Oct 5 Entrance Slip Dancing Teachers Into Being With a Garden (Updated Oct 5)

I realized that teachers in schools are often regulated by the strict constraints of time, symbolized by the act of frequently checking a watch. I have to be careful, since doing this action can cause students to lose focus on the lesson, and more so on when to leave the class. It allows me as well to focus more on the time since I have to get through a set amount of things. I usually go on rambling about a topic, so time management is something I should work on. I should also pause and give students time to digest as well, since I’m so used to lectures that are continuously pouring out information/facts. I don’t want my students to feel constrained with lessons, so taking them outside to experience learning is a new thing. They would enjoy it more and catch a breather. Some metaphors I see include the squared-off boxes of classrooms, which represents the restrictive/linear nature of traditional education. The rectilinear rooms, tiled floors, and ceilings may also illustrate the structured, rigid layout of educational settings. From students’ responses on learning in gardens, the desks are overgrown and demonstrate the growth around the unstoppable nature of organic growth/curiosity. It could signify that despite standardized learning being present, students will always have an inherent urge to grow, learn, and explore. A lot of outdoor garden learning is helpful for a small junior high class (though it is much harder to get a large class to stay on task). Letting students in that age category step outside and experience wildlife while doing math art/projects is a fun way for them to get in touch with the foundational learning topics that will be used for high school, post-secondary, and work. However, I doubt it is feasible for older high school students. They have a rigorous curriculum to go through and many are, for lack of a better word, ignorant of university learning/living lifestyle. The gap between grade 12 and first year is large, so it is crucial to help their mindset grow towards being more mature/responsible/experienced. Back to my chemistry teacher, his exams and layout are similar to those of university. Though he may have seemed harsh, in hindsight it was helpful as we got a taste of the nature of university. Many alumni have constantly come back to visit to thank him, and ask him questions instead of their professors. I think a lot of experiences of living in/being knowledgeable about nature can be taken from outdoor education.

FIGURE 3: (Colour online) Japanese orthography worksheet got my attention when the article was discussing about grids. Grids are mostly used for organizing information such as a lesson plan and categorizing ideas. In math the small grid paper squares allows students to easily draw shapes and connect the dots. These grids are tools to help and aid us in certain practices. The orthography worksheet also uses grids in order that people are able to practice their writing neatly. Chinese orthography worksheets also have vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines to help the writer. The question "why am I committed to using this method to practice my writing" can be answered in which it helps one able to know the boundaries for writing, how big a character should be so that you won't have this big radical on the left side of the character. The grid allows people to see their new work and compare it with their old work. Boxing the old work helps with the understanding that these are just practice trials and that they stay in this grid, and the characters I write outside of practice are the ones I chiseled to beauty.