A Room Full of "Do-ers" by Shayna

A Room Full of "Do-ers" by Shayna - October 2014 Scholarship Essay

Imagine a room with silence from wall to wall, each student with his eyes locked on a teacher in lecture format. Not to hard to picture, correct? This is usually the custom in a classroom for most students growing up. Growing up knowing that I couldn't sit still, that I had to be constantly doing something made this concept hard to grasp. My ideal classroom would be a room full of likeminded students, who learn best while initiating action. This setup would help me succeed more because my understanding of what is taught would be greater, higher energy levels would be accommodated, and it would be an environment where active participation is the key to learning.

I learned while taking a college course that what my preference of learning is called kinesthetic learning. This means that my brain can understand what is being taught better if I actively participate and can DO something with it. Being in a classroom where the core curriculum is based around doing activities, I'm certain the lesson would be easier understood. If most high school students were asked how they learn now, the "learn and regurgitate" method is very popular. This means we are lectured, we study just enough to throw it back on the test, and then immediately forget the lesson. Introducing a new method of learning such as one with more active projects and group work may help the academic goal stick with some students, like myself.

Also, kids ranging from ages 8-17 have energy levels that cannot be calmed down sometimes in a quiet classroom. How can a child be asked to sit in a lecture room for eight hours every day, with no time to use energy? How can this be a stimulate for mental growth? I know from my own personal experience, it can be very hard to focus in class when I just want to get my hands on something. I easily zone out while my teacher tries to shove the lesson into my unwilling brain. I would succeed so much more in a classroom that openly accepted higher energy, more participation, and bounce-off-the-wall ideas.

Finally, if you look at most teachers set up for class grading, participation usually takes up a small proportion of the scale. Yes, participation is a factor in passing some classes, but it is a very small fraction of that class in open to participation. If a classroom welcomed participation, and styled most assignments around group work and active students, better grades may be achieved. Past classrooms I have been in that openly invited things like class discussions, group projects, and group work ALWAYS helped me achieve a higher grade.

I am aware that this classroom may not be every student's cup of tea, but I know I would have yielded higher grades in all aspects of schooling if this was my classroom. Being a kinesthetic learner is very hard in a system where silence is key and creativity is often shut down. If my grade was centered around just "doing" things, where energy was welcomed, and participation was the heart of class, I am certain I would have higher success.