Enhance the Learning!

School districts, through pain-staking curriculum review cycle adoption processes, recommend curricula in many different forms to provide quality education to all children of the district. In the elementary grades the literacy curriculum includes vocabulary, reading, writing, grammar and spelling. The math curriculum encompasses all the subsets of math: adding, subtracting, problem solving, geometry, measurement, multiplication, division, fractions and an introduction into algebra just to name a few. Social studies includes topics like communities, regions and history. Health and the sciences in the elementary schools include physical, earth, and life sciences.

As elementary generalists we need to become experts in all of the aforementioned curriculum areas. I left out music, physical education and library because those classes are taught by a specialist, unless you teach in a small rural school, then you become an expert in those areas as well, even if you can’t carry a tune, throw a ball or know the Dewey Decimal system.

Looking at the curriculum list makes my head spin, although in a good way. As I have stated to my fellow colleagues and friends, I love learning. I love trying to figure out the best way to bring forth those subject areas so that my students will be engaged and love learning like I do. I take classes, read the latest research about particular topics and learn new ways to teach students. I establish routines and procedures in the classroom and continue on that path through out the year. My students like the consistency and enjoy school; however, as much as I do not like to admit it, I think that my students occasionally need an infusion of excitement from an outside presenter to enhance the learning.

A guest speaker brings a fresh perspective and new energy into the classroom. Bringing in local experts (especially parents) is a great way to create and strengthen community relations. It enhances the curriculum and gives community members a chance to see what goes on inside a classroom while making connections with kids. Guest speakers are the experts in their particular field. They use different teaching aides and engage with students differently. Guest speakers also give students a chance to interact with someone new and learn something new. It is not just the students that are learning; I always learn something new from the expert.

At the conclusion of our recent human body systems unit, I invited a guest speaker (a chiropractor and parent) to present to our class. His educational background, knowledge, and experience brought a new level of understanding about the real world application of his field. Students were enthralled and excited to see and hear his presentation. I spoke with him in advance and requested that he share how he diagnosis’ his patients. The students were eager to participate when they saw some of his diagnostic tools. They laughed and giggled as diagnostic tools were used on volunteers. It was very cool!

The students and I learned some lasting lessons from that guest speaker. Imagine my surprise afterward when my students were correcting and reminding each other about the importance of correct posture. After a year and a half of my constant reminders (feet flat, back straight, head high, hips back) and discussing research on how important posture is to learning, it took one guest speaker to make it stick!

Jennifer Jones-Molina is a teacher at Machetanz Elementary.