You Gotta Go Back: To Fill in the Gap

Its the end of the year, standardized testing is done, you are gearing up for the last few weeks of school. Why on Earth would you look back and not keep moving forward? These final days for my classes are full of lessons not only on the last unit but also mini-activities about what we have done this year. A year in review I call it. The human body systems, Genetics, Adaptations, Classification, Ecosystems just to name a few. I am trying to create a big mural of connection: a literal wall of tidbits from the curriculum. Then tie it together with yarn. This wall is just at the beginning, slowly it is interweaving to form a mosaic of 7th grade. It is so critical to go back and fill in the gap. Even if they have mastered the content it is a good idea to go back and let them see it in a different way. Change their schema. When students reflect and bridge together their knowledge they begin to see that science is not just facts, figures and fundamentals but observations, original ideas, chaos and change, momentum and stagnation, every thing they experience is tied to science.

"Mind the Gap" is written on every Underground wall throughout London. A warning to watch where you step, avoid falling in the pit between the train and the platform. When students get to the end of year they take that step for granted. Rarely slowing down to notice there is even a possibility of falling. So I like to remind them of their strengths and struggles by creating some opportunities for them to collaborate and share their experiences of the year. I also like to give them a survey and ask them their favorite lessons, least favorite, best experience, so I can alter or solidify them for next year. It is just s important for me to go back and fill in the gap as it is for my students. How can we grow if we do not face our past? Truth, we can't. A growth mindset does not mean to just continue to learn but it requires a hard look at how we learn, what we can do to improve and how we can help others excel and grow as well. A mindful look at my year is an annual event for me. Sometimes it can be painful to recognize my mistakes or read a survey from a student who does not appreciate my way of teaching. But both are invaluable and necessary in order to be a good teacher. When we stop looking for clues that will guide us to new experiences, the sooner we need to change professions.