Middle School history teacher Joey Rice begins his lesson by instructing students to, “Remember, this is not my class, this is your class. Do whatever you need to be comfortable and learn.”
He encourages students to move around, stand up, and sit in alternate seats to help them focus. Mr. Rice even suggests students take off their shoes and rub their feet on the carpet to help with concentration. Allowing movement during class helps accommodate for the needs of students who struggle to maintain focus and students who are tactile/kinesthetic learners.
During a recent lesson, Mr. Rice discussed Georgia musicians. Students were asked to listen to music by Ray Charles and Little Richard. They compared and contrasted the two musical styles discussing the emotional impact of the music. Auditory learners are supported through the use of music in lessons.
Students were then asked to research and write facts about geographic locations in Georgia. They were encouraged to add their personal experiences to their writing. Mr. Rice asked students to write about their “ski trips in Cloudland, camping in Blue Ridge, sitting around a campfire while someone strums a guitar.” Challenging students to create pictures in their minds through the use of descriptive language is an excellent strategy for supporting visual learners.
Concluding the class, Mr. Rice led the students in a discussion about Sterling Holloway, another native of Georgia who was the voice of Winnie the Pooh. Students reminisced about the characters in the classic childhood books and then watched a brief clip of a Winnie the Pooh movie. He emphasized how this man from Cedartown, Ga., will live on forever as the voice of Pooh. Mr. Rice encouraged his students to dream big and pursue goals that would make a difference for years to come. They might become a doctor or a lawyer, or they might be in the entertainment field as the voice of a brand-new character.
A big thank you to Mr. Rice for inspiring his students and differentiating his lessons to meet the needs of all learners!
