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November 6, 2007
Teach to the trialSure, we've all heard of teaching to the test, but teaching to the trial? That's just what one innovative seventh grade teacher is doing. Today's edition of USA Today carries the story of one teacher making his classroom come alive.
Jerry Parks, of Georgetown, Ky., uses mock trials in the Hammurabi Court ("based on the written laws of Hammurabi, king of Babylon in the 18th century B.C.") to excite his students and teach them critical thinking.
"I want to come in and get them excited," Parks says. "That's the fuel that keeps me going, watching the kids get excited."In his 24 years of teaching, Parks has earned a reputation for his dedication to his students, his love of learning, his commitment to helping young teachers and his efforts to pass on what he knows by writing books, including Teacher Under Construction for new middle school teachers.
For him, the ultimate reward is "watching those eyes light up when something finally registers."
And it's the words of past students that echo in his memory. Tucked among the pictures of mummies and Greek statues that adorn his walls are the letters from former students. "Thank you for never giving up on me when everybody else did," one says.
"Former students are the best people on earth," Parks says. "When they come back, you know you did a good job."
BoardBuzz loves a warm fuzzy, that's for sure! And the best news of all is that USA Today has a whole bunch of stories about teachers doing great things on their Web site. You can even nominate a teacher that you think is outstanding for USA Today's All-USA Teacher Team.
Posted November 6, 2007 3:16 PM | Teachers
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