The Inside of Your Head

I like my new schedule and the chances I have now to work with small groups of students. I hope it will help me get into their heads some. The more time I spend with these kids, the more I see them as individual human beings (duh) and the more I realize that I just don't understand how their minds work.

Some examples:

Yesterday we had a huge thunderstorm while the 7th grade boys were working social studies in the library with me. The first crack of thunder did not resemble thunder -- it sounded like something had exploded outside the building. I actually didn't realize it was thunder at first. I thought someone had crashed their car outside the school. I expected the sirens that I heard soon after to stop at the school. But I kept me seat and my head and kept working.

The boys, however, were out of their seats in seconds. "School's over!" they said, not to cause trouble or be smart, but simply because that was their conclusion, by their use of logic. It took a moment to convince them that yes, we did have to stay in school.

I gave some 6th grade boys a test today. Their history teacher told me that I could help them figure out the answers, just don't actually tell them the answers. I let them get started, and they thought long and hard about the matching. And put down answers resembling a "priest-king" is a "group of territories" and an "empire" is a "type of writing." After thinking. Yet, the moment I pointed to "priest-king" and said, "What type of answer should this have? Is it a person, a place, or a thing?" they could answer "political and religious leader."

Another question read, "Why was the invention of the sailboat helpful?" or something along those lines. The answer their teacher wanted was that they used wind power over muscle power. I tried to help: "What would they have used before sailboats?" "Well, like, a canoe or something." "Then what's the difference between a sailboat and a canoe?" "Well, it can carry food."

What?! I really want to know what goes on in their heads, because I just don't understand. I have the feeling that if I understand the insides of their heads, I will be able to reach them better.

Which is the ultimate point of my third observation about the ways their minds work. When they are out of the classroom at break, they hit the uneven blacktop and start games of basketball, football, and volleyball in and around jump rope, tag, and races. Their attitudes completely change. I realize that this might happen with a lot of people, but I was the same on the water (racing) and in the classroom: intense, goal-driven, optimistic, and focused. They have such good team work, attitude, focus, and skill in sports that I want to figure out where it comes from and how it works so that I can channel it into the classroom.