A mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The GREAT teacher inspires!
~William Arthur Ward, english novelist
e-mail me at: sueseaq3@aol.com
ROOM 211
~A look into Joyce Hunter’s intriguing teaching style
By Suzanne Reifschneider
November 26, 2002
RED- the color of passion
As I get ready to graduate from Western
Michigan University this coming April, I am beginning to feel apprehensive
about the teacher I will become. How will I handle increasingly different
and complex situations? How will I ensure that all of my students have
an equal opportunity to learn? Will my passion for literature and writing
spark an interest with them? During my recent classroom practicum with
Joyce Hunter, a teacher from St. Joseph, Michigan, I found my answers.
Mrs. Hunter’s classroom should be a model for any aspiring teacher--
teaching any subject from English to Chemistry; but especially literature
and writing. Her passion for writing, for literature, for teaching and
for her students is obvious in her inviting and warm teaching style. This
style enables her to adapt her lessons to the needs of her students and
for the first time introduce those frightening, almost absent words from
a majority of today’s classrooms… choice and freedom.
ORANGE- the color or warmth
Joyce Hunter, a veteran teacher at St. Joseph
High School (home of the Bears), believes that the most important thing
a teacher can do before beginning to teach their students is to build
a relationship. She inserts, “My philosophy of writing is that I
believe students and teachers are ‘working writers’. We only
get better by writing and reading more together. Students need to be given
the opportunity to write everyday-for various audiences and through various
mediums. Teachers need to know their students’ interests and goals
and work with them to accomplish them.” Mrs. Hunter has taught me
that teaching needs to be interactive and relationships need to be formed
to show the students that you care about them as individuals, not just
as occupiers of desks in your classroom.
Yellow- the color of creativity and diversity
Joyce Hunter understands that each of her
students learn things in a different way. How does she know this? Well,
she takes the time to get to know her students. Mrs. Hunter’s style
is based upon Howard Gardner’s research in the area of multiple intelligences,
which suggests that all students learn things in different ways. Thus
far, Gardner has identified eight intelligences in his novel, Intelligence
Reframed. Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. FIGURE 1 (Gardner
1999 41-52).
________________________________________________________________
Linguistic intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and written
language, the ability to learn languages, and the capacity to use language
to accomplish certain goals. This intelligence includes the ability to
effectively use language to express oneself rhetorically or poetically;
and language as a means to remember information. Writers, poets, lawyers
and speakers are among those that Howard Gardner sees as having high linguistic
intelligence.
Logical-mathematical intelligence consists of the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically. In Howard Gardner's words, it entails the ability to detect patterns, reason deductively and think logically. This intelligence is most often associated with scientific and mathematical thinking.
Musical intelligence involves skills in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. It encompasses the capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms. According to Howard Gardner, musical intelligence runs in an almost structural parallel to linguistic intelligence.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence entails the potential of using one's whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements. Howard Gardner sees mental and physical activity as related.
Spatial intelligence involves the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas.
Interpersonal intelligence is concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. It allows people to work effectively with others. Educators, salespeople, religious and political leaders and counselors all need a well-developed interpersonal intelligence.
Intrapersonal intelligence entails the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations. In Howard Gardner's view, it involves having an effective working model of ourselves, and the ability to use such information to regulate our lives (Gardner 1999 52).
Naturalist intelligence enables human beings to recognize, categorize
and draw upon certain features of the environment. It 'combines a description
of the core ability with a characterization of the role that many cultures
value (Gardner 1999 48).
FIGURE 1 (“Howard Gardner, Multiple Intelligences”)
_________________________________________________________________
From these intelligences, Howard Gardner
has stressed the importance of educators adapting their teaching styles
to their students’ varying learning styles. Joyce Hunter knows how
each of her students learns, so she has learned to become flexible and
creative in the way that she approaches topics in her sophomore literature
and writing classes. She reinforces Gardner’s thinking saying, “I
enjoy writing activities that invite my kids to be honest and to write
about what is important to them and what makes them excited and proud.
Each one of my students is different. What I teach and how I teach has
to be relevant to each one of my students.”
Tom Romano, author of Clearing the Way-working
with teenage writers, states, “in the classroom you can only
do what you’re comfortable with.” (Romano 76) Educators in the
past and many today believe, that teaching to multiple intelligences is
too demanding on the already overworked and underpaid teacher. The appeal
of Gardner’s research was not appealing initially to educators who,
“at first blush, this diagnosis would appear to sound a death knell
for formal education. It is hard to teach one intelligence. What if there
are seven more? It is hard enough to teach even when anything can be taught;
what to do if there are distinct limits and strong constraints on human
cognition and learning?” (Gardner 1993 50).
These educators tend to focus their teaching
methods only on linguistic intelligence and logical-mathematical intelligence.
Most of their these discussion questions revolve around yes or no questions
or unimportant trivial details that soon will be forgotten. Instead, Jeffrey
Wilhelm, author of You Gotta BE the Book, encourages teachers to
ask evocative, connective and reflective questions (Wilhelm 46-47). He
states, “most classroom reading, questions, and texts are designed
to elicit efferent responses, and assume that there are correct answers
to these questions” (Wilhelm 20). But what about the other students
how learn in artistic manners such as those who have musical, bodily-kinesthetic
and spatial intelligences? What about the children who need interpersonal
and intrapersonal direction in order to learn? How are the rest of these
students going to learn if materials are only taught to one or two intelligences?
Our job is make things relevant to our students and to make connections.
Mrs. Hunter asks probing questions about what her students think and feel-thus
encouraging them to find personal answers are not always black and white.
Teachers need to find a solution and become aware of the implications
a simple lesson plan can encompass for their students.
GREEN-
the color of progress, of our surroundings
Joyce Hunter incorporates Gardner into her
teaching style through her introduction of choice and freedom in her classroom.
These two words can frighten the beginning teacher and dishearten even
the returning veteran. But Hunter creatively implements Gardner’s
ideas in several different ways. First, she supplies her students with
a list of helpful websites that appeal to different learners in her class
(FIGURE 2). These websites can supplement her teaching, because unfortunately
there are only so many hours in the school day. Each site appeals to different
learners and students of various abilities. These sites also showcase
other students’ work-in which her students can read about what others
their age believe, think and feel..
__________________________________________________________________
WEBSITES
Purdue Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Global Wave
http://www.cs.bilkent.edu.tr/~david/derya/gwmain.htm
Teenlit.com
http://www.teenlit.com
Young People’s Press
http://www.ypp.net
Devour My Voice
http://www.halcyon.com/kwheeler/devour
Author Me
http://www.authorme.com
Youth Outlook
http://www.pacificnews.org/yo/
The Beat Within
http://www.pacificnews.org/yo/beat/index.html
AHA! Poetry
http://www.ahapoetry.com
Cyberteens and Where Creative Teens Rule!
http://www.cyberteens.com/ctmain.html
Internet Public Library: Teen Division
http://www.ipl.org/teen/
Poets and Writers Online Homepage
http://www.pw.org/
A list of magazines for, by and about TEENS
http://www.k2nesoft.com/teens/teen-magazines.html
FIGURE 2
___________________________________________________________________
Another subtle technique that Hunter uses
to support and foster her students’ diverse learning styles lies
in the classroom setup and decor. Her classroom is overflowing with different
colors, pictures, posters, inspirational quotes and students’ work.
One of the major focal points of the room is a hanging big screen television,
which shows the day’s agenda via PowerPoint. The students who learn
spatially, (by looking physically at and manipulating things) benefit
especially from the visual representations of what is being studied, which
hang on the walls and are written on the white dry erase boards (which
have come to replace the dusty chalkboards of the olden days). The uncomfortable
metal desks are arranged so that students can work by themselves (intrapersonal)
or with each other (interpersonal). In addition, the desks are
set up in diagonal rows allowing a large, wide center isle/space that
students can use as a stage for dramatic performances or as a place to
get up out of their seats and engage themselves in other activities (bodily-kinesthetic).
On one wall of her classroom hangs a black and fuchsia poster comprised
of musical notes and an inspirational quote reading, “poetry is music”
(musical). Also present on her freshly painted pale yellow walls,
are posters concerning the role of adjectives and adverbs, a large class
calendar, response-group suggestions, and the timeless process-writing
checklist (linguistic). For the students who like to investigate
and use their natural love of logical thinking, on one bulletin board
on the right side of the room hangs a poster from The Crucible. The poster
poses critical and hypothetical questions in regards to the novel and
raises issues that question society’s ideals (logical-mathematical,
naturalist). As seen when one tours her classroom, Mrs. Hunter invites
all different kinds of learners to embark on the journey to knowledge…together.
BLUE-
the color of understanding and imagination
Along with the inviting setup of room
211, freedom and choice also emerge in Joyce Hunter’s assignments.
Just as the students have the freedom to choose the best way to individually
learn, students are given the opportunity to complete projects of their
own desire and choosing. For example, during my visit to her classroom
in early October 2002, her students were completing mandatory book reports.
I thought to myself, “oh the dreaded-- what did I read last year
that I can turn in this year and do the least amount of work on--book
report”. Much to my surprise, the book reports they were working
on were not the “write a summary of the book, complete with a list
of main characters, two-pages typed”. Instead, Mrs. Hunter gives
her sophomore class choices as to how to approach the assignment, incorporating
how they all learn.
All she requires of her students is that
each of them present a book, (of their own choosing) in both a creative
and an oral way to the class. One of her suggestions involves creating
a book cover made out of a decorated cereal box. Inside the box, the students
can place of an item representing something of importance from their book.
Instead of the monotonous, dry and boring oral summaries, the students
can explain their box, and the intriguing mysterious item inside of it.
Unlike traditional assessment, Hunter’s students’ final grades
are not based solely upon their writing ability. Another part of their
grade resides in their answers to questions they reflect on in their journals
(FIGURE 3).
_______________________________________________________________________
--What discovery did you make as a result of reading this book?
--What change occurred in your life after reading this book?
--Did the book affirm your views on life on some subject in any way?
--What was the best part of this book? What makes it worth reading?
FIGURE 3
________________________________________________________________________
As the clock ticks by at an absurdly fast
pace, Mrs. Hunter’s class engages themselves in another activity
involving poetry. The word “poetry” can cause teachers’
stress levels to rise and the students to become anxious as they encounter
the unforgettable, dreadful “rhyming monster”. The class is
studying poetry by Dickinson and Shakespeare. Mrs. Hunter shows the class
several examples of wonderful poetry that does not rhyme-in an effort
to calm her students’ fears. As an introduction to this material,
Hunter accommodates all of the different intelligences and incorporates
choice through an activity called “Words, Words, Words”. While
circulating throughout the room with a box entitled, “take what you
need, leave what you will”, students are instructed to take five
words out of the box. (Prior to class, Mrs. Hunter cut up the words from
some of Dickinson’s and Shakespeare’s poetry and put them into
the box.) Next, she instructs the students to create a line or a sentence
of poetry that includes these words (linguistic). She tells them
to think of the rhythm these words naturally possess (musical),
see how the words fit together logically (logical/spatial), work
alone or with a partner (intrapersonal/interpersonal), and move
around the room (bodily-kinesthetic). Upon competition, the students
and the teacher share their responses. By sharing her writing, she further
connects with her students. Romano acknowledges the importance of this
when he says; “written words move people in many ways” (Romano
76). Mine reads, “the imaginary is silent. Whatever is good is never
far away.”
PURPLE- a color or character
John Wooden once said, “Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.” Joyce Hunter has an outstanding ability to teach-but her character is even more profound. During our interview, I asked Joyce Hunter to tell me in one word what writing and teaching meant to her and why. She replied, “JOURNEY. I have always loved writing and reading. I enjoy working with young people who think they know it all, and through writing, discover that we all don’t know as much as we thought. Life is a journey of self-discovery and writing helps us discover what we think. I don’t know until I see what I say.” Joyce admits that teaching is a demanding profession, but a very rewarding one as well. It takes additional effort and time to know how each student learns, but they will learn, and that is the ultimate job of a teacher. After all, one gets the amount of effort they put in. The quotes that hang around the yellow walls of Room 211 tell a substantial amount about Joyce Hunter as a teacher, a fellow learner herself and as a person.
LOOKING FOR
THE
ALLUSIVE
POT OF GOLD
BEYOND ROOM 211
I love to add color anywhere I possibly
can. For example, in my daybook, we were instructed to use only black
or blue ink. I did the opposite. Our journals were intended to reflect
who we are as individuals, writers and future teachers. I feel that using
black and blue ink is boring and untrue to my personality. As you flip
through the colorful pages, my personality emerges and my true colors
show through.
The students are not the only ones who benefit
from a teacher taking the time to get to know them and teach to how they
learn. Teachers have the greatest job in the world. They receive gratification
and a sense of fulfillment from their students each day. How many CEO’s
can say that? Linda Christenbury, author of Making the Journey, Being
and Becoming A Teacher of English Language Arts, states, “Many
of your students will stay in your mind and your heart for the rest of
your life. And that’s a job benefit few professions can offer you
(Christenbury 21).
What I learned from my colorful practicum
experience with Joyce Hunter is simple. Through knowing my students and
incorporating opportunities to use freedom and choice in my classroom,
I will add some color and variety in the classroom-which used to be black,
white and rigid. Things used to be done one way, all the time without
room for variety, creativity, and most importantly choice.
Today, each one of our students are learning
in as different a way as the color yellow is to purple. But both teachers
and students share the same common goal…gaining knowledge. By using
Joyce Hunter’s example, and all the colors that make up her teaching
rainbow and style, we all can find our pot of gold at the end of our rainbow.
I intend on chasing my rainbow both educationally and professionally.
Have you found yours?
Resources
Christenbury, Leila. Making the Journey, Being and Becoming A Teacher
of English
Language Arts. 2nd ed. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1994
and 2000.
Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The theory
of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books, 1983 and 1993.
Gardner, Howard. Intelligence Reframed.
Multiple Intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books,
1999.
“Howard Gardner, Multiple Intelligences and
Education.” Informal Education.
14 November 2002. Available: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm
Hunter, Joyce. Personal Interview. 11 October
2002.
Romano, Tom. Clearing the Way-Working
With Teenage Writers.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1987.
Wilhelm, Jeffrey D. You Gotta BE the Book-
Teaching Engaged and Reflective Reading with Adolescents. New York:
Teachers College Press, 1997.