One of the many ways in which we pride ourselves here at AFS
is the planning time made possible for all classroom teaching teams to meet
with the resource teachers. It is an excellent opportunity to enhance all of
our students’ learning when a classroom unit of study can be integrated with
resource classes such as music, art, science, library/tech, and of course español. This connection contributes to
a greater awareness of the interrelationship of our school’s dynamic J programs and makes learning more relevant.
The same holds true for integration among classroom
topics with that of other grade levels. Bridging the learning from one class to
another equally enriches all of our students’ learning as it engages students
as partners. This approach enhances students’ ability to transfer the
competencies and skills acquired during a topic to fellow students in another grade level.
When our youngest students in the Cardinals’
class showed an interest in learning how to dance “in Spanish,” it provided the
opportunity to integrate fourth graders as the facilitators to this interest.
You see, the fourth graders just finished a Dance Study of Spanish music and
dance traditions where three dance genres where introduced, researched and
performed. So, it made great sense to engage the fourth graders as the driving
force in teaching the Cardinals how to dance salsa, merengue and bachata. The fourth graders welcomed this
idea with sheer delight! This collaboration helped not only reinforce their own
learning by instructing the younger learners but, it also supported all to feel
more comfortable and open when interacting with a peer as oppose to an adult. Giving
students the opportunity to work with their environment (homeroom and resource
classes), their peers, and themselves offers endless possibilities in terms of
what the children can add to their knowledge.
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