September 14, 2010

By: Kristin S. from Pearl River, NY
Comments: 17

Posted By: Kristin Shaw
On: 12/8/2007 6:44:26 AM

Hi, Everyone! I am a recent City of Neighborhoods Workshop participant and a high school teacher in the Bronx. Another teacher and I have been trying to implement the techniques and ideas that we were introduced to in the workshop. We were so excited to bring these things back to the students. However, hardly ANY of them want to put in the time and effort to attempt to design and carry out plans to improve the school garden that is shared by the mini-schools on campus. They have absolutely no connection with their neighborhood or the things that are affected by the surrounding environment...We have tried to invoke their "need for change" spirits, to convince them that being a part of a change that will last past their 4 years is a needed and important one. They claim they are bored by the planning stages, that they won't be around when or if change is finally seen, and that they don't wan to spend their free time working on this when they have "other" things to do. What can be done? Has anyone faced this in their inner city school? I would love some feedback.

Posted By: Judith Stroman
On: 12/26/2007 9:48:43 PM

I've heard of another middle school that introduced a project based assignment that the students were totally turned off of to the idea. In the end, they created an amazing tour guide of a bog, yes a fancy word for swamp. It was located behind their school. What was the buy in with them? I am not sure, but I know the teachers did make it sort of attractive because students had something to do with choosing to contribute to their individual strengths for the overall project. Getting moody teenagers no matter where they are to buy into a project you are excited about sometimes is near mission impossible. So how can you sell this idea? How are your students personally invested or connected to the project. Sometimes making a project where other people have immediate investments such as money sold from the flowers grown from the garden go to a local community organization they vote on in the class room. I find the far off benefits are to far off for them to grasp. Is it possible to give them a more immediate benefit and possibly an authentic audience to present the project to in the end of their time period might improve the investment stakes. Good luck, don't give up hope!

Posted By: Kelly Moser
On: 8/6/2008 12:34:41 PM

Kristin, I can completely sympathize with you. I also work in an urban setting where many of our kids are very apathetic. The students don't ever seem like they can be bothered to do anything. It can be very frustrating to put in hours of your own time to put together what you think is a really great project only to discover that your students can't be bothered to do anything. Sometimes great design only reaches so far. You can't force the students to be excited about what they are being offered. What I can say though is that keep doing it anyway. There are always a few students that are excited about what is happening. There are always a few students who are going to get the most out of what you are offering. If you keep going you are touching lives and making a difference--even if it isn't in as big of numbers as you might have hoped or thought.

Posted By: caroline vanek
On: 8/13/2008 6:52:06 PM

Kristin, I also work in an urban school where our curriculum is project based. For me, as a second year teacher, designing cross-curricular projects is challenging enough. My first year, I was totally lost. And I just finished a 3 day workshop on project based learning. I know what it is like to plan a project and have it flop. I think one very important thing we have to remember is that our kids aren't going to get excited about any project that they can't relate to. I am not sure what kind of garden y'all planted or what its purpose was, but if the kids are just seeing it as being outside getting dirty, they are not going to get into probably. Maybe offer your students an incentive outside of a grade. Maybe have the garden in some kind of contest or a food item. Just some suggestions.

Posted By: caroline vanek
On: 1/7/2009 8:00:07 AM

I, too, work in a project-based school. This is my second year and I still find it challenging to create projects that the students will get involved in and relate to. Is there some way you can make the garden relevent to the students or the school itself? Of course, there will always be students who are disinterested in any project you throw at them. Don't be discouraged. Maybe ask the students what would improve the project.

Posted By: betsy casanas
On: 1/9/2009 12:51:41 PM

I work with high school kids and a huge part of my curriculum is community service. I actually take the kids out to areas in need and have them be part of a series of small art projects that scaffold on each other in a focused area. By the time a group of students have completed 8 small projects the change is significant. The work that the students do outside gets immediately recognized by the community members. They compliment and encourage the students. The ultimate goal for our space is to create a community garden and gathering space. By getting the students involved in these one-day art projects they see immediate change and understand the impact that simple change can make in a community. I think that when working on a large scale projects like a community garden small projects during the process work really well in keeping the kids interested.

Posted By: Mary Romoser
On: 1/10/2009 5:19:46 PM

I teach in an urban setting, and we have some teachers in our building (fourth and sixth grade) who incorporate project-based learning into their curricula. They, too, have often run into the apathy from some of the students. Those that do buy into it, however, really grow and make a big difference. For the past few years, these teachers have had those dedicated students at a regional WaterFest, where they share their projects, research, and even sell t-shirts they've designed. Keep on trying; it will start to come together!

Posted By: Kyle Kleckner
On: 11/16/2009 3:37:57 PM

Anything you can do to tie the projects to your students lives and interests (music, home life, neighborhoods, tv shows). If this connection can be made, it'll definitely hook them in.

Posted By: Sarah Rooney
On: 11/29/2009 1:34:53 PM

I work in an urban design school where students are required to do community service. I've noticed that the more that other students see those who are doing community service getting recognition, the more other students are asking me what they can do in order to fulfill their community service hours. Students are given the opportunity to do small community service projects around the school that do not get as much attention, and then there are the larger projects that are not part of the school that students can be a part of. The outside projects are usually the most rewarding, and I have seen students realize that. I try to consistently remind students of the opportunities in the community, as well as recognize those who are turning in their hours and doing well. It's just like classroom management, if a teacher encourages positive behavior, than they will see more positive behavior.

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On: 9/10/2010 3:16:06 AM

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Posted By: Catherine Mott
On: 9/13/2010 4:10:19 PM

Kristin is there any way you could take the students to a local place where the gardens have been designed? I was just thinking we live close to a garden and sculpture park that is pretty inspiring. If that was possible even having one of the professionals at the gardens talking with the group about their job and its importance. Sometimes I find the really life experiences may give them more insight to the "bigger" picture.

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On: 9/14/2010 11:34:30 PM

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