Teaching Treks

Thinking Treks - Activities to Avoid Window Gazing

Summer in Australia… I have vivid memories of sitting at my school desk, gazing out the window and imagining I was somewhere else in a bid to ignore the stream of sweat trickling down my back. Three o’clock couldn’t come fast enough! Sometimes I still have days like that! Installing air conditioning in classrooms that regularly reach temperatures well over 33° C (about 91° F) would certainly improve learning (not to mention my temperament) but that’s another story!

My worst ‘drifting off’ moments were almost always during traditional chalk and talk lessons when the teacher stood out the front and we sat and dutifully listened, or at least pretended to! I know I still have the same tendency, especially during professional development sessions, and have to keep check on my wayward thoughts so I don’t mentally wander off. This is not a reflection on the presenters of PD, rather it’s an observation about my sadly limited inability to maintain focus.

I think most teachers are all too familiar with the glazed over look that descends on a class when they are absolutely certain something is going to be boorrriing. One of the things I’ve tried hard to do during my teaching career is to keep those glazed-over-window-gazing moments to a minimum. I love to see kids truly engaged and excited about what they’re learning.

The Thinking Treks products I've made are based on some of the most successful activities I've used in terms of student engagement and enjoyment. Not a window gazer in sight! Socially mediated learning using open ended tasks lends itself to deep learning in a range of different contexts and subject areas. Here are links to sample Thinking Treks if you're interested in learning more.

Winter Thinking Treks Sample

Christmas Thinking Treks Sample