The educators who inspire us
One of my favorite book series as a child was The Magic School Bus. They were tales from Ms. Frizzle’s class, the quirky teacher who wore eccentric clothes and took her students on unexpected field trips. These weren’t just any field trip—they’d go into the waterworks, inside the human body, and even to outer space. Each outfit “The Friz” would wear was themed according to the day. Headed to space? Expect a planet themed dress, along with matching earrings and shoes. If there was anyone who embodied the attitude of “go big or go home” it was Ms. Frizzle.
Her students all knew she was a bit quirky and different and acknowledged that. But they also recognized just how much they learned through these less traditional teaching lessons. Ms. Frizzle sure knew how to make learning fun and brought lots of energy and enthusiasm with everything she did. Ms. Frizzle was not teaching students with the goal of passing standardized tests; she was teaching them with the goal of nurturing the next generation of curiosity-driven life-long learners.
As I think back to my own teachers, after elementary school there are not many who stand out to me in how they taught the material. It was very “by the book.” (And therefore, I’d argue I don’t remember much of what I learned because of it. The exception being my semesters abroad.)
One exception was Mr. Hixon, my World Geography teacher in 7th grade in Boise, Idaho. He was an older teacher, so I think he came to the point he didn’t care if he played by the rules of school or not. (Or maybe it was just his natural way of doing things.) The class before the exam he’d let each row go to the front of the class and together read through all the test questions (with a time limit of course). He clearly believed that in the “real world” you don’t always have to know everything off the top of your head, but you can look it up. Maybe I was just a geek, but I got really excited about knowing what I should focus on to study.
Our end of the year exam was when we were required to draw a map of the world on a letter sized sheet of plain paper. It was the best test EVER. During the timed test we needed to include one of “everything” from a vast list of geography (each continent, a state, a capital, a peninsula, an isthmus, a lake, a river, etc.). Everything needed to be recognizable, but perfectionism could get in your way, as it was ultimately an exercise in including all the key features. If you didn’t know where something was you could always go up to the front of the room where the old school world map was rolled out in front of the blackboard. Alas, you’d lose time if you stared at it too long, and of course “commuting” back and forth between the map. Even for a geography lover like me, I felt the pressure. In all my years of schooling this is also the only test I really remember anything about. It clearly stuck with me.
Grades were never the end goal for Mr. Hixon. He wanted us to learn and get excited about the subject. He just needed a way to evaluate us. There were also opportunities for extra credit. When he got through all the material for the class, if there was extra time he’d toss around the big giant beach ball globe. It became a game of keep up like we were kids again until he’d say stop. He’d then challenge someone to find a super random place. If they succeeded to find it within a minute, they’d get extra credit. If not, the game would continue until the bell rang. We never knew when we were going to play, but it was a fun reprieve to the end of class.
Did I mention we also had a unit on tai chi? We were tested on certain moves in front of the class. Mr. Hixon was definitely a head of his time.
The final challenge we at the end of the year was “The Great Jellybean Race.” This was his way of teaching us to use chopsticks (which honestly, I’m not sure I knew how to use until that point). The race started in the classroom using the desks as an obstacle. Little by little people would get eliminated as they dropped their jellybean (they’re slippery!). Finally there were two contenders left. They had to do a loop of the school without dropping the jellybean (there was one person who followed each finalist to make sure there was no foul play). At the end the winner was announced.
These memorable moments are how we learn and how I approach my workshops. I believe learning should be fun and take us outside of our comfort zones. There was a lot I loved about school, but also a lot that was a disservice. My job these days is to channel my inner Ms. Frizzle and Mr. Hixon and encourage my students—of all ages—to be creative explorers of the world.
Who were the teachers that stuck with you and shaped the work you do today? Share in the comments below!
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