Learning by Doing: Why Experiential Learning Brings Excitement and “AHA” Moments into Classrooms
By Sophie Richman, as told to Meredith Adamczyk
“Students progress and show evidence of deeper learning when something is engaging and relevant to them and their lives.”
Please Introduce yourself!
My name is Sophie Richman and I’ve been a teacher for four years. I currently teach Special Education (Math and Science) at Roosevelt Middle School (Oakland Unified) in Oakland, CA. This is my second year working with Citizen Schools! A fun fact about me is that I have watched every episode of The Office at least 20 times (maybe more).
What makes hands-on/experiential learning so powerful for middle school students?
Middle school is such an odd time for most students, both socially and academically. In my experience, both as a learner and a teacher, experiential learning is far more engaging and relevant. During a time like middle school, hands-on learning can encourage, engage and support students’ progress and development. In teaching special education, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is to bring experiential learning to students with IEPs. Students progress and show evidence of deeper learning when something is engaging and relevant to them and their lives.
What was your favorite activity that you did with your students this past term?
This school year has been like no other, and it’s been a huge challenge to keep students engaged and learning for a variety of reasons. However, one of my favorite activities we did was a STEM challenge around Oil Spills. For a day during our Climate Science Catalyst Unit, students learned about the impacts of oil spills off the coast of California. We then engaged in a challenge to clean up our own oil spill (using vegetable oil mixed with cocoa powder) by separating as much of the oil from the water. It was much more challenging than students expected, but many had clever ideas and plans for trying to separate the oil and water!
What lesson or moment generated the biggest reaction or most engagement with the students?
Any lesson that gets students to use their hands and explore new ideas tends to be the most engaging. However, one that stands out to me from this school year was during our chemistry unit. Early in the school year, students were told to explore a mystery mixture and attempt to find out what is causing the chemical reaction. Students were engaged and fascinated by the reaction and worked hard to discover the mixture. The mixture was sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, which reacted when water was added. Students were excited to test theories and solve the mystery.
How did having a Career Mentor enhance the students' curiosity and understanding in class?
I love working with Career Mentors for so many reasons. First, they’re really motivated to get to know our students, which makes a big difference in student engagement. Second, students are really interested in knowing more about their lives and jobs, and can often see themselves doing what they do. When students get feedback on projects from people actually in science fields, it means a lot more and pushes them to understand more about what goes into a project in that field.
You are a part of the Citizen Schools Teacher Ambassador Program (TAP), how does being an advocate for Citizen Schools help encourage others to try out new ways of teaching?
Being a part of the Teacher Ambassador Program was a very rewarding experience. Being able to connect with other teachers that are interested in how experiential learning can better engage students in science topics was supportive of furthering my own teaching practices. In addition, it connected me to other teachers nearby when they were curious about my experience in TAP. I was able to collaborate with other teachers at my school to learn more about experiential learning and share with them the ways that students engaged with new material in a hands-on setting. I also explored ways to connect with other educators around the country and made great connections with others.