Journal 8

I thought the main idea of chapter 21 “Imaginary Music,” was how the children were happy. This then lead to the adults around them having the same happy and childlike feelings. The chapter title “Imaginary Music,” to me felt like a reflection of the new third grade teacher April Gamble. She had taught in one of the best school in New York, and brought some of the skills she had learned back to P.S.  28. This is displayed in the story when the children get out of hand and the teach puts her arm up as to be playing a flute and children follow along. Not only was she able to make the unwanted behavior stop, but she was able to make it fun. She was not afraid to be childlike and enjoy what she was doing with the children. I feel like this theme followed through the whole chapter with adults seeing the children have fun and remembering what it feels like to be a child enjoying themselves. My favorite quote in the chapter was while Jonathan was watching the children play in the sprinkler outside by the garden. He says “They remind me of intoxicated elves.” I can see all of the children happy to be outside and playing in the water running without a care.

In my experience the biggest learning factor that kept was from learning was how I was being taught. I was never able to learn well from a teacher standing in front of me and saying read these pages and do the lesson, and there will be a test on Friday. I also felt like they were not very helpful in teaching the material. Sure, they would answer a question, but I was so hard to retain the information I had read in class and went home and try to study from it. I think this kept me from learning by limiting my time and not having hands on experiences. An example would be if I read the math chapter or science chapter I was assigned in class I then would have a short time to make notes and try to remember what I read for when I went home. All through high school I only had two teachers that would do activities on the material we were supposed to learn. Not only did I not have to sit in silence and stress about if my notes were right, but I did better on the test. I think it is not one person’s fault. The school said we did not have enough money to allow each kid to take a textbook home. I feel even if I was able to have a book not having to instruction on what I was learning was what stopped me from doing my best. I feel that the teachers who do get kids involved and try to make learning fun should keep records of how students do and pass it on. I think almost all students would improve.