Teachable Moments
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Lesson From a Car Wash
If you are like me....you don't want to spend your entire Saturday running errands!
Instead of taking an hour to get my car washed, I decided recently to try a "drive thru" car wash. You know...drive thru fast food...drive thru pharmacies...drive thru bank tellers...I tried the drive thru car wash!
If you haven't had this experience, it is certainly worth a try...
As I sat in my car, I thought of how similar this car wash was to the learning experience.
Lesson Learned for All Teachers:
-The attendant takes your money BEFORE you get your car washed.
*Know that you will have a pay off if you teach well even before you begin the lesson.
-Two other attendants start hosing down the car and scrubbing the tires before the wash
*It is important to tap prior knowledge before starting the lesson.
-The car's front tires must be aligned to fit the track.
*Make sure that students are on track-anticipation guides, pretests, discussions and agendas can help.
-The attendant directed me to put the car in neutral and take my foot off the brake.
*Encourage a safe, respectful and nurturing environment so students can feel comfortable in their learning.
-The machine begins with soap covering the entire car.
*Make sure the lesson is clean, clear and concise.
-The rags are in strips to make sure it covers the entire car.
*Create lessons to include multiple intelligences, modalities and learning styles to ensure that every student understands the concepts.
-The water sprays the soap away with a steady jet stream.
*Check for understanding at the close of the lesson. Make sure students share their knowledge with you and their peers.
-A strong blower dries the residual water at the close of the car wash.
*Pull from students what they have learned through various types of assessments.
Wow...what a revelation....all lessons from a car wash!
Instead of taking an hour to get my car washed, I decided recently to try a "drive thru" car wash. You know...drive thru fast food...drive thru pharmacies...drive thru bank tellers...I tried the drive thru car wash!
If you haven't had this experience, it is certainly worth a try...
As I sat in my car, I thought of how similar this car wash was to the learning experience.
Lesson Learned for All Teachers:
-The attendant takes your money BEFORE you get your car washed.
*Know that you will have a pay off if you teach well even before you begin the lesson.
-Two other attendants start hosing down the car and scrubbing the tires before the wash
*It is important to tap prior knowledge before starting the lesson.
-The car's front tires must be aligned to fit the track.
*Make sure that students are on track-anticipation guides, pretests, discussions and agendas can help.
-The attendant directed me to put the car in neutral and take my foot off the brake.
*Encourage a safe, respectful and nurturing environment so students can feel comfortable in their learning.
-The machine begins with soap covering the entire car.
*Make sure the lesson is clean, clear and concise.
-The rags are in strips to make sure it covers the entire car.
*Create lessons to include multiple intelligences, modalities and learning styles to ensure that every student understands the concepts.
-The water sprays the soap away with a steady jet stream.
*Check for understanding at the close of the lesson. Make sure students share their knowledge with you and their peers.
-A strong blower dries the residual water at the close of the car wash.
*Pull from students what they have learned through various types of assessments.
Wow...what a revelation....all lessons from a car wash!