The Two Second Rule

I had waited nearly two years for it to happen, for the unexpected ‘drop onto the floor’ event....It was a relief when it did, an example of problem solving at its best. The dough had been kneaded by the enthusiastic, confident, young lady from (“No, it’s Not. It’s Carbon Dioxide.”Dec. 19/12)  Now, it was her turn to knead. Why had she dropped it?

She had been looking around the room as she worked the dough not paying close attention to it or its close proximity to the edge of the table. ... Then it happened... She attempted to retrieve the dough from the floor as quickly as it had fallen, hoping, that no one had seen it fall. ... Could it still be O.K. to use?...  It had not been on the carpet that long. ... (One/two second rule?) ... Perhaps, it was still usable. ... Her quick action, though, was a remarkable response to an unexpected departure from our kneading routine. I waited to see what the students would do next. ... Everyone at the kneading table was quiet... What were they thinking? ... More importantly, what was she thinking?... Questions were asked to determine the students’ knowledge of what they had seen, why it had happened and the next step. ... A new twist on our weekly routine was now a glaring predicament for the assembled group.

Life throws each and every one of us the unexpected, the shocking, from time to time. ...What we had here was a dilemma, a perfect one for children to solve. ... Posing the difficult questions helped the group come to the conclusion that making more dough was the only option left open to them if we were to have a lesson next week. ... Time was at a premium, however. ... We had none to spare. Recess was ten minutes away with some students leaving to go to another class when the break was finished. ...We could not wait.

The crestfallen student took the ‘fallen dough’ to Mary, explaining what had happened, why it had happened and what she planned to do about it. The student realized the whole process would have to begin again at a much quickened pace while enlisting the help of other students who had already been ‘at the table’ that morning but whose academic work was done and could return to help make a new batch of dough. ... 

Volunteers were in plentiful supply. ...  No request was refused. ... The young lady, whose shy almost reclusive demeanour had brought us to this place, now rose to the challenge to fix the problem she had created. ... Delegating each job was now hers to determine. In her enthusiasm, however, she felt compelled to adopt a ‘do-it-all’ approach with her, doing it all. (She was reminded that this was a group effort and anyone of us could have dropped the dough onto the floor.) Eventually, the fast paced ‘class production' was completed in record time. ... The dough was made. ... The recess bell rang.

The young lady had been transformed, empowered, made more confident and self-assured.  As she left for recess, she turned to me and smiled. Months earlier, upon meeting her, she could not, would not look at me. I was a stranger to her back then. Today, I was her friend. We had been through the trenches. ... She saw how discussion, assessment, solution and action had turned a seeming insurmountable problem into just another of life’s challenges. ... We sighed. ... We laughed and parted for the day. ... Another  great moment in history had passed!

"We Don't Need Her"

“We don’t need her”, the student was heard to say... Mary had just informed the class that I would not be in that morning. .... The dough lesson would go on as usual, however..... The class had made their intentions clear.... (I'd heard about the comment when I returned the following week and was elated at the stand they had taken)..... It was the beginning of a collective class transformation.  

The goal of learning is the mastery of the subject being studied. When ‘learning’ is not being achieved in a timely or satisfactory fashion, we must then alter what we are teaching and the trajectory of the direction we are taking in trying to achieve the desired learning goals. With young children, who may manifest learning challenges, very early on, it is imperative that a program involving all five senses be carried out to optimize successful learning outcomes....Keeping things simple and fluid is always the name of the game. ... It was now necessary to up the ante, so to speak, to challenge Mary’s students and, perhaps, take them in a new direction.  ...  (Boredom dampens attention and kills learning!).

We began an ‘art’ class, using dough. ... As time passed, the children in Mary’s class were fast becoming experienced, ardent learners in the art of working with and 'painting' dough......  A repertoire of mastered techniques and product line was slowly building.....Then one day, the class learned how to make a rose...  (I had learned the previous day!).... (It was a simple 1-2-3, roll-twist-pinch maneuver)...  As the class momentum increased, excitement reached new heights. ... The students could not contain their jubilation at what they were doing: creating beautiful roses, ready for ‘painting’, out of simple, easy to make edible dough..... The excitement was palpable...  Then the recess bell rang and the trouble began.

It was time to go outside for the 10 minute break, an event that was repeated 5 days a week, throughout the school year, all over Ontario, Canada. ... Exercise, fresh air was an integral and important part of the elementary school student’s day. ... A strict adherence to education policy was the law. ...  But some students refused to leave. ... One student, in particular, did not move.... She adamantly refused to get up, too busy making roses, practicing the technique, over and over again, much to my delight and hers. She initiated the rebellion but relented when promised that the ‘rose parade’ would continue after the morning break. ...

More ‘we don’t need her’ moments  occurred throughout the year......There was the Victorian Tea to which I had been invited.....While surveying the beautifully decorated table,  I noticed a loaf of braided bread and wondered where it had been purchased.... I was mistaken in my thinking..... This exquisite baked creation had been made by a student and his dad......The ‘art of teaching’ had come full circle.I was on the verge of tears.

The next time you hear your child/student say, “I don’t need you”, remember the comment as the highest form of praise. You are no longer needed. You have done your job. It is now time for them to do theirs.  

"No, It's Not. It's Carbon Dioxide!"

Language is what drives all learning. ... It is life’s equalizer. No high tech piece of gadgetry, large, small or cute, can replace the human being in teaching or modelling language to children. As a parent volunteer (and former secondary school foods teacher) in 'Mary’s' primary intensive language class, I drawn to young children at the beginning of their learning careers. I wanted to make a difference. ... Time was not on their side. I could not waste this valuable invisible learning resource! 

The class had begun as usual:  measuring, mixing, kneading and shaping.... (It was a strict plan followed every week  in Mary’s class.) .... The large, cumbersome, mass of dough was being kneaded, in turn, by each member of the group of 4 -5.... (The dough served as a tool in the development of upper body strength, co-ordination and a symbol of 'brain stimulation') In one sense the child was also manipulating his brain. To make the dough strong and elastic, the children knew the importance of kneading. ... They watched, felt and understood the visual and tactile changes that would indicate that the dough was ready for the next step. ...They helped each other as the questions continued. ... (The questions always continued. They formed the basis of this experimental fun, practical exercise called yeast dough).

“What is that”, I asked, in reference to the little ‘balloons’ visible on the surface of the dough.’ The first student responded, “bubbles”... (These little markers were indicators of good kneading and a healthy dough). ...We continued. ... “What is inside these bubbles?” I continued. The student thought for the longest time then blurted out the word, “Antibiotics”...  His response was quick, unexpected and amazing. ... Such depth of thought. ... How had that happen?  Then came a rebuttal, uttered in complete indignation, by his female classmate who retorted, “No its not.  It’s carbon dioxide.” Blunt and to the point! . ... Award winning answers in a special needs primary language class!

How did this interplay of words occur? .... Both Mary and I were stunned by the fast paced exchange of information. It was unforeseen, unimaginable, incredible. ...This ‘debate’ came about because of the meaningful activity that lay before the students, repeated week after week, in different formats with one big difference: language was first and foremost on the minds of these confident children. ... It had to be. Language is, after all, the engine that drives all learning in life and forms the foundation upon which higher order thinking is built.

The word antibiotics is generally not in the vocabulary of a young child. ... I had not spoken about bacteria but had about germs and hand washing. ... The young boy was thinking in an extraordinary way, coming up with a meaningful response that made sense to him and me. The girl was listening and helped to change the discourse. What was significant was hearing the 'spoken' thought of a young child. There is nothing more profound than that.

Carbon dioxide is a colourless, odourless and invisible gas found in the air and also trapped in the bubbles of well kneaded dough. ... The young girl corrected her classmate, feeling confident in her answer. ... She corrected her peer not the teacher. We had discussion and a most profound meeting of the minds. ... Mary and I were overwhelmed. ... These children were slowly becoming both scientist and master of their craft and yeast dough was the teaching tool. ... As the students kneaded the dough, they questioned, investigated and questioned some more. ... It was a remarkable event, with science and language at its core.

Sometimes, as teachers or parents, we are too focused on the correct answer, the correct  pronunciation of a word or words. ... What truly matters when working with young children, especially those with learning challenges, is the engagement of the child, the ease of speaking with another caring human being. ...  Let the words go. ... Their relevance, their correct pronunciation is totally irrelevant. What truly matters is the 'safety' and ease of the discourse between child/ adult and child/child. Our job is to encourage all children to express themselves through words. The ease of discussion must never be impeded. The door to higher order thinking is there. Let it happen. Love that dough! (Music will wait its turn).   

  

Show and Tell

It happened in Mary’s primary intensive class....  It was profound, really... Quite the feat....  How did it happen?...  The children were told to simply relax and enjoy the ‘Show and Tell’ break today.

The Great Dane had entered the classroom, owner in tow. The girl from our group moved into position, beside her mom, the parent whose dog was the topic of attention and affection this morning.... My students had stopped  kneading the dough and moved to another table  in anticipation of the dog show that would begin momentarily.....

I had asked them not to worry about their hands... We’d wash them later before returning to the kneading table.... We watched as the magnificent beast entered the room.... The students sat down as the question and answer period began. ... I looked. Again, I looked.....What was my group doing? ...  I had not asked them to do the impossible but the impossible was what they were doing. ... The students reminded me of surgeons, clean hands suspended in mid air, elbows resting on the table. These driven little people had decided as a group to sit together and not let their hands touch anything. ... They understood the importance of hygiene, especially when it applied to food handling. They had showed respect for their craft. ... But it was not necessary to think about that now. ... Show and Tell was up next.

My ‘dough’ group was focused, attentive, disciplined, trying to keep their hands out of harm’s way.  Their self-control was not what I had asked or expected of them. ... They were too young to demonstrate that quality under those circumstances.  These qualities that make us human generally occur at a later stage of development. ... The question and answer period lasted 10 minutes. ...  But in those few minutes of Show and Tell, I learned a lot that day! ... Sometimes, the expectations we set for children can be lower than what they set for themselves!

A five part series on the power of dough in the Special Needs classroom will begin soon....The miracle in the classroom, as mentioned earlier this year in Special Education-/Engagement/ Senses- a five year plan- will document, anecdotally, of course, dough's ease, as a teaching/learning tool in the primary  special needs classroom towards the development of higher order thinking.

#1).... ”No it’s not.  It’s  carbon dioxide”,  she remarked, quickly correcting her classmate... 

#2).... “We don’t need her”, he remarked after being told I would not be in today...

#3).... “The Five Second Rule"            

#4)....  "What do you think of my crueller?”, the student asked?...

#5).... “Why didn't you use that gluten word?", he asked.

Children make us think; therefore, they make us smarter.... We re-evaluate, re- formulate new hypotheses that challenge  them and ourselves in reshaping our thinking on what we know or what we think we know.. ..I look forward to illustrating how yeast dough helped shape these special students into incredible thinking machines, starting with the little girl who dared to challenge everyone and everything. ...