thebuttonladyblog
thebuttonladyblog
| Forum role | Member since | Last activity | Topics created | Replies created |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Jul 5, 2016 (10 years) |
- | 1 | 0 |
- Forum role
- Member
- Member since
Jul 5, 2016 (10 years)
- Last activity
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- Topics created
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Bio
I love buttons. I have a few thousand now. They can be used in a classroom for so many things, but the best times are.....
The best times are when the students are given free rein to create.
I trained as a teacher many years ago, and have worked in primary, secondary and adult settings. I also love to write, and so my interests lie in English/Arts/Humanities/Communication.
My favourite activity is working with buttons! I was delighted one day, as I walked around a school doing yard duty, to hear a child say "Hello, you're the Button Lady!".
Most of the time I need to stick to the written curriculum, but whenever I can, I bring out the buttons and watch magic happen.
I'm setting up this page and invite you to share in specific discussion about trying alternative learning paradigms within the education system. I also want to talk about children who are not naturally suited to current trends, for example those on the Autism Spectrum.
The page will deal with my special interests; I'll try to articulate some of them.
I am at the "mature" end of the teaching spectrum. My last school was a Steiner School, and my kids all go there; one has graduated and is now at Uni. For the past two years I have been doing CRT (relief/substitute) work, and have had the great opportunity to teach in a large variety of settings. I also note how much more reporting, assessing and documentation is required these days. There are pros and cons to this!
Whatever you've heard about Steiner, it's hard to describe the philosophy and practice of its schools without having an experience in one. If people are interested, we can have a go. All I'll say now is that our family feels blessed to have had to opportunity to live and learn in a Steiner/Waldorf community.
After recently feeling sad reading a new teacher post about the inability to have free play in the classroom because it doesn't relate to the teaching outcomes (teaching community's FB page) it's been on my mind to try to contribute to a discussion about alternative ways of viewing learning activities. For instance, you really can document outcomes for free play! I don't have intimate knowledge of all the VELS (I'm in Melbourne, Australia), but maybe someone who joins the discussion can help with this.
I fear that the current system is putting too much pressure on children to perform academic tasks. Social and emotional "outcomes" are carefully orchestrated in many cases.
Creativity, problem solving and self-management are just some skills that need freedom to germinate and flourish.
If it resonates, please have a squiz. I know things are really, really different these days, but I want to learn about and share ways in which we can nurture the soul life (no religious assumptions with that) of the children in our care.
I have had conversations with many colleagues, wondering how best to use our skills and act out our philosophy within the framework of the mainstream system. Many feel challenged and constricted.
If you've read this to the end, thank you!
Jo
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