How a Student Changed the Way I Teach: Kara Ball

image of Kara Ball

By Kara Ball, 2018 Department of Defense Education Activity Teacher of the Year

 

The day a student told me I was wrong changed the way I teach.

My students had been working on an endangered animal project for which they would print a 3D replica of an animal for a model habitat. The students were told to print the animal in a filament as close to the animal’s natural color as possible.  My polar bear student selected white filament, tiger student selected orange and then the sloth student, without hesitation said “green” …leaving me perplexed.

I reminded her of the project criteria and suggested maybe tan or gray might be a better choice, because honestly that’s what I thought was right. However, I don’t usually tell my students the correct answers, rather I try to guide them towards discovering the correct answer (if there is one) on their own. Rather than telling her “no” I asked her to find proof that sloths were green and we could discuss the filament color the next day.

She went home that night, did her research, and came back with a one-page justification for why her sloth should be printed in green. Did you know sloths often move so slowly at times that algae can grow on them making them appear green in color? Neither did I...

The fact that this student felt comfortable enough to tell me when I was wrong and prove it with research is why I teach the way I do. I now work harder than ever to empower my students to take ownership of their learning and speak up when they know something is wrong or when they know they are right. In all honesty, it doesn’t matter how much I value their education for them if they don’t value it for themselves.


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