What’s a margin, and how do I get there?
A forest tree line. An intertidal zone. That little grassy space between a highway and a forest. All of these things are transitional spaces found in nature. A shift from one part of nature to another, the margin between them. In these spaces, a little bit of both spaces can be found. In an intertidal zone, for example, you can find creatures that live on land interacting with those that live in the water. You can also find organisms that thrive both in water and on land. Diversity and the unexpected thrive in these spaces.
Similar spaces, called margins, can be found in classrooms. Margins are the spaces in a classroom where students are empowered to discuss, learn from one another, and ask questions. They are student-initiated, through questions or expressed interest, student-led, and guided by the teacher. They are unpredictable and spur-of-the moment, but they are often where our best learning happens because they connect the topic of instruction to the experiences and curiosities of the students.
You may be tempted to think that if the best learning happens in margins then you should spend all of your time in the classroom there, but margins exist around the edges of something else, and in the classroom that something else is the center of instruction. A teacher’s planned lesson, activity, and topic are contained within the center. While the center may not be characterized by the same freedom, diversity, and creativity of the margins, it doesn’t have to be a boring space. In fact, to make use of the margins you must create a space in the center of instruction where students feel empowered to explore out into the margins. You must also be confident as a teacher that you allow them to explore and then bring them back to the center when it is time.
What’s the difference between a “teachable moment” and being in the margins?
A teachable moment is when you as a teacher take advantage of an unexpected moment to teach your student(s) an important lesson. Some people have varying ideas on what a teachable moment is exactly, but generally the consensus is that it is in these moments when learning is “easiest” for the students. The difference between a teachable moment and going into the margins is that teachable moments are teacher-centered, while margins are student-centered. Teachable moments are more guided by the teacher than margins are, and in many cases the result of a teachable moment is expected to be the teacher giving some insight to the learner. In the margins, the conversation should be led and continued by the students. The result should not be the teacher giving insight to the learner but instead knowledge that was constructed together, with input from teacher and student alike.
How will I create a space where margins can thrive?
Allowing journeys into the margins in my classroom will involve first creating an atmosphere where my students aren’t afraid to ask questions, and I’m not afraid to say “I don’t know, let’s explore it together.” Entertaining questions, as long as they aren’t too far away from the center, will build an environment where questioning is the norm. I will model asking questions and using curiosity for my students, as well as how to research and brainstorm for possible answers. It is also important to emphasize to students that it is okay to make mistakes, and in fact in science there is no “right” answer. Additionally, use of inquiry-based activities often would help stimulate critical thinking in my students and garner an appreciation for the unknown, which could create more opportunities for travelling to the margins. Giving students the space to be themselves and experiment will naturally evolve into a space where the margins are used to enrich the center of instruction.
Margins are places where questioning and curiosity thrive. In science, many of our best innovations and breakthroughs came from instances where people thought outside of the box, exploring past the known boundaries of knowledge. Not only are margins the places where meaningful learning can thrive, they are integral to science itself. In any classroom, there is no reason why insight must come from teachers alone. It is everyone’s first time living, so it is imperative that we work together to construct our collective knowledge. Bringing that experience into the classroom might be daunting and unpredictable, but it can create a beautiful, scientific, and human space.
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The images used in this blogpost were generated with AI technology.
A very large aspect of the margins to me is students being comfortable to add to the conversation through any potential fears of being wrong. A very useful aspect of this you mention is being able to admit you don’t have all the answers, however in a high setting many students expecting a level of perfection from adults may judge your lack of knowledge. How would you express your gaps in knowledge in a straight forward way without losing your students in the process?
Hi Ryan! Thanks for your comment. Your notes about perfection from adults is interesting. I think it is important that from the very start of the year we focus on the nature of science, which is that there is no right answer to anything, there is just stuff that we are pretty sure is probably right. Also, there is no such thing as perfection, as we can see clearly from the difference between a theoretical and an experimental result.
If a student asks me a question that I don’t know the answer to, I am not planning on just saying “Good question, I don’t know” and moving on. There are a couple ways I would handle it, depending on the context. One is to say “I’m not 100% sure of the answer to that, but here is my best guess. Let’s do some research and I’ll get back to you.” Another way I might handle this is to model to my students how to research using credible sources, or to help the student research the question themselves. These responses would hopefully assure students that I am in fact human (true) and am not omniscient (also true) and am also willing to find out the answer on behalf of my students if necessary. It could also help students in taking initiative in finding out answers to their questions, whether in class or on their own.
I will be clear that the questions I am talking about here are ones that are outside the realm of the material I am teaching. I can understand why students would judge me for my lack of knowledge if it seems like I’m not knowledgeable about the actual content, but it is truly impossible for me to know the answers to every question possibly asked in class. If my students want judge me for not knowing all the answers and admitting that I’m flawed and human, they can go right ahead. I think there is more respect to be gained from being real than there is in pretending to be perfect.
When you go to the margins, it requires a balance between the structured lessons and spontaneous discussions. How do you determine when to allow students to explore their interests and when to guide them back to the planned curriculum? Are there strategies you use to ensure that this balance enhances overall learning without losing student focus?
Thanks so much for your comment Morgan! If a student asks a question in class that could potentially lead to a journey into the margins, if that question seems to me like the entire class would benefit from the following discussion I will allow for that exploration. If the question is something that would benefit more from a one-on-one or smaller group, or if it is something completely unrelated to the current topic, then I will put that question in the parking lot and address it if there is extra time at the end of class or in a separate discussion with that student at another time.
As for when to guide them back to the planned curriculum, I will have a certain amount of extra time planned into each class so that questions, time in the margins, or just extra working time can be used in each class. During an exploration of student interest in the margins, I will keep track of the time and move the discussion back to the center of instruction when either we are cutting it close on time or when the conversation has moved too far away from the discussion or topic at hand. We should be in the margins, not a completely separate biome.
For ensuring that the balance enhances learning and doesn’t lose student focus, I will pay attention during the discussions to see if a large portion of the class doesn’t seem interested or is losing focus. I would take that as a sign that it is time to move back to the structured lesson. If there is only a couple students participating, I might transition the class back to the larger focus and table the discussion for another time with those interested.