{"id":3899,"date":"2021-09-30T23:31:17","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T03:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/edt431-531\/?p=3899"},"modified":"2023-01-27T16:26:59","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T21:26:59","slug":"stepping-outside-of-the-known-and-into-the-margins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/exemplary-science-teaching\/2021\/09\/stepping-outside-of-the-known-and-into-the-margins\/","title":{"rendered":"Stepping Outside of the Known and Into the Margins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Some of my favorite memories as a kid were family vacations at the beach. On a sunny day, we’d pack up the beach bag with towels, sunscreen, and toys, and head to the ocean. Between leaving the hotel and reaching the beach however, we’d have to walk through the grassy sand dunes, the transition space between the beach and the main land. Sometimes this space was paved with a boardwalk, other times, you would walk through the uneven sand and tall grass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Grassy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Close your eyes and think back – do you have a memory like this one? Or maybe one similar, like approaching the edge of the woods to go for a hike? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These in-between spaces are what we call margins<\/em>. They are present in nature all around us, in all types of ecosystems and environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“These areas are places where diversity in species exists, where life is often riskier for its inhabitants, and where species have the freedom to flourish and experiment. Margins are those areas at the edges of ecosystems and bioregions.”<\/p>Ann Haley-Oliphant<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

However, the margins are not just regions in the natural world, but it is also a rich metaphor for teaching. Margins are a space in the classroom that is full of diversity, unexpected discovery, change, and risk. There is a relationship between the “center” of the classroom and the outside margin. Part of being an exemplary teacher is stepping into that zone, so how do we do that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s Teach in the Margins<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, it’s important to define what the “center” of the classroom is if our goal is to step outside of that. Key characteristics of the “center” are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n