Theme in the Olds

Vignettes:
The day starts with a circle on the floor. The teacher gathers the children, and begins by reading from a the current novel, ....by Karen Hesse, a fictionalized diary of a cabin boy from Captain Cook's voyage around the South Pacific. Each entry starts with a log of the latitude and longitude, so the globe is brought down, and a child volunteers to find the location, sparking a discussion about the distance travelled since the previous entry.

The children are researching some historical background for the stories they will be working on.  The week before, they had visited Pier 21, Canada's Immigration museum, which tells the stories of the thousands of European immigrants who arrived in Canada by ship during the first part of the 20th century.. During their visit, they learned about some of the experiences of typical immigrants, including the types of things they might bring with them, conditions on board the ships, and events in the world that made Canada seem like a beacon of stability and prosperity. While there, they were getting ideas for  a setting, characters and a plot for the story that they would be writing and were encouraged to ask questions of the volunteer dosuns who showed them around. After returning to school, each child chose a geographical area, and a precipitating event that caused their character to leave Europe.

Today, they are researching the events causing their characters' departure from Europe. One group is researching WWII, another the rise of Naziism in the 30's, the Soviet takeover of the Baltic states and still another the British Home Children. Books are spread around the classroom as children search for answers to the questions they have brainstormed together. Coloured slips of paper mark places in books  with information worth a second look; children show passages or pictures to others they think might be interested and everyone is jotting down facts in charts in their "theme" notebooks. The charts have been drawn up based on the questions generated during the class brainstorm.

During this time, the teacher is moving around the classroom, sitting at each table, helping children fill in the gaps in their charts, finding new information, and in some cases reading aloud difficult passages. She is gently reminding some children that conversation needs to be about the topic at hand (not telling them not to talk) or redirecting others back to their assigned task. Occasionally she reminds the class that in a few days, they will be starting to write their stories and that they will need as much background information as possible.

The next day, a parent, who is also an immigrant from Central America, comes in to talk to the class about her experiences moving to a new country - the difficulties she faced, the reasons for coming, and what she learned throughout the experience. The children take notes in their theme notebooks, and ask questions which show that they have been thinking about the issue. After the parent has left, the class discuss their reactions to the presentation "What struck you most about the difficulties Maria faced?" "What can you use for your story from Maria's experiences?". The children then write thank you letters in which they are encouraged to reflect on what they have learned, and what from the presentation they will incorporate into their stories.

After this, the teacher judges that it is time for the children to start writing their stories. Even though they have not finished all the research she had planned, she wants to maintain their interest, and capitalize on the freshness of the information already gathered. In a circle, the children share a little bit about their characters, and the events that have made it necessary for them to emigrate, before heading to their table to start writing. The teacher reminds them about writing good paragraphs, and about using quotation marks for dialogue. At this stage, she  requests quiet, explaining that it is time for  concentration and thinking. Some children immediately start writing, while others stare blankly out the window. The teacher waits for a few minutes and then softly asks each of the blocked individuals if they need help - sometimes a suggestion for where to start, or just chatting with the child about the causes of their characters' departure is enough to get them writing. After about 25 minutes the teacher notices that one child is still fiddling around with her pencil, and hasn't written anything. She stops the class, and compliments the children for their hard work (thinking is hard work, too). One child volunteers to read his opening paragraph out loud; others join in  for an impromtu sharing session which lasts about 10 minutes, before everyone gets back to work. By this time, the last hold-out has had an idea, and is soon busily scribbling.

By snack time, the children have written various amounts, but all leave the classroom excited and chatting about their characters. Some will ask if they can continue to write at home (of course!)

Introduction

It seems like a regular school day in dreary, late November but as soon as the visitor walks through the front doors of Halifax Independent School in the mid-morning, she is aware of the muted buzz of excitement that seems to emanate from the very walls of the building. Two 4 year olds burst from a classroom and begin a charge down the hall until they are aware of the visitor in the lobby, whereupon they slow to a suppressed run and approach the front desk, hand-in-hand and bursting with importance.

“Valerie, we have a message for you” and they hand her a piece of paper. Valerie, seated at the front desk,  helps the children read the note out loud, “Please give us 2 sheets of red paper” and goes to fetch the paper from the storeroom. She gives it to the children, and they begin walking sedately back to their class.

From above, the sounds of children singing emanate from the music room, and across the hall tables and benches in the lunchroom are being moved to create an open space. The “Work-a-ma-jig”, a kinetic sculpture designed and made by all the students in the school a few years before, is lit up and ready for action. Walking down the hall, the visitor sees glass doors covered with cloth and signs saying “No Pirnts Aloud”. This is no ordinary day at Halifax Independent – it is Fair Day!

In the late morning, parents of the four year olds – “the Littles” will begin arriving for their Fair presentation, and throughout the afternoon each class will treat their parents and other interested people to a presentation about the “theme” they have been studying for the past 2 months.

Let’s take a walk around and visit these presentations; Fair is the culmination of the children’s research, the showcasing of their knowledge and skills and a chance for them to hone their presentation skills.

We’ll start in the lunchroom with the Littles who are seated in a row on two benches with pirate hats on, and who sing an action song before getting up and going to fetch their own parents. Taking them by the hand, each child leads their willing parents into the classroom which has been transformed into the various levels of the ocean – one corner represents the intertidal zone, another the depths etc. The parents gather around their children, who are in groups of two or three, intently listening to them talk one by one about the sea creature that they have fashioned out of papier mache, occasionally asking them a question or two. The children proudly show them the paintings they have done, the writing on the labels and signs, the sketches and brainstorms that have been part of their "study". In a few minutes, at a signal from the teacher, the parents move on to hear another group.

Moving along the hallway, we visit a middles class in which one whole corner has been built up into a “rocky” ledge around which various little tide pool animals are perched (the giggles let us know that these are in fact children). Two  girls with a papier mache microphone enter and begin  to interview the creatures, who stand up and one by one tell the enraptured audience all about their unique habits and characteristics. A song with original words written by the children finishes up the formal presentation, whereupon the parents are invited to view the exhibits of research booklets, models and artwork. In another Middles class, a teacher plays the role of very careless boater while students point out all the environmental mistakes she is making while telling the audience why it is a problem and what we can all do about it.

Upstairs, the Olds are engaging parents in a spirited game of “Are you smarter than an Old?” with the MC firing off obscure facts about oceans and then asking “Believe it?” or “Believe it not?”. Naturally the Olds win handily. Thereupon, the students talk about the research they did preparing to write historical “novels” about a child emigrating by sea to Canada from various parts of the world and read selected passages from their self-published books. A beautiful map of the classical world with scenes from Homer’s Odyssey painted by the children with the help of a mural artist adorns the walls, as do other framed art works. Later, the parents are invited to buy their children’s books, with the proceeds donated to the Ecology Action Centre to help with their campaign to set up and maintain Marine Protected Areas.

In the Elders, children dressed as various adult “types” are attending a public meeting to discuss the fate of an area of shoreline which is under threat from development. A large model of the wetland, labelled with the various habitats, is in the centre of the room. Everyone gets their say: environmentalists, the developer, contractors, residents; even  the various creatures native to the area make presentations. In the end, the group votes to preserve the area.

The visitor overhears a parent say, "Wow, he's only 6 and he's using words like 'bathypelagic'!"    As she mills about listening to the parents’ comments, seeing the proud glow on children’s faces, viewing the artistically presented displays and listening in on little “experts” answering complex questions on their areas of expertise, she wonders, “How did all this happen? Why?” 

The 90's - my first decade

My first contact with Dalhousie University School was sending International speakers to do presentations with the children. I was always intrigued with its "alternative" reputation, but had never actually set foot within it...until one day, after I had finished my Masters of Education, left the IEC and was looking for the next job, I spotted a small box ad in the newspaper. Teaching jobs in Nova Scotia were few and far between in those days, and indeed after my 8 years at the IEC I feared I would never have a regular classroom job again. Therefore, I wrote a very careful cover letter and polished up my resume to  highlight my "alternative" qualifications...my cross-cultural experience, my experience with adapting curricula, and my belief in a hands-on, discovery approach to learning. I was thrilled when I was invited in for an interview, and prepared more than for any other job I had applied for (can't remember how!). I did not read the Book beforehand (this was before the internet, and I don't think I even knew it existed) and barely knew what "theme studies" entailed, but probably did go and dust off my copies of "Open Education" and "The Integrated Day in the Primary School".

The big day arrived, and I was interviewed in the upstairs main lobby of the Education building, seated on modern looking armchairs, by a group of 3 women who consisted of Ruth Gamberg, Heather B. (a teacher) and a parent from the school committee whose name I have forgotten. All I remember of the interview is that I felt very comfortable with these women, and felt that we had had a good discussion. I know I spoke about cuisenaire rods, and how great they were for teaching basic math concepts (I was fresh from home-schooling 5 year old Winnie) and later when I discovered how central they were to the math programme at DUS, I believed that this is what got me the job (I should check on that!). After the interview, I wanted the job more than ever and prepared for an agonizing wait for a phone call. I did not call or write to thank the interviewers for interviewing me...I just crossed my fingers and in the end,  I didn't have to wait too long. When Ruth called, she started out with, "Well I have bad news and good news..." and my heart sank. The bad news was that they had a candidate who had been working in the school, but who was British, and could not be hired until they had established that there were no suitable Canadian candidates. The good news was that she was pregnant, expecting in May, and would be on maternity leave for the fall term. So Ruth asked if I was interested in a short term position in the Youngs class to replace Cate A. I don't believe I thought too much about it before I said "yes", as I was very excited to be back in the classroom, and I knew that a foot in the door was the next best thing to full time job.

I spent several days volunteering with Cate in her classroom that spring, and remember being continually amazed that all sorts of things that I had only read about in my radical literature  were happening in the school - things like 5 year olds running around doing polls on various topics and then graphing the results (while many other activities were simultaneously happening), stuffed animals taking on elaborate roles in various scenarios devised by the children (weddings were very popular during those early years) and a atmosphere of respect and trust that was at all levels. One memory stands out - Cate and I took the children outside to the Quad, the grassy area in the centre of some of Dalhousie's oldest buildings, including the Administration Building and the Faculty Club. It was Earth Day, and we were cleaning up garbage - a typical rainy April day with daffodils brightening up the gloom. A roving photographer from the Daily News came by and took a picture of the children, and then of course wanted to know all their names. I was shocked that Cate did not know the last names of any of the children and had to go inside to get a list; this shocked and amused me because my experiences with registers and daily attendance in my previous schools meant that my pupils' full names would have been ingrained. I had a lot to learn!  At this time,  I got to know Heather, who was teaching the Middles, and Janet N.L., the Headteacher who was also the Olds teacher and I felt very lucky to have such a supportive team to work with in the fall.

What did this tiny theme studies school look like when I first started? Located at one end of the first floor of the “temporary” post-war Education building, a low ivy-covered structure which graced Dalhousie’s central quad,  2 small classrooms and 1 tiny classroom along with a tiny office, kitchen and library were arranged around the “lunchroom” which doubled as a central meeting spot. A cloakroom had doors which led outside to the small fenced playground, which had a set of swings, a few wooden structures to climb on and the Playhouse which had been built during the World of Work year. The  playground was surrounded by lovely mature trees, and set against the grey stone buildings, it had a very peaceful, academic air. The Youngs’ classroom had a playhouse built in one corner, known as the Wendy House, but the majority of the furnishings were shabby cast-offs from various university departments. Broken tiles, ancient blackboards and grimy paint characterize the decorating style, but the whole was enlivened by the children’s art work displayed, the in-progress projects lying around and the brightly coloured toys and books everywhere.

Who were these 37 students whose parents were paying good money to attend this not very prepossessing looking establishment? About 1/3 of them were the children of faculty and staff of Dalhousie University. The rest were from the larger community – in those days there was a sizable chunk from the fairly newly established Buddhist community and more than a sprinkling from the arts community. There were “hippie” kids and the children of doctors and lawyers, new immigrant children and scions of Halifax business owners. Parent meetings and social occasions were always lively affairs.

Not only was the school located within the Department of Education, teachers were considered faculty and paid by the University (tuition fees covered salaries and the university covered the rest of the expenses), and the school was administered by a School Committee consisting of Education professors, parents and teachers. This close relationship was widening by the time I started as Dalhousie stopped training elementary teachers (who had previously spent considerable time observing and volunteering in the school) and it seemed less and less relevant to the secondary education students who came in batches of 5 at a time to observe.

In my first full year, I taught the Olds – about 12 grades 3 and 4 students. The theme was Nova Scotia and that year we studied fisheries, the Mik’maq, and Black Loyalists. One of our biggest projects was researching real Black Loyalists, making marionettes of our characters and writing and performing a puppet show. Another Fair presentation had the children debating what could be done to save the Nova Scotia fishery – several years before the moratorium on the cod fishery, these children were calling for drastic reductions in fish quotas.  On a typical day, you might find a group pouring through books researching Loyalists, another in the lunchroom working with a parent sewing their puppets’ costumes and another painting backdrops for the puppet show. Children are chattering to each other, but generally they are focused and on task – they know that their parents will be watching their show in a few weeks, and as well as the subject matter, they still have to master the art of puppetry!

At snack time, the children would eat quickly in the lunchroom and pour out the cloakroom door into the small playground sandwiched between the Education building and the Faculty Club next door, shaded by couple of large elm trees. There they would play on the swings, climb on the 2 platforms and chase around through the playhouse (built a few years earlier by the children during “World of Work” theme). Stuffed animals played a big role, and animal “weddings” were frequently staged between various children’s stuffies whose personalities were well known, and quite distinct from their owners.

The month of December was largely devoted to the production of 3 short plays which were written and/or  adapted by the children, and performed in one of the larger classrooms in the Education building. All the props and backdrops were made by the children, and the stage was demarcated by a line of jury-rigged stage lights on the floor. All the parents squashed themselves in to the room, and the heat would be intense as the children acted, sang and danced, reaching a climax when the whole school gathered on the stage for the finale song. Afterwards, the children would bask in the glow of appreciation from their audience at a pot-luck dessert back in the lunchroom.

Even before I arrived at the school, change was in the air. The shifting focus from elementary to only secondary education meant that most professors were no longer interested in theme studies or elementary education; but the real death knell was issued at the beginning of 1991 when the Nova Scotia government decided to “rationalize” the universities, and Education departments at Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s were closed. Most  teacher training in the province was centred at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Parents and teachers alike were upset at the prospect of losing this tight knit community of students, parents and teachers, and a small group began investigating the options around moving off campus and becoming independent.