At Pleasant Valley, we're committed to not just some kids, but every kid. Not every student learns the same way, and we encourage our faculty and staff to find paths to success for every student. This summer, our Junior High staff learned a series of instructional strategies to engage students in a different way.
We caught up with Mrs. Broders's class as they were talking about community and team-building. Instead of a lecture on being a good citizen, the class worked together to brainstorm ideas by using the new instructional strategies. They started with a question - what is community? The students, first, had private reasoning time to think about what community means to them. Then, they participated in a Round Robin with a partner. One student would give an idea quickly and then the next, generating as many ideas as possible in a short period of time. The small groups then shared their ideas with the class. The strategy is to put the student at the center of the discussion, instead of the teacher.
With all the ideas, each student made a small honeycomb with what community means to them and posted it on a large display outside the classroom. It's a great visual reminder of what it takes to make PVJH a positive place!
