Can Teaching Be Like Surgery?

One of my favorite shows is Grey's Anatomy. I don't really like watching the surgeries, but having the medical knowledge really helps me talk with my sister, the BSN! JK, she laughs at me when I try to talk medical and I call her all the time with questions about my family and our health. She is kind and answers all my questions patiently. I think she is the best nurse ever!

Anyway, this week on the show I was struck with the way they train residents. I usually watch the show for entertainment, but this week I found myself making connections to teaching student teachers, and even students.

Let me explain:

What if, instead of modeling how to teach (multiple times) the phonics lesson (that gets a little boring--and I have noticed the young teachers falling asleep), 

1. I model it once, 2. talk my student teacher through it once as she teaches it, and 3. then the student teacher teaches (talks through as another teaches) a student (or other student teacher). All the while I am nearby, ready to assist if someone snips an artery (or gives misinformation).

I'm pretty sure the level of proficiency will increase very quickly.

It's the medical model: See one, Do one, Teach one.

Exciting, huh???

I do not have a student teacher, but I did have a college student for a mini practicum for a couple of hours a week earlier this year. She is finished now, and I wish I could do it over. Sure, she learned, but did I help her get to a level of proficiency that would be most helpful to her in her teaching career? Probably not. And she could have had more fun if I had let her do more than SO MUCH OBSERVING and a tiny bit of teaching.

In my defense, I LOVE teaching. But, if I use the above model, I could continue to teach and shape and model the college student to do things "my way." 

Ok, I do not have a college student, and none on the horizon, so I will try this out with some of my Kindergarten students! I'll bet even more excitement in our class and just perhaps the level of proficiency will go up exponentially!

Good news! I just realized that I do this in one tiny part of our day! Our MVP (student leader of the day) leads the class in our alphabet chart (say the character, the sound and action, and the letter name).

So thankful for a weekend to work this plan out even more...