We assembled all the desks into a conference table and sat around to discuss our learning this quarter. I had prepared an agenda which I gave to the class the day before so they could look over it - if they were inclined.
At first, I thought it was going to backfire on me as I was the only one talking, but as we began to brainstorm ideas of how the individuals and class felt they learned best and things we had done last semester, the discussion became alive. I asked them to do a quick critique of the brainstormed list with the person opposite them and then we went round the table to solicit the most liked ideas.
Most of the class wanted to transfer the book club to the poems we would be studying this first few weeks. However, they also wanted time for class reading of the poem at the beginning of each session. Finally, they seemed to like the idea of the layered curriculum activities we did for The Crucible for getting deeper into the text, so we will be doing all three!
It was great to hear them reflecting on what works best and how a mix of strategies helps the learning process deepen.
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