"Etre et Avoir"

I took a lot away from our film showing last week. I know that our teaching situation and atmosphere will be quite different than a French one room school house with students of mixed ages but what Lopez did with his students is still applicable to our teaching experience. I was impressed by his role as mediator, instructor and mentor. Seeing all of the different aspects of his job as a teacher, made me thankful for the fact that there will be a few of us teaching each class. I was also impressed by the respect Lopez demanded in the classroom and the response of his students. One thing that really struck me was how he could keep all of the students engaged or at least occupied in the classroom at one time. One way in which he did this was having the older students tutor the younger students. I know we won't have a dramatic age difference among students in our classes but there may be some range of ability and it is important to remember that instructing others is one of the best ways to become really secure with material. The other great point that the film made was that there is a time for work and play. When Jojo didn't complete his drawing he wasn't allowed outside for recess. Lopez was brilliant at including other activities that benefitted the students besides studying such as cooking. And the sledding trip was also a great opportunity for physical activity.