Goole High School - Day 3: Posted by Cady Staff

Day 3: This Monday was my third day at Goole High School. Many schools were closed due to snow, but Danuta (the schoolhead) prides herself on keeping Goole High School open for the community. I got up early to trudge through the heavy coat of snow quickly turning to brown sludge. I got the opportunity to teach a classroom of 8th graders an hour long Intro to PBL lesson, along with guiding the students through a session of Kind, Helpful and Specific critique. It was so much fun to get to interact with a classroom full of students. I love teaching, and the students were such a positive group! They said they loved my accent - I'm definitely still getting used to the fact that I have an accent here. Students shared great significant learning experiences and constructive feedback.

After a morning of teaching, I watched as Stuart launched the plan for Studio Schools to the 8th graders. He asked students interested in applying to stay back for an hour-long project to get a taste for project-based learning. Students formed groups of four and created persuasive songs, raps or posters to convince Sara and Nate (the HTHMA interns) that Goole is great and they should come back. I especially enjoyed the group that was brave enough to perform their original song about what makes Goole great (I am humming it as I type).

At the end of the day, Louise and I mapped out the Goole Docks project on a Google calendar and we planned next steps for making the community connections, fieldtrip plans and interview arrangments. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we'll be ready for the launch in two weeks. I think the kids and community members will really bring the project to life! I can't wait to get started!