Enriched Classroom, The

Teaching Pre K-8, Jan 2005 by Cookson, Peter W Jr

Food for thought - your classroom has a huge impact on your students' intellectual and emotional growth

As a new teacher, you are a steward of the intellectual development of your students. Your classroom can be an environment where intelligence can grow and flourish. The use of classroom drama, debates, open discussions, free writings, poetry readings and celebrations creates an emotional environment in your classroom which will lead to rapid cognitive development.

A startling discovery

Recently a colleague of mine, who has been teaching for 30 years, made a startling discovery. He's a music teacher and, until very recently, created syllabi that included textbooks, papers and examinations. He was tired of standing in front of a group of students who seemed only marginally interested in his great passion: music. So, he threw away the textbooks, did away with the examinations and simply had the students write poems. This imaginative opening released an enthusiasm and creativity that has simply transformed the way he thinks about teaching and learning. Students are now eager to come to class, they send him poetry and share their poems with other students. In the meantime, their love and understanding of music have become natural in their daily lives and a powerful expression of beauty and hopefulness.

Active learning

What this story tells us is that to maximize brain growth we need active learning in an enriched learning environment. The use of computers, field trips, guest speakers, games, journaling and multi-age projects are just some of the strategies that we, as teachers, can use to stimulate thinking and the growth of imagination.

The key to creating a challenging environment is based on four elements: problem solving, critical thinking, relevant projects and complex activities. Positive feedback includes responses that are specific, timely, multi-modal, and learner controlled. If a student writes an essay, the best feedback is immediate, involves the learner and can be delivered through a variety of means such as conversation, written comments and group discussions.

It's an awesome responsibility to be a major part of your students' intellectual and emotional growth. There is something liberating in the knowledge that imagination is available to all. Rather than leave no child behind, why not say leave no imagination behind.

Peter W. Cookson, Jr. is the founder of TCinnovations and the Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Lewis & Clark College. He is also founder of the Center for Educational Outreach & Innovation at Teachers College.