Where You Learn Matters! -A Teachers Guide to Geographic Thinking-
Students from around the world attend schools in different cities, states, and even different countries. Students from all around the world come from different families, backgrounds and have different stories. Students from all around the world like school, dislike it and some are indifferent. By knowing these factors and thinking critically, it is important to take a look at how students geography plays a role in their education and overall lives. while we take a look at this, we will be guided through a ‘best of guide’ that will help us, as educators, teach geographical thinking.
To begin, as educators, we need to understand where each student comes from and how it can carry into the classroom. Each student has a living space and family that has an effect on the student’s morals, values and place in their community. For example, in Milwaukee 82% of students are considered economically disadvantaged. When a student is economically disadvantaged, it can affect the way the student is raised, the types of education that is received and the students’ behavior. By making sure that teachers are aware of each students’ background, the teacher will be able to create a classroom that is safe and welcoming to every student. Along with this, teachers will be able to build connections with the students and their families to make sure that they are involved in their child’s education as well as feel welcome to discuss any concerns/way to improve.
In continuation, it is essential for teachers come up with activities that can reinforce a great classroom community. It is important for students to be aware of their classroom community as well as to see the role that they play in it. This can truly help individual’s identity when thinking of the role that they may have in their personal community outside of school. A great example to implement this would be by doing a number activity. Each student can be assigned a magic number before entering in the class and in the classroom, there will be supplies that will be numbered specifically for each individual student. The student will not know this ahead of time but once the student is given a magic number, as he/she enters the class for the first time, they will see that their magic number belongs to supplies and a specific spot. By doing this activity students are able to see that they are each unique and a part of the same community. They can also see that they each have a role within the class. This activity was one that I read about in the incorporating all children using community and cultural universals as the centerpiece article by Janet Alleman, Barbara Knighton and Jere Brophy.
Furthermore, it is important for teachers to help students develop a sense of agency within their community and know what roles and responsibilities they must carry. A great way to implement this is by doing team building activities where students discuss what their values are and responsivities they should have. In group discussions, students can also decide with the teacher what rules the students must follow in their class. By doing activities and discussion like these, it gives the students the power to work together in making decisions and allows for students to see their role in the community.
In conclusion, it is very important that educators implement geographical thinking into their everyday curriculum to ensure that students are aware of identity, their role within the community and the effects that their families and home life may have upon them.
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