Teaching and

Learning in
Todays
Classrooms
A Collection of Poems

By Maureen McDonald
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July 2016

Contents
Where Im From............................................................................. 4
Brother Bernard A Haiku.............................................................5
Teacher......................................................................................... 6
Project Based Learning (PBL).........................................................7
Reflective...................................................................................... 8
Questions Upon Questions............................................................9
The Brain..................................................................................... 10
Where Im From (A Reprise).........................................................11

Where Im From
I am from my Grade One teacher, Mrs. Dementor
From On My Way and May I come in?
I am from stand and deliver to textbook reading and answer these
questions
And if you dont listen Im going to yell and compare you to filing
cabinets and door knobs.
I am from a basal reader
Whose pages of straight lines are like desks in my classrooms.
From Pearson, the textbook company, so I can regurgitate
information.
And from experiencing ridicule and criticism,
While learning shyness and apprehensiveness.
I am from being held back and repeating grade one
from the Yellow group,, the low group, the dumb group
and from being kept in at lunch to spell the word because
I am an incapable child in my teachers eyes
I am becoming what my teacher believes about me.
I am from Mrs. Dementor

Brother Bernard A Haiku

A superb teacher
Inspiring Role Model
Truly cares for me
A selfless teacher
Provided encouragement
Learn self-confidence
I can do great things
All because a great teacher
Believed I could grow

Teacher
Teach who I am
Experiential learning is best
A vocation one is called to do.
Concerned with the development of the whole child
Helping students navigate the world
Educating my students about life, not just learning outcomes
Realizing I make a difference

Project Based Learning (PBL)

You mean I do not have to teach from the text book?
Lets do a project about government
Students dislike all the reading and question answering we do in
class.
Will PBL be more engaging?
My students do not know much about government.
They do not know where do start!
How can I truly do PBL when the students do not know where to
start??!
Mini lessons about government
Working together well
Cannot seem to work as a group
More capable students have ideas and are creating their
government
Floundering students
Messy
Organized chaos?
Students LOVED it.
Lets try this PBL thing again

REFLECTI
VE

to name a few. My pink journal lined with my thoughts. Epiphanies resulting from thin

Questions Upon Questions

How can I engage students preconceptions about math?
What past math experiences have they had?
Can number talks help?
786 + 84?
How did you figure out the answer?
Did you use the algorithm?
Why are you re-writing the question in the air?
Is there another way to solve this question?
Who wants to defend an answer?
Why are students relying on the algorithm?
Do I need to change how I teach math?
Do teaching mental math strategies help student number sense?
Is a lack of number sense perpetual because of how math is
taught?

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The Brain
There once was a brain from teacher
Whose neurons acted like a crazy creature
The amygdala blocked learning things well
Fight, flight or freeze - it was really easy to tell
If only SEL was a feature.
But then that teachers mindset changed
All new connections could be arranged
From trying hard things to inspiring kids
To experience with open eyelids
And the students own learning was not shortchanged.
Knowing about the amazing synaptic gap
Learning is tricky because you are creating a map
Building links between neurons in your brain
By doing things again and again to attain
Thanks to Dweck and her influential rap.

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Where Im From (A Reprise)

I am from Teaching and learning in todays classrooms
From field studies and portfolio presentations
I am from developing thoughtful, skillful and ethical citizens
and from that notion children learn what they live.
I am from a tall, confident birch tree,
whose branches sway and adjust as needed, whose leaves
change colours as conditions change
whose roots are deeply grounded in self-knowledge and reflection
and whose bark regrows with learning and change.
I am from my wooden mechanical pencil that I used to record,
document and reflect on my learning
I am from my peers whose thoughts, and conversations filled me
with joy and inspiration
From Judy Willis teachings about the brain to Nel Noddings whose
ethic of care fills me with hope
and from a growth mindset and engaging in number talks to get
kids talking about math
I am from projects and lessons I create where I use the textbook
less
and from Remember the synaptic gap between brain cells?
Learning something new is tricky we need to build the bridge.
and from beginning to rethink how I teach math
I am learning and growing
I am taking risks
I am a teacher of my own making

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