Today I saw a wonderful Physics class. Students had been assigned to make mousetrap cars (ouch!) that would travel 4 meters down a racetrack (the hallway). It was so much fun! The students were so creative and every car looked different and worked in a slightly different way. The best thing about being there (other than wishing I had my own car) was the enjoyment I received from watching students cooperate and collaborate with each other.
Even though every student had to make their own car and even though there were varying levels of success, in my book they were all winners. It's what I enjoy most about teaching: that time when you see your students take their learning into their own hands to discover how to do things differently or (in this case) apply the rules of science to achieve success. The students cheered each other on, helped with ideas, groaned when a car failed and generally worked together. There was a little friendly competition, but all the students wanted all of their classmates to do well.
Parents get to see this: a toddler takes their first independent steps; their child learns to ride a bike; one of their children does well in science; or is a great soccer player. For all their successes, there are times when our children went through some failures. These failures teach our children resilience, determination and courage. Seeing all these little steps towards great accomplishments is the best thing about teaching.
