conference | To Learn and Connect ~ Trina Crawford

I’m sometimes nervous to be asked about the activities that I do with my students.

Today, my Grade Five class took part in Cereal Con 2018, a totally made-up event complete with a conference sign-in, nametags, deskplates, personalized water bottles and muffins. The students dressed as professionals – doctors and scientists, and we all addressed each other as “Dr.” for the day. It was amazing. One of my students commented, “Mrs Crawford, you really went over the top for this one!”

Several of my colleagues stopped by in the morning when they saw the sign announcing the conference and me and my intern in our lab-coats and “Dr.” name-tags. “What’s going on in here today?” And I’m not going to lie. I get nervous talking about it with some people. I am afraid of the judgment.

Judgment that I am too over-the-top. Maybe that I’m not taking this ‘education-thing’ seriously enough. But I know that this kind of ‘teaching’ and learning is what feels right to me. And I know from the reactions of the students, that it’s right for them, too.

So I try to explain, embarrassed, “Well, it all started with a worksheet,” I tell them. Which is true. But that worksheet, where the kids had to compare an element in two different cereals and report on it, although completely fine, was not enough for me. As the kids worked in their partners to complete the research, I had another idea, spur of the moment! “Hey, Class! Guess what? You are all SCIENTISTS! You need to create a poster that you will present to the class about your element and the cereals you chose! You need to evaluate them and decide which cereal is better. THE FATE OF THESE CEREALS IS IN YOUR HANDS!” And the students got to work. And the conversation and the planning, and the constant checking with our class rubric to make sure everything was covered? Amazing. So, as I watched their engagement, I had another idea, spur of the moment! “Hey, Class! Guess what? We are all going to a Cereal Convention on Thursday! You will need to present your findings to your esteemed Cereal Professionals to determine which cereals will remain marketable for our society! Let’s talk about what a good presentation looks like!” And the students got to work. And it was fantastic! Planning, sharing roles, writing scripts or cue cards, practicing, practicing, practicing. . .

And today came. My intern and I met the students at the door at a table where the students were greeted as if they were unknown. “Your name? Ah, Doctor Isha, I’m so glad you could make the conference! Here is your nametag and your complimentary personalized bottle of water. Grab a muffin on your way into the convention hall (classroom!) and we will get started soon.”

And we started the morning. Some STEM activities with cereal. Fractions. Our presentations, and then rounding the morning off with some discussion about circle art and creating with circle cereals. The kids said it was the best day ever.

The day managed to touch on outcomes from Math, Science, Literacy, Art, and tons of team-building!

It started with a worksheet.