Dr. Who, a British cult Science-Fiction television phenomenon. A show about problem-solving, collaboration, FAILure, Tinkering, Design & Creation, dissonance, discrepant events and social interaction. It basically covers everything that a student-centered classroom should contain. A Blue Police box travelling the galaxy and beyond, finding trouble, discovering solutions, and saving the universe one day at a time. Sometimes not in that order.
In my classroom, I love to say "It's bigger on the inside" this class has endless crevices and paths that will lead you on "timey wimey, wibbly wobbly" adventures. Curiosity comes from challenging ideas that allow you to problem-solve and "think out-side-the-box." Creativity comes from seeing the myriad of paths and not choosing just one, venturing down each and finding your own thoroughfare. Students need to feel the dissonance that comes from not knowing the answer and a teacher not giving them a set of directions. I give them a goal or unit topic and they explore the various ways in which to reach it. A makerspace is a great tool for this.
Set them up to fail. The Doctor fails all the time often to grievous circumstances. He has a companion that he collaborates with and often it is the companion that has the compassion the Doctor lacks and leads the Doctor to do the right thing. Collaboration is very much a part of the show, whether it is the travelling companion or the various humans or aliens he encounters in each episode. The Doctor generally analyzes the scene, then responds. however, he has been known to react before he thinks things through. These are great discussion points to share with students-breathe in for four seconds-think things through-then respond. A social skill every human and alien needs.
Failure leads to innovation. The Doctor rigs contraptions together, redesigns machines, and even uses a sonic screwdriver to open doors. If at first you don't succeed...The Doctor gets frustrated, gives up, even has temper tantrum's but always comes back around to fix the problem and succeed. It has taken him millions of years to solve a problem but he solved it. This is a deep rooted theme of the show, perseverance and endurance. The growth mindset. Never stop learning and recognizing room for improvement. Always strive to be the best you can be. An ethos critical to being a successful student.
Dr. Who uses the T.A.R.D.I.S., (Time and relative dimension in space), the blue police-box to navigate chronology and the cosmos. He never stops taking adventures. He seeks new ideas and challenges. I have a Dr. Who wall and we discuss as a class why the Doctor is a good and a bad role model. No one is perfect but observing the Doctors mishaps and achievements helps students to see the bigger picture- the connections of humanity and the responsibility we have to build a positive bridge between cultures and nationalities. To accept everyone for who they are. Rather than foster isolation cultivate teamwork and cooperation.
How has the Doctor and his T.A.R.D.I.S. influenced my teaching? It has inspired me to create a student-centered classroom where various desks and tables are up for grabs. I have created a community where students have designed the goals and procedures, where students have taken ownership of their own learning, are alright with failure because they dust themselves off and step back into the realm of possibility. Ultimately though, it has prodded me to be an observer and let students have more power in the classroom. I walk into my blue police box everyday and see the endless potential. Students are the true explorers and leaving the door open to potentiality gives them the confidence to delve into their own adventure.
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