Iconoclastic Teacher Meets His Constructivist Ilk

           (Editor's note: This column is written by High School English teacher Jerry Heverly. Its tag line is inspired by education blogger Joe Bower who says that when his students do an experiment, learning is the priority. Getting the correct answer is entirely secondary.)

            I spent last weekend at the Association for Constructivist Teaching (ACT) Conference in Johnson City, Tennessee.

            {To answer your next question:  I paid for the trip myself, even my substitute.}

            Constructivism is a fancy term for hands-on teaching. Constructivists are like Baptists in Teheran. They are apt to be heard wondering why the world hasn’t yet discovered the truth of their doctrine.

            The setting of the conference was beautiful, a fall-bedecked valley in Eastern Tennessee, a university town (East Tennessee State U.), housed in one of those modern-day conference centers with durable chairs and blueberry muffins on the tables outside each room.

            This is my third annual appearance but I never cease to feel like a fraud when I show up.

            Teacher’s conventions are basically a daylong series of classes. They give you a program when you register. You sit in a corner and select topics from the menu. Each class lasts about ninety minutes.

            Do I want to hear about being a teacher-researcher? Or would I like to know about using manipulatives to teach elementary mathematics? Perhaps my interest is piqued by “Great Science Teaching:  You’ll Know it When You See It”.

            My problem is that Constructivism fits nicely for science and math teachers. Instead of note-taking and lectures constructivist try to use experimentation and activities.

            Fitting that theory to high school English is daunting.  ACT meetings feature few, if any, high school teachers. Same for English teachers of any stripe.

            I discovered Constructivism while reading in the teacher library at Cal—one of the great resources of the East Bay for teachers. I read journal articles about it, and found books on the subject.

            When I discovered the association one day via Google I thought I’d found the answer to my prayers, a place where someone could show me how to apply what I’d read. It hasn’t worked out the way I had hoped yet I still think my time and money are well spent at these meetings.

            If nothing else I get yearly reassurance that I’m not nuts to try to use more “authentic” activities in lieu of PowerPoint presentations. Just being around these fellow idealists recharges my batteries each fall.

            Trying to apply these ideas in my classroom often results in practices that bewilder colleagues.

            I have my students seated in groups instead of rows facing the teacher.

            I try to limit my own speaking in class.

            I don’t “cover” standards; I do try to have students “discover” them.

            I avoid worksheets and try to have my students write real world documents, letters, memoirs, op-ed pieces, and news articles.

            I generally refuse to answer student questions. (You can guess how kids feel about that one.)

            I seldom give tests or quizzes, preferring to “assess” those real world tasks I give them.

            Most controversially I don’t use gold stars and rewards to get students to cooperate. Constructivists believe that kids come to school with an intrinsic desire to explore the world. Bribing them damages that impulse.  

            A few years ago I wrote a longer explanation of this theory and placed it on my teacher web page (www.slhs.net) / Teacher Web Pages/ Heverly/ Constructivist Teaching.

            Anyone reading this can quickly sees that each of my practices yields its own problems. Kids in groups talk too much. Quizzes sometimes do measure learning. Gold stars can motivate a student to change his behavior.

            I don’t kid myself that I have all the answers, particularly because I’ve never met another constructivist high school English teacher.

            If you choose to swim against the tide it’s nice to have at least one weekend each year amongst fellow travellers.

Read other columns from the Entirely Secondary archive.

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