Entry: 9

Date: unknown

What do you think the student is trying to tell the teacher in the “If…” poem?

How should teachers teach and what kind of activities should student be engaged in?

In this “If…” poem, we can see that the student is trying to make his or her teacher understand that they need to be given some freedom to think on their own. In order to make discover, he or she need to be opportunity to make mistake where he or she can learn from it. Instead of being guided all the way, he or she is suggesting that maybe the teacher can let him or her to focus and think for a while and wait patiently before loading everything under their nose.

I went through Miss Hope’s website where she stresses on the use of science and nature in class, creative activities, awareness through empathy and collaborations which actually can be simplified as student-centered where students involve in learning as much as teachers do or even more that teachers themselves. It is very creative of her to come out with the poem, and it can be applied to not just 3-4 years old children but also second language learners in learning literature.

In one of the philosophy, she mentioned that even watching a butterfly movement can help students come out with a creative poem or a song. That is how a teacher should teach, as a catalyst or a stimulator to trigger students’ thinking, not merely guiding and showing.

Activities that students engage in must be incorporating all the learning styles so that it can cater to each individual in the classroom. Teacher must be creative to integrate audio, visual, tactile, and nature based activities to grab students’ interest. Teacher can sometimes bring authentic material into classroom or maybe bring the students outside to the nature to have class. Instead of telling, get the students to think for themselves but with guidance and patience along with it.