Reply to comment

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

This lesson was frightening and frustrating for me, both personally and professionally.  Personally, I am allergic to wine and have been for the majority of my adult life.  Just the intensity of the smell of approximately 60 open cups of wine has simply nauseated me, to the point of having the sweats.  I am allergic to wine, and I have been for the major majority of my adult life.  Not only do I get the hives upon consumption, I get nauseated from the smell.  I experienced the latter allergic reaction during this lesson early on in the lesson.  Realizing I was not obligated to be involved because of my sensitivity, I sat back in what I thought was out of harm’s way; basically because I knew sitting at my computer may have been frowned upon.  But isn’t that one of the reasons for learning centers in classrooms, so students have constructive alternatives for reasons other than time out for inappropriate behaviors?
While in theory this is a decent lesson, as a career educator I see the value in the preparation we discussed earlier in the week.  It is imperative that these types of interactive lessons have been discussed prior to the day of the actual lesson; which is why parental/guardian signed permission slips are essential to the success of the lesson, because the safety is in place for the students.  The participants in this institute, all adults, should have been extended the safety and consideration of being asked if there were any religious, physical, etc. considerations that would prohibit anyone from participating in this lesson.  Actually, there were exceptions to the first two considerations.  Who knew?  Who asked?  Who cared?  As educators, we are obligated to care because we are obligated to provide safety for all our students…regardless of age.
Nonetheless, this lesson provided Will with the most excitement about a lesson since I have been an institute participant.  This is exactly what happens with our students when they are engaged in a lesson that touches something in them that inspires them to get involved with learning.  They get excited, ‘take the ball’, and run with it.  How do we as teachers create this type of excitement and desire to learn in all our students for all the subjects?  We probably will not have 100% success across the board in this per se.  However, when we plan, and cover as many bases as possible, taking advantage of as many teachable moments as possible, we should be able to create an interest for our students to the point where they at the very least tap into their innate appreciation for learning…all the subjects and about life as much as possible.