You Wouldn't Put Gravy on a Salad, Would You?

You Wouldn't Put Gravy on a Salad, Would You?

You wouldn't put gravy on a salad, would you?" This statement came forth from my mouth the other day, as I was explaining an enrichment assignment to my students. They wanted to take it to another level, I am all for this by the way, when it is appropriate. But, when it is to be completed in a class period, the adornments that time permits, on many occasions are reigned in. "But at home, if you want to "I said, "add the milk, bring it to a boil and add yourself some gravy." As I said it, I could envision thick, gloppy, warm gravy, being poured over a perfectly layered Cobb salad. In some countries gravy can mean a salad dressing, but for me it means the heavy accoutrement to meat and potatoes. Not a salad condiment. I imagined the hard boiled eggs, blue cheese and bacon, swimming in the brown, murky sauce. To some maybe a delicacy, to me, it would make the lettuce wilt and warm, thus not very appetizing. 

"Why would anyone do that," I asked myself silently? Some may however, find a dark, savory gravy perfect on a salad, so we have to remember to make our lessons approachable for them as well. This blog post is my response to this question. What I find to be the best way to align gravy and a salad. But again, everyone sees the world differently and our taste buds are unique. Enrichment and engagement in the classroom, taste buds aside, do not always need embellishment, they need substance and alignment. They need a strong connection and relevance. Thus, sometimes when we want to 'bling' up an enrichment lesson, or any activity for that matter, we sometimes pay more attention to the sequins and less on the functionality of the bedazzlement.

Not all lessons need a shiny coat, some simply need a polished delivery. When students can see themselves in the purpose, recognize their reflection among the depths and layers, the assignment becomes more than learning, it becomes personal. Most of us love gravy, or at least sauces and embellishments, on our meat and potatoes. Most of us love salads too, some ornate and some basic with just lettuce, tomato and croutons. But, most of us do not love gravy on a salad, we wouldn't even think of pouring it on top. If we did we would have salad chowder and that does not sound appetizing, at least to me anyway. There is a reason a crisp salad is a pre-entree dish and the warm gravy is not. One is an aperitif, while one is added as a layer to an already well-prepared dish. In our classrooms we are usually rushed for time, re-teaching concepts and just plainly trying to make our lessons memorable. Gravy is not the only answer to bring engagement.

There is no perfect lesson.

There is no perfect lesson. There I said it and it pains me to. I know as educators, we have great ones. We have those, what seem to be, life-changing lessons, where we go home at the end of the day proud and satisfied that our students were engaged. We watched their eager, committed faces as they participated, collaborated and completed the task with excitement. But, then the next day, after a warm-up assignment, asking them to share their insight and reflection of the same activity, their answers fall short. We get a true eye opener. We let out a deep sigh, look back on what seemed like the perfect lesson and reflect. Were students engaged? Yes. Were students participating and interacting? Yes. Were students having fun, were they learning? Yes. So why then, did the information we wanted them to learn, slip through the cracks? We 'blinged up' the lesson. We poured gravy all over it and beneath the scrumptious sauce, the heart of the lesson, the nuts and bolts, or should I say fiber and healthy calories, got lost.

What students remember most is what we say the most. What we as educators demonstrate the most. What we let our students explore and investigate the most. But, often we give them step by step procedures, or we tell them what we expect them to discover. This doesn't always remove the engagement. Many students want these solutions, it makes them feel safe and comfortable. What we need to do, however, is remove them and let students struggle. Let them feel uncomfortable and vexatious. For when they do, the lesson becomes more culminating: each step may not be a precise print we can follow to witness their growth, but these indentations, will lead in the same direction, changing as they figure out the best terrain for themselves. Leave off the how, the where and the when they should see progress and focus on the why. When we understand the why, we can see the rest, as they fall in to place. We can see the layers of the Cobb salad.

Strategies for Designing 'Bling' without Losing the 'Cling.'

I am no expert. Not even close, but I do have years of experience creating successful lessons, lessons I thought were boring, but that students learned a lot from and of course many a lesson that fell flat. I have a very active, chaotic mind. I change lessons literally as students are entering my classroom. I rarely write anything down, much to the dismay of my team. I see the lesson, play it over in my mind and then at the last minute, I see a different route. I ask myself, "What if I hated science? What would engage me in this lesson?" Now, sometimes I add 'bling' or more 'cling' but more often than not, I remove myself from the lesson. I make it more student-centered.

I blow the bubbles into the air and let them choose to pop them between their hands, chase them and watch them burst, or on their desks, I provide bubble solution and let them create their own. But more importantly, I give them the opportunity to make their own bubble solution. Let them try and fail until they get the mixture just right. Not just right for me, but just right for them. Not every student does well with complete freedom. Some need more guidance, while some need specifics. But, bubbles are shiny and translucent, just enough to lure most of them in. Whether they want to chase or create. Bubbles are the independence and self-guidance every student longs for. Here are some strategies I do in my class to keep the bubbles afloat and student choice bountiful.

1. Rather than a handout or worksheet- I provide some objects on a table and have them write a lab to demonstrate a concept. For instance: How does the Circulatory and Respiratory systems work together? (Supplies-balloons, straws of different sizes, a clear container, water and red food coloring)

2. Go Big or Go Home- I love enlarging things- students made giant cells (with large organelles to go inside) we also use giant arrows to create a huge food chain of the forest. Each student gets an arrow or an animal and they have to work together to assemble it. It’s a fun way for them to see something often unobservable become tangible.

3. Digital does not mean more engaging- In fact when I ask my students if they want to use technology they more often than not choose a hands on approach. My class is a blended classroom so they do get assignments and notes on-line but in class, they prefer to use the makerspace and build with Lego, Play-Doh or other colorful materials. But, for those who do prefer technology, I always have an alternative idea for them to tackle.

4. Digital can be a good thing too- Students, rather than completing reflection sheets after labs or activities, create podcasts. Either individual or group. They then share to Canvas, our on-line classroom platform. This makes students choose their words and have to be precise and specific in their reflection. It is more personal when you have to explain what you saw, what you learned, how well you worked together, then just copying someone else's words from a lab sheet. It makes them take more responsibility for their learning.

5. Differentiation of Notes- Visual, Sketch, Thinking Maps or your own organizational note-taking style. I let my students choose how they want to make their notes. I check them, they are graded which does hold them accountable, but I give them the freedom to get creative. The only requirements- some drawings, words and all concepts have to be covered in the notes.

6. 1-Minute Check-In's- 1 minute a week per student. Sometimes they are in groups, if there is a project or PBL happening, this helps me gauge their progress. But most weeks, it is face to face, one to one. Every student, every week. For some students it is more than once a week, depending on need. But these chats are fantastic. At the beginning of the year they were awkward but now we are comfortable with one another. We talk science, classroom struggles, or just life. But it is the relationship building that is so important. My behavior management is amazing because, if I have a student fumble, we chat. If a student’s grade drops, we chat. Everyone comes to my table to chat. So there is no whispering, they expect a conversation. These are enlightening- they have shaped my lessons, my classroom design and my teaching style. They are the best thing I have come up with as an educator, hands down.

Salads are Great, but Gravy is Tasty

Each of these strategies removes the gravy. It helps the salad be the center-piece. They are not embellishments or adornments but simplifications and components of the big picture, my student-centered classroom. I have altered and refined them based on student feedback. I have shared them at local and state conferences. I have adopted them as the foundation for my entrée. The main course of my festive, family dinner. Community building is the key to any student-centered classroom. A village has generalists and specialists. Classrooms do too. Let students choose which role they want to take in your classroom. Provide them with the tools to do their task, the freedom of how to do it and the guidance to make mistakes, problem-solve and make their own choices and a student-centered classroom will emerge.

Salads are great, they are the core of the dinner. Opening our taste buds, settling our hunger until the main course arrives. Whether our dinner is laden with gravy, meat and potatoes, vegetarian, or even vegan, the salad is the precursor. It is the fiber and roughage that helps us digest. Just as a solid lesson helps students digest new information. Gravy can be vegetarian too. It makes everything more palatable, for some. It is heavy though. Filling. So we need a balance between the two and hopefully never the two shall mix, at least not for me. You wouldn’t put gravy on a salad, would you? or would you? The choice is definitely yours, and my students of course.