By Carmela Jones, MNS
“The roots of education are bitter, but the fruits are sweet.” - Aristotle
The first year implementing Modeling Instruction (MI) was quite challenging, but we (my students and I) continued to move forward. By the end of that year, even the skeptical mom changed her tune and became a huge fan of MI.
None of it was easy; it took a whole lot of sweat equity. I even faced student rebellion the second year.
One student declared: “I don’t need chemistry. I’m going to be a chef.” I made it my goal in life to prove to him otherwise. We explored how molecules changed from one identity to another by the movement of electrons in chemical reactions.
I asked him: “What color is RED meat? It’s not a trick question.”
To which he replied: “Red?”
“Is that a question or is that your answer?” I continued. “What color is cooked meat?”
“Mostly brown,” he said.
“What has most likely happened when there is a definite color change?” I inquired.
He rationalized: “From our earlier experiments, I’m thinking a chemical change.”
“Oh, so what you’re saying is that in cooking, chemical reactions are taking place? Really? Isn’t that something?” I retorted with a wry grin.
One of the telltale signs that a reaction happened was a definite color change; red to brown was just such a color change. He explored further that it was due to the restructuring of the proteins. He knew he needed chemistry even in the culinary arts.
Some years after that, science literally found its way into the kitchen with Molecular Gastronomy. Chemistry introduced cuisine to the 21st century. I asked my brother Paul Rivera, an award-winning chef at a famous chain of Waikiki restaurants (he won a lumpia contest for a Thai inspired shrimp lumpia with basil), about that new culinary art. He explained it to me and confirmed it.
In another student rebellion moment...sometimes whiteboards were presented one at a time and not in a circular board room style. One student would not participate. He would not go up with his group. Even when he did, he simply refused to answer any questions, especially those directed to him by his peers.
He was a six-foot tall, star basketball player at our school. I asked him to wait outside the class for the remainder of the class period. I didn’t want his lack of participation distracting the rest of the students from learning. After class I briefly probed him as to the reasons for his behavior.
All he kept saying was: “This is stupid. Why can’t you just teach like all the other teachers? Why do you force us to talk?”
“My goal is for you to learn. For that to happen, I think you should talk more than I do.” I reasoned.
I assured him that it wasn’t pointless and ruthless torture. He still refused to cooperate. He was too cool to try apparently. I sent him to the Principal’s office to have a chat, but still no change of heart. During lunch, I called home and got a hold of his mother. I proceeded to tell her the events of the morning with her son. I also shared that the ultimate goal was for him to learn by taking responsibility of his own learning. To do that, he really needed to participate.
The next morning, he was sitting outside my classroom waiting for me before school even began.
He said: “You called my mom.”
I replied: “Yes, I did. I care about you getting what you should out of the class.”
He smiled and responded: “You are clever. Alright, you win, I will try.”
By the end of the second year implementing MI in my classes, the school leadership surprised me with the Hanalani Schools Teacher of the Year Award. That was truly unexpected. I was under the misconception that only teachers who had been there for over 20 years could earn such an honor; after all, I just reached the beginning of double digits at that time. That and my students learning was all the validation I needed to continue my journey of self-improvement through MI as an educator. It led me to Arizona State University.
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If you are a Modeling teacher, share your story by sending it to the email listed. If you know a great Modeling teacher, encourage them to send their story to the email listed. cjones.stemprofessionals@gmail.com.
If you are Modeling teacher and want to interact with other Modeling teachers with a question, an issue, a classroom experience, an announcement, or anything other MI teachers might be interested in, post it on the M2M (Modeler to Modeler) blog on the AMTA site. https://modelinginstruction.org/submit-a-blog-entry-to-m2m/
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