I suggested that we try creating a project for her students, coaching her to understand that it would mean a significant change in her teaching practice. She would no longer lecture exclusively; many days she would have to give up the stage to let her kids explore, try, make mistakes and learn from them.
We came up with the idea that kids would design an environmentally friendly house that used the local weather patterns and climate to maximize energy efficiency. Students had to research local climate and weather patterns, design the house and present it to local architects for feedback.
She was nervous, but also excited. She liked the idea of her students enjoying her class, and she liked the idea of spending classroom time helping them learn new things that they were interested in. And it was her first project, too! I helped her understand she was undertaking the same journey as her students—trying things, seeing what worked and learning from mistakes.
The project was a hit. Students who had avoided her classroom were now coming in at all times to check on their work and ask questions. Engagement went through the roof, behavior problems plummeted and both the teacher and the students were having fun solving problems and working closely with each other. Every single student completed the project, and every single student passed. A few even said they thought they might want to be architects when they got older!
Perhaps most significantly, this teacher no longer put her students in two, damaging groups: “can” and “can’t.”
America Achieves is working to spread PBL nationwide to help kids develop the skills, knowledge and passions they’ll need to s쳮d in college and careers. Together we can help create confident, curious, and skilled graduates ready to take on the world!