Students O' Mine

QR Code Scavenger Hunt

After three days in shul, I was happy to get back to my students. They’ve been particularly adorable the past few days, and I realized how much I missed them over Rosh Hashanah.

In standard classes, they ran cognitive psychology experiments on each other—are you affected by the Stroop effect? Does half the class think the car accident in the video happened faster if the word “hit” is used instead of “smashed” in the question? Can you remember the first or second half of a list better? They tried to figure out what was being tested before the experimenter debriefed, treating it as one long trick. Monday, they went on a scavenger hunt to find QR codes throughout the classroom. The codes took them to pictures, websites, and videos, and they raced around trying to identify the motivation level from Maslow’s Hierarchy in each. Today, they engaged in Socratic Seminars on the nature of happiness that left everybody feeling, well, happy. One of the girls told me that she noticed she has no trouble staying off her phone during socratic seminars—she loves them! Can we do more? Yes, I think we can.

Three of my sweetest, most articulate kiddos, trying to decode the level of Maslow's Hierarchy in the video

My IB classes are equally enthused. They finally have books (thank you to the wonderful people who donated—Rabbi and Mrs. Zack, Rabbi and Mrs. Epstein, Sheldon and Nancy, Molly, Tanya, Nancy, Sean, Leyauna, Ross, Yosef, Andy, and Nitin!). They used them to create lesson plans on neurotransmitters, cleverly writing songs for the lessons and designing games where kids will toss “messages” from neuron to neuron. Watching them figure stuff out together makes my heart go warm.

Yesterday we did hormones, and they cracked up while trying to generate adrenaline for a twenty-second break of slap-hands. They also wanted to talk about sleep paralysis (“It’s demons, Ms. W, I swear!”). The boy who wanted to know about the causes of wet dreams ducked under his desk when I started to explain the answer. You asked! I think they’re starting to realize that I will talk about anything in psychology class—where else are they going to get their information from? And they need to consider the psychological ramifications of sex, drugs, motivational choices, and other decisions that could affect their lives.

Hard at work.

I’m floating on a high of happy teaching right now. Last year at this time, I was surrounded by a welter of sullen or screaming kids. Now, I can take a kid aside to talk about their essay and come back to find everyone finished with their practice work, and moving on to concept cards. The students are happy, productive, positively compassionate children who show (mostly) respect for each other, and our classroom is a nice place to be. After last year, I can barely believe it.

At the staff meeting today, our principal gave us some good tochecha, perfectly fitted to the aseret yemai teshuvah. I've resolved to take my hall duty more seriously. As I walked out of the staff meeting, I passed the cheerleading squad at practice. One of my students broke rank to wave. Another group called me over to watch the start of their Hispanic Heritage dance. One of my favorite (yes, we all have favorites, admit it) kids walked me to my trailer, unwilling to go until he'd fully talked out some issues he'd dealt with (very maturely!) that day. I strolled off campus with the pleasant taste of high school joys in my mouth. 5775 is going to be a good year.

Hey! Let's all make Ms. W's heart swell with joy by working together! (said no kid ever)