"Knowledge and skills are undoubtedly important. But true education- real teaching- involves helping students think, reason, comprehend, and understand important ideas." -Claude Goldenberg

For those of you who don't know... I am the education intern at the Pomerantz Career Center. I have held this job since August! I absolutely love it. I have the opportunity to do work related to education without directly working this kids, which I find pretty unique for an education major. I typically spend my time creating materials for the education section of the career center website. I've made documents from guides about how to use Hire A Hawk or Skype interview tips or excel spread sheets loaded with information about Iowa City area school districts. 

This past week I made myself (or I was kind of forced into) participate in an education mock interview. In the words of my boss, "Since you work these events all the time, you may as well participate in one!" I'll admit... I was incredibly nervous and all around not interested in making myself do this. But of course the more I thought about it I came to this realization... You only don't want to do it because it sounds scary and because you think it sounds scary that is the BEST reason to make yourself do it. Look at that... more mature adult thinking kicking in... 

Long story short, this was one of the best experiences I've had! I learned so much about what interviewers in schools look for when talking to prospective teachers. One of the questions that stuck with me was, "If I were to walk into your classroom what would I see?" I naturally answered with something along the lines off, "You would see students doing things together. I wouldn't be at the front of the room lecturing about something. My students would be working together, interacting, and doing things. I would be walking around the room getting in on these conversations but the students would be the ones having the conversations about the topic at hand."   

Coincidentally in my Literacy Learning and Teaching III we have just been talking about instructional conversations which seems to go along with my snap shot of my classroom. An instructional conversation in the article Instructional conversations: promoting comprehension through discussion by Claude Goldenberg is described as conversation looking something like this, 

"Teachers and students are responsive to what others say, so that each statement or contribution builds upon, challenges, or extends a pervious one. Topics are picked up, developed, elaborated. Both teacher and students present provocative ideas or experiences, to which other respond." (Goldenberg) 

Essentially, the point of an instructional conversation is to have discussion in a way that everyone involved in going beneath the surface ideas. We want students fully engaged in a way that they are asking questions, making connections, agreeing with others, disagreeing with others, etc. We want truly meaningful conversation. 

I know what you might be thinking... isn't this what all conversations should be like in the classroom? That is what my first thought was. How is this different from any normal expectations we should have of our students? 

Here is what I see as the main difference. The instructional conversation should only be introduced and slightly led by the teacher. All the deeper meaning and higher order thinking should be done by the students, between other students. As teachers we want to help our students get to a point where they can have these conversations without our help. We want them to be naturally making this connections and having these thoughts. 

Just like in the quote title of this weeks blog, "Knowledge and skills are undoubtedly important. But true education- real teaching- involves helping students think, reason, comprehend, and understand important ideas." (Goldenberg)

I love this idea. I really do. It relates directly back to my teaching beliefs. I believe that students should have experiences and have opportunities to make their own meaning and creating their own sense of understanding. 

I think seeing my students have such purposeful and deep conversations would feel like ultimate success as a teacher. I want my students to want to talk about these topics. Not feel like they need to because I prompted them with my discussion questions. Isn't it easier to talk about something you are genuinely interested in than to force yourself to come up with reasons to talk about it? 

I believe as a teacher it will be my job to provide my students with the experiences, materials, ideas, and lessons to get them to want to have these instructional conversations. I would want nothing more than to be able to watch my students teach and and learn from each other with these conversations. I also believe that students at any age can have these thoughts and opinions through instructional conversations. Some of the ideas and thoughts that have come out of my kindergarteners blow my mind. They are so creative and thoughtful when they are talking about something they are truly interested in. 

I am making is my mission to make those light bulbs go off and passions ignite so my students can reach this level of thinking on their own. This is what I think learning truly is.