Teachers found their inner child, pounded on musical instruments, played math games and became drama queens and kings at the first of CTA's two Good Teaching Conferences this year. It looked like fun and games, but participants were very serious about finding ways to liven up their classrooms and spread the joy of learning to students.
Most of those attending were new teachers. "You're here because you want to be good teachers. And we're here because we want to help you," said CTA President Wayne Johnson in a welcoming speech.
Participating in workshops were Mark Galipeau from Rohnert Park/Cotati and Heather Bartley from San Jose.
"There is so much emphasis on testing these days," said Cindy Christenson, a member of the North Sacramento Education Association, who was among those participating in a session on enhancing academic subjects with performing arts. "We need to have breaks and do activities like these for a few minutes before and after tests to relax students."
"I would like to use these methods to get kids involved in social studies by acting out American history," said Don Steinruck, president of the Del Norte Teachers Association. "There's a lot of excitement and versatility that can get kids engaged and involved."
In the "Math Travels" session, San Diego Education Association member and fifth-grade teacher Mark Alcorn encouraged teachers to find mathematical games to reinforce concepts students are working on. Participating teachers said the games like "But Who's Multiplying?" were clearly winners.
Don Steinruck from Del Norte, Gloria Gonzalez from Ukiah and Toni Trevellick from Lakeport
"I always had to learn math by rote," said Marie Chen, a member of the Campbell Elementary Teachers Association. "Games like this make things more interesting for the kids, so they don't think math is boring."
"These games are hands-on, so the kids can learn and also have fun and enjoy math," added Chen's game partner, Peter Crutchfield, a member of the Oakland Education Association. "Traditional math is good - but not all the time."
Amelia J. Crawford, a member of United Teachers of Pasadena, made phonemic awareness lively in the "Get on Board with Music and Movement" workshop. Participants accompanied the nursery rhyme "Wee Willie Winky" with xylophones, triangles and wood blocks that gave the impression of "running through the town," "rapping at the windows" and "crying through the lock." For dramatic effect, one teacher donned a nightcap and ran around the musicians.
Peter Crutchfield from Oakland and Marie Chen from Campbell.
"Multisensory experiences can enhance comprehension," said Crawford.
Ellen McCray, a member of the Tracy Rural Teachers Association, said she could hardly wait to try it out on her second-graders. "The best ideas always seem to come from teachers. And that makes it easier for other teachers to implement them right away."
Among the presenters were David Enemer from the Hart District Teachers Association with his workshop on motivating students.
Other workshop offerings at the conference included such fare as "From Wiggle-Jiggle Houses to Word Family Houses," "Poetry in Motion" and "Teaching: It Really is the Greatest Job on Earth." There was also much in the way of serious subject matter, dealing with standards, underperforming schools, the high school exit exam and integrated classrooms.
Mark Alcorn from the San Diego Education Association with a workshop on reinforcing math skills.
More than 600 teachers attended the January conference in Burlingame. The second Good Teaching Conference, titled "2001: A Teaching Odyssey," took place March 9-11 in Los Angeles.
