Rainy (and super windy) day. Decided to do some planning this afternoon, the Sunday before school is back in session. My weather app alerted me that, just up the hill, Interstate 80 is closed from Colfax to the Nevada state line due to snow/zero visibility.
I’ve experienced those interstate shutdowns coming home from Lake Tahoe. IIf you haven’t, imagine being totally helpless, only a little bit colder. Six years ago, Ingot caught in a brutal storm on the way back from Incline Village, I called my Dad to tell him I’d be a little late picking up the dogs. He said:
“You’re not stuck in traffic. You are traffic.”
A clever and amusing observation, that I keep revisiting....especially when considering education. I mean, what does the traffic in the classroom look like? As a teacher, I can’t accurately describe it. But, I can tell you it does not involve boring worksheets, lengthy vocabulary assignments, or mandatory presentations.
How do students view the situation? Do they feel stuck in traffic? Do they feel like traffic? Hint: ask them. Kids are super good about being brutally honest
On one of the teacher-centered facebook pages I follow, a teacher membe recently posted a question asking for guidance on cell phones in the classroom. The 56+ comments provided a unique insight about opposing viewpoints. And, as I read through these comments [sometimes with a clenched jaw], I could not escape the traffic analogy.
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