One of the most useful things I have ever learnt was taught to me by a windsurfing instructor five years ago. It has nothing to do with jibbing or tacking or avoiding making the front page of the local paper due to a frantic coastguard rescue. This piece of invaluable information wasn't given to me on purpose, nor was it the pivotal point of my third lesson shivering in the harbour yet I use it at lease once a day, every day of the week.
Being a maths teacher with a packed curriculum and sky high progress expectations I like that value for for money feel that something taught once can be used and remembered continually. Even if it is a by-product of the intended delivery in that activity, lesson or course it has that Booking.com genius discount feeling to it. An extra 10% that not only makes you feel good but can actually be really useful (even if that only equates to $4.35 discount on a questionable beach hut in Goa). But do these accidental learnings have to be maths based?
Working in an international school there are regular moments of hilarity (perhaps this is a blog post in itself) and a lot of these come from the EAL nature of the students I teach. I have recently clarified the different between a toddler and tadpole ("Miss, why is inheritance money being shared in a ratio of 3:2 between a frog and a baby?") and demonstrated, with actions, why a donkey being called a wonkey might be the punchline of a hilarious joke (you 10 Ticks fans will know exactly which topic I am currently on with my year 7s!). I relish those "ahhhhh" moments where a year 11 realises he has been wrongly telling his tutor he needs to revise 'stimulus equations' and these are all things which will be remembered beyond the classroom and well into their adult lives.
Can we plan for these? Are there certain things we need to teach in order for these to organically grow in our lessons? Are certain subjects more responsible for providing these "ahhhhh" moments? In my opinion, no. Lets ensure that we build the environment for these moments to happen and avoid the temptation to look at the curriculum through blinkered eyes and remember we are teaching humans not levels of progress.
So what was the most useful piece of information I ever learnt?
When carrying a container of water, look ahead, not down at it, and you will never spill a drop. Ever. And of course, as a lifelong learner and enquirer, I can confirm this applies to any liquid at any temperature and at several locations including a staffroom to classroom journey and from the bar to the terrace during happy hour.
Being a maths teacher with a packed curriculum and sky high progress expectations I like that value for for money feel that something taught once can be used and remembered continually. Even if it is a by-product of the intended delivery in that activity, lesson or course it has that Booking.com genius discount feeling to it. An extra 10% that not only makes you feel good but can actually be really useful (even if that only equates to $4.35 discount on a questionable beach hut in Goa). But do these accidental learnings have to be maths based?
Working in an international school there are regular moments of hilarity (perhaps this is a blog post in itself) and a lot of these come from the EAL nature of the students I teach. I have recently clarified the different between a toddler and tadpole ("Miss, why is inheritance money being shared in a ratio of 3:2 between a frog and a baby?") and demonstrated, with actions, why a donkey being called a wonkey might be the punchline of a hilarious joke (you 10 Ticks fans will know exactly which topic I am currently on with my year 7s!). I relish those "ahhhhh" moments where a year 11 realises he has been wrongly telling his tutor he needs to revise 'stimulus equations' and these are all things which will be remembered beyond the classroom and well into their adult lives.
Can we plan for these? Are there certain things we need to teach in order for these to organically grow in our lessons? Are certain subjects more responsible for providing these "ahhhhh" moments? In my opinion, no. Lets ensure that we build the environment for these moments to happen and avoid the temptation to look at the curriculum through blinkered eyes and remember we are teaching humans not levels of progress.
So what was the most useful piece of information I ever learnt?
When carrying a container of water, look ahead, not down at it, and you will never spill a drop. Ever. And of course, as a lifelong learner and enquirer, I can confirm this applies to any liquid at any temperature and at several locations including a staffroom to classroom journey and from the bar to the terrace during happy hour.