Meet Me in the Middle - Chapter 4: Active Learning

This chapter points out exactly why it is so important for us as teachers to understand what our middle school student are going through, especially physically. Incorporating active learning in the classroom is great for students because they are constantly growing. Students are uncomfortable sitting through a whole class, so it is best to get them up and moving around at any chance you can get. A physical activity always has to be tied into the curriculum otherwise you won’t have any light bulbs lighting atop students heads. The chapter offers all kinds of ideas for active learning from handing in homework by shooting it in a hoop to maintaining bulletin boards. These ideas could be translated into any classroom with any subject.

I noticed that a lot of the ideas for active learning involved using big sheets of paper for student to draw an assignment on. I think this is a great idea for any group assignment in class such as a time line or a list of things. It will get them up and moving around and they can better interact with their group members. I also really liked the idea of allowing students to crumple their homework and shoot it into a bin. I know in a lot of classrooms that shooting trash into the trash can was a big no no. But I think it could really lighten the mood in your class and show them that it is okay to do something like that if it is your homework that you are turning in. It is a really laid back idea and I think could be really effective, and wouldn’t waste much time. I would be willing to try any of the examples in my own classroom in the future because I myself like to get up and move around and would love to do it with my students.