What’s Right With Our Schools: Hixson Middle Student Showcase
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Hixson Middle School cultivates curiosity through what teachers call, “organic learning.” Parents got see what that curriculum is all about at a recent Student Showcase. We’ll think you’ll agree, it’s a holistic example of what’s right with our schools.
Michae Weger teaches Visual Arts at Hixson Middle.
He says, “You’re in for a treat. So, this evening, we’re actually being part of our student showcase night, and so, where we’re actually able to showcase the awesome teaching and organic learning that’s taking place in this building. This evening, there’ll be some performances from our strings and our chorus and band, and then, as you can see, down this bustling hallway here, there’s all the core class classes as well. So, this is a showcase of the students learning.
Lori Guinn teaches Social Studies and U.S. History.
She explains, “With organic learning, you are talking about being in a school environment where natural learning is going to take place, where curiosity is going to come out of engaging questions that the teacher offers through the lessons that are prepared, that allow for the students to be able to explore new avenues when it comes to traditional learning. So often, parents and students think about what it was like to just do worksheets that were standardized and just prepare for a test at the end of the year. Now, we’re in an age where people are beginning to question more. They’re beginning to have more discussions, have more thoughtful discourse in regards to the deeper conversations around what they’re learning, the topics they’re learning.”
Allyson Bara is a 7th grader at Hixson Middle.
She explained her diagram to us, “We have this poster right here, and we’re talking about the regular price of an item. The question is, the regular price of an item is x dollars, and the sales tax on an item is 6%. Which two expressions represent the total cost in dollars of the item after sales tax.”
Lori Guinn concludes, “My goal is for the parents to see that at one time we had students in school when they were younger, completing a worksheet, doing a spelling test, getting that gold star was how we determined that they were working hard in school. Now our students are no longer children. They’re becoming young adults, and we see them growing, and we see them having to utilize things, like with art. For me, when I look at the art that they do with Mr. Weger, I see him giving them a topic and allowing them to have free flow, creativity. When I look at the classes, I see that these students are going to have writing portfolios that will follow them throughout their entire career, throughout Hamilton County schools. So that can use as a reflection tool to see their growth and how far they’ve come.”
