1 2 3 TD!
This week our classes were the "Superbowl" of learning! What?? Football in our Character GPS classes?? What does football have to do with learning??
Buckle up and here we go!!!!!
One of the main concepts we focused on this week was the 3 Steps to Learning. A few years ago Jeff came up with using the idea of catching a football as a mataphor to demonstrate this teaching and it has become a memorable and treasured part of our classes. Why even the most sleepy kids "wake up" suddenly when we are tossing around a football! We are never short on volunteers for this exercise!
First you must receive the ""football" being thrown to you and there can be many distractions that keep you from receiving this "information". You must be focused and prepared. As soon as Jeff starts to throw the "foot ball" the student raises their hands and gets ready for step 1, receiving the "football". Their eyes must be focused on the "football".
The second step is to store the "information" or tuck the "football" so that no one can take it from you by knocking it out of your arms. We go into a pretty in depth discussion about how to store "information" or tuck that "football". One method is drill or repetition. We all learned our time tables that way! This is one way to move the "information" from short term memory to long term memory. As a musician I am quite familiar with the idea of "drilling" music I am trying to memorize. Lots of repetition and you've got it! It's in your long term memory!
Another way to store the "information" is through 3-person teaching. Think the first person is where you get the "information from" whether it be a teacher, a book, a recording etc.
The 2nd person is you and the 3rd person is who you then teach it too and this doesn't have to actually be a "person" it can be your pet dog, bird, fish or even...a recording device. I used to record myself speaking my notes out loud and listen over and over again to prepare for some college exams. I'm sure the listening part helped but now I know that just by speaking or "teaching" it to the recording device I was using the 3 person teaching method to store my information, moved it to long term memory thus acing my tests at a Master's Degree level.
Taking notes is for you in the future or for someone else hence the 3rd person. This is why we have all of our students take notes, to help them move information to long term memory. We also have them take teaching sheets home with them so they can teach their parents what they have learned and anyone else who will listen.
Step 1 RECEIVE
Step 2 STORE
Step 3 is USE! Our students catch the "football", tuck it in and then run for the TD Touchdown!!!!!
So now let's see some this in action...pictures please!
Did I mention that we also continued to have some great mentoring happening around us??
It is truly amazing to see our GPS Graduates step into these roles and Dr.Lubich being with us again, never giving up on our kids!
Jeff and I are also excited to be attending the Inaugural One Mentor, One Child Mentoring Summit in March in Orlando put on by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice! We committed to going, can't wait to be more inspired and maybe share some of our own stories too! It's always great to see our friends from Tallahassee in person and also to meet providers from around the state!
领英推荐
Must share one more story as it relates to our "sports themed topic today"!
Congratulations to Character GPS Graduate Lily Flint for signing with Sumter Fire Ants!
We were blessed to work with Lily at Sligh Middle School a few years ago and kept in touch because we always thought that she was a very promising student!
We are also working on setting up our Summer Camps so please let us know if you or someone you know is interested!
Thank you dear friends for reading our news...over and out!
Your Friends at Character GPS,
Deb and Jeff Cain
"Helping Kids Stay on Track so that they Stay out of Trouble!"