I enjoyed listening to some podcasts today about different books that peers of mine have read. Kelley in her podcast that her book asks us to think of our bodies as just the vehicle or the container for our brain. It is an idea I have never heard of before and I really had to stop and think about that one for a while. I don't know if I can still wrap my head around that idea yet. I don't know what to make of that statement. She also speaks to the fact that we shouldn't stifle creativity and it reminded me of how a student chose to think about the health material I was teaching on Tuesday. We are currently on a drug unit and we were discussing smoking and the effects it has on the lungs. As we were talking this student popped out of the circle and went to the back of the classroom and retrieved a pink and a black cube. He then came back to the circle and said that the pink cubes are like healthy lungs and the black cubes are like bad lungs from smoking. Thinking so simple and inspired I had never thought of it. What a great visual that this student created for the rest of the class. No scary pictures of lungs required.

I found it interesting that both Kelley and Tricia mention different learning styles as something to consider in their podcasts, where in mine I ask you not to consider it as much. The book I read asks you to consider the difference between styles and abilities. That we all learn basically the same and it is our abilities that distinguish us more. Willingham in my book gave the example of two great quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Brett Farve (why couldn't Tom Brady be in the book instead?). He talks about how these two players have opposite playing styles, but their abilities are what helps them succeed. That we need to start thinking of differences in ability rather than learning style. I think Willingham did a wonderful job on this point and you should visit his book for more information about why he speaks to this fact.

Bekah in her podcast mentioned creating an oasis of calm in our classroom. That this oasis of calm with thoughtfully created rules can give students more freedom. Is an oasis of calm noisy? I think of calm as someplace a student feels safe. Is this what the book meant by an oasis of calm? My room is often organized chaos and loud. I don't think a good classroom is a quiet classroom. Plus my abilities to tune noise out because of growing up with siblings has allowed me create this kind of classroom. I respect that some students need a quieter environment and I make time each day for quiet working. Again, is an oasis of calm really a safe environment, or is it truly calm?