spend months and months building workshops around Expedition topics. We are “Master Googlers.” It takes a lot of work, but in the end we feel ownership in what we teach, because we created it.
The second reason that I love Venture is that it fosters service within our school and local community. Two years ago, the 3'rd-5th grade teachers including me, taught about the Ogden River. In our expeditions, we always have a culminating product to prove our learning. We always strive to make the audience as authentic, or real as possible. My class chose to create a book that not only talked about the learning that was associated with the Ogden River, but they provided information about its history and the new Restoration project being completed on it.
We found out that the Ogden River marathon was coming up and signed up to have a booth. We sold these books and donated the proceeds to the Ogden River Restoration fund. We wanted to reach out to more than just our school and to the people passing through the booths. So the students created signs with facts about the Ogden River. We placed them very strategically throughout their race. While the runners sprinted through the Ogden Canyon, they saw a sign for every mile of their run. The students loved sharing what they knew and being part of something bigger. Serving others always makes you feel good, and students never forget that.
Lastly, Venture Academy has adopted a hands-on approach to learning. Reading textbooks and then answering questions...filling out worksheets...taking tests after they finish a reading assignment, this is the pattern of a normal school. Ours is a special approach, one that fosters kid's energy and intelligence. Kids love to be able to move around when they learn, to talk about it, and to share. They love to experiment, to discover answers without it being handed to them. We encourage that inquiry type of learning....and it is exciting!
For example, two weeks ago, we were talking about how mountains were formed. We learning about how rocks are weathered and eroded, and how they go through a process called the rock cycle. Instead of reading a textbook or completing a worksheet, I wanted them to experience a rock going through the rock cycle. So we did a little experiment.
Rocks take thousands and sometimes millions of years to change into another type or rock, so we couldn't literally take a rock through the rock cycle. But that didn't stop me. We used crayons instead. We shaved the crayon down into "sediment" and moved them into an aluminum foil boat. We held the boats over a candle flame and watched as our sediments melted from the heat and pressure. When the new "rock" cooled and hardened, the state of the rock changed again. This simple experiment was a hands-on approach to learn about the rock cycle. No students were hurt in this process, and the learning was driven deep, deep enough that it will be remembered.
When I was a student teacher in Las Vegas, I remember when I was finally able to take the reins of the classroom, lessons, and planning. I had taken weeks of my precious dating time to plan a fabulous unit on health. I planned engaging work with a celebration of learning at the end, where they shared the work they had completed. Everything turned out great. My assessment from my cooperating teacher at the end of the unit although was very disappointing. The only critique I can remember from that meeting was that I did not stick to the lessons laid out in the book. She pointed out the chapters of reading I had skipped to include this unit. She stressed how important it was to stick to the curriculum. I felt frustrated that she disliked my creative energy.
Instead of teaching at a school where they scripted what I needed to teach, I searched for one that would allow me to create my own curriculum. When I interviewed at Venture, the director introduced me to Expeditionary Learning. Instead of teaching random topics sporadically throughout the year, like what I was doing in Vegas, teachers choose topics that are locally connected to students. For example, some of our past expeditions have been the Transcontinental Railroad, Bird Migration, or the one we are currently doing, the Wasatch Mountains. Students have one science expedition and one social studies expedition each year. That subject is then taught in depth for 12-16 weeks. The Language Arts and Math classes support what they need to know to accomplish tasks for completing projects in expedition. Instead of letting the curriculum drive the teaching, teachers drive the learning. Teachers spend months and months building workshops around Expedition topics. We are “Master Googlers.” It takes a lot of work, but in the end we feel ownership in what we teach, because we created it.
The second reason that I love Venture is that it fosters service within our school and local community. Two years ago, the 3'rd-5th grade teachers including me, taught about the Ogden River. In our expeditions, we always have a culminating product to prove our learning. We always strive to make the audience as authentic, or real as possible. My class chose to create a book that not only talked about the learning that was associated with the Ogden River, but they provided information about its history and the new Restoration project being completed on it.
We found out that the Ogden River marathon was coming up and signed up to have a booth. We sold these books and donated the proceeds to the Ogden River Restoration fund. We wanted to reach out to more than just our school and to the people passing through the booths. So the students created signs with facts about the Ogden River. We placed them very strategically throughout their race. While the runners sprinted through the Ogden Canyon, they saw a sign for every mile of their run. The students loved sharing what they knew and being part of something bigger. Serving others always makes you feel good, and students never forget that.
Lastly, Venture Academy has adopted a hands-on approach to learning. Reading textbooks and then answering questions...filling out worksheets...taking tests after they finish a reading assignment, this is the pattern of a normal school. Ours is a special approach, one that fosters kid's energy and intelligence. Kids love to be able to move around when they learn, to talk about it, and to share. They love to experiment, to discover answers without it being handed to them. We encourage that inquiry type of learning....and it is exciting!
For example, two weeks ago, we were talking about how mountains were formed. We learning about how rocks are weathered and eroded, and how they go through a process called the rock cycle. Instead of reading a textbook or completing a worksheet, I wanted them to experience a rock going through the rock cycle. So we did a little experiment.
Rocks take thousands and sometimes millions of years to change into another type or rock, so we couldn't literally take a rock through the rock cycle. But that didn't stop me. We used crayons instead. We shaved the crayon down into "sediment" and moved them into an aluminum foil boat. We held the boats over a candle flame and watched as our sediments melted from the heat and pressure. When the new "rock" cooled and hardened, the state of the rock changed again. This simple experiment was a hands-on approach to learn about the rock cycle. No students were hurt in this process, and the learning was driven deep, deep enough that it will be remembered.
I knew I made the right decision when I said yes to the job at Venture Academy. Yes to creating my own curriculum; Yes to a school that focuses on serving others; Yes to hands-on learning. Loving what you do is pretty essential to any job. People spend a bulk of their life doing what gets them by. I get by…by doing what I love.
Reflection of #2
I felt really scattered before the speech. I was upset with Fred and we were rushing around. I didn't get the Ogden River book and was frustrated I would be able to use it in my speech. It was unpracticed. My last week I had practiced for three weeks. I thought about it more. It was more interesting, although after you look at a speech for so long, you start to feel tired of it. Then you change it. Then you practice it many times and get tired again.
I was speaking the same day as Peeta and Shirley and they are very practiced, and I knew I would not even compare. But I did okay. I still held on to the lectern but I did leave it a couple of times. I just need to memorize the speech and speak from my heart. Believe in what I am saying. See through the words, the stuttering, and the weaknesses within myself.
I never go directly with what I have prepared. No speech ever turns out the way you thought. But it always turns out better than one might expect. I did slip up with a few words, but I persevered and even gave a few laughs.
Everyone commented on how they wanted to go back to school after they heard how excited I was about teaching. They mentioned how passionate I was and how that showed.
Interesting topic. Check through your sentences for clear wording which will be understood by those with no experience with this teaching method. Watch for usage which may seem like program-related jargon unless explained fully: "product", "ownership", "expedition", etc.
ReplyDeleteExample: "Our science-based expedition this year is the Wasatch mountains." This sentence is missing clarifying information for those outside the program. Expedition IS THROUGH the Wasatch mountains, IS EXPLORING the Wasatch mountains? IS LEARNING FIRST-HAND ABOUT the Wasatch Mountains?
Also, "if you can remember" might be taken as an insult by some. Just remind those who were present that you are continuing from your last speech.
"One of the dreams I wanted to become was a teacher." -- Technically, a teacher is not a dream. Wanting to become a teacher can be a dream, however. Most people would understand fulfilling a dream better than becoming a dream.
Shortening sentences can increase the "punch" of important thoughts, as well as making them easier for an audience to understand.
This speech makes me want to learn more about this teaching method.