Learning Happens Despite The Teacher

I had an interesting discussion with a colleague today. We were both absent from the classroom on the same day and she and I were commenting on the challenges of having substitutes in the classroom. She teaches in a traditional classroom where she has access to a computer lab once or twice a week. After returning from her absence, she took note how nothing she had planned was accomplished. Directions seemed to be not understood and the tasks were not adequately completed by the students. She also commented that the next time she is absent she is going to leave busy work for the students. For, example practicing past skills, finishing an art project, etc. She believed that a substitute could not deliver a productive lesson where students were expected to learn a concept because the substitute wasn't a part of the necessary lead up to the lesson and was not aware of all of the learning challenges in the classroom to effectively meet the varying needs of the students.

It appeared that in a traditional classroom, the teacher, is the most important person in the room. Without the teacher, learning doesn't appear to happen. During our conversation I kept thinking about my own classroom. Am I necessary for learning to happen or can students learn in my classroom despite me? It has been a challenge to get substitutes who are comfortable being in a digital classroom. One substitute who was asked to come into my classroom replied that she "wouldn't be a good choice because she didn't know how to blog."

Through our classroom wiki discussion area, I then asked the students what they believed were necessary characteristics of an effective substitute in a 1:1 digital classroom and what they could do to help a substitute who was not comfortable with digital learning. The responses were quite revealing. Some students felt that an effective substitute should be comfortable using a computer and knowing the basics like turning it on. However, the majority of the students believed that the substitute needed to be comfortable with the students directing their own learning. Because of the tasks being designed with so much detail and because the students know the routine, they have become quite self sufficient learners. One student commented that a "substitute does not need to talk so much. He/she is in the classroom only to help us if we are not sure what to do or can't understand a direction." The students also commented that they could see that in the morning the substitute was uncomfortable with students showing him/her how to access the classroom wiki and Moodle but by the afternoon the substitute appeared more comfortable and was able to relax and to become more of a facilitator. I asked the students if learning happens when I am absent from the classroom. 100% of the students agreed that it did. One student commented that I am like a head chef of a restaurant who carefully plans the menus but allows the other cooks to prepare the dishes and to add their own creativity. The head chef is needed to check the dishes for quality but is not needed for the actual creation. That comment made me definitely think that learning takes place despite me. What a comforting thought!