Why Ms. Frizzle is My Spirit Teacher
As we inch closer to the “Magic School Bus” being a real thing, the true miracle of the learning experiences on that show was the…
As we inch closer to the “Magic School Bus” being a real thing, the true miracle of the learning experiences on that show was the willingness of a teacher to take risks and allow students to genuinely experience learning.
Ms. Frizzle is my spirit teacher because she is everything I want to be as a teacher. Often described as optimistic, caring, resourceful, and passionate (among others), frankly there isn’t much about her that isn’t an attribute of someone who truly believes in the future, just as any teacher should.
Reason #1: Willingness for Exploration
Even if you only saw one episode, who wouldn’t want to be in Ms. Frizzle’s class? From trips through the immune system, to planets far beyond our reach, the students of her class experienced immeasurable opportunities.
Sure, the Magic School Bus was impressive (albeit fictional) but what ultimately made the difference for the students was Ms. Frizzle’s willingness to explore.
Teachers all over the world have incredible opportunities at their finger tips, but only few choose to use them. In a not so far fetched way, many teachers have the Magic School Bus parked in their room and choose not to use it.
To be more direct, the Magic School Bus is each student’s curiosity and willingness to learn.
Just like Ms. Frizzle chose to allow students the opportunity to explore, teachers in every classroom need to do the same. We are often curious why young students don’t want to read the books we pick and the answer is simple… because they didn’t get to choose.
Interest and autonomy is such a powerful mechanism for empowerment and motivation that is often forsaken in traditional educational models. Just like Ms. Frizzle allowed students to wonder, we need to give our students the same space.
While I’m sure she never published it (doesn’t seem like a Ms. Frizzle thing to do), her teaching philosophy consistently valued student exploration, risk-taking through comfort zone expansion, and collaboration for success.
Stripping away the “magic,” those ideas sure sound like what we are striving to do today. So why aren’t we finding the same success?
Reason #2: Fearlessness
With exploration comes the unknown and this unexplored territory is a scary place for many teachers.
Will we cover the required material?
Will my students learn anything?
How will I manage the students?
All of these questions are reasonable and can unquestionably make teachers fearful of the bad things that could happen.
While these completely valid questions are real, the other questions that are not considered are focused around preparing students for the unknown, the world they are likely to inhabit that has questions we currently couldn’t fathom. This is what scares me as a teacher…
Keeping students within the “known” realm will not prepare them for knowing how to solve the challenges they will face in the future.
But Ms. Frizzle… she was fearless. Journey to the center of the earth? Sure! Were their potential repercussions? You better believe it, but those were not more important than the opportunity to learn with authenticity, the chance for students to venture into the unknown and work through the challenges encountered.
All it takes to tilt the scale is for one person to step up and shift the balance.
While I don’t know the other teachers at Ms. Frizzle’s school, but regardless of their ideals, she did what was best for students.
I don’t have a magic school bus, but what I do have is the goal to be as good of a teacher as Ms. Frizzle. To be a teacher that takes students on grand adventures and values authentic experiences as a way for students to learn way more than a canned curriculum could ever provide.
My name is Andrew Julian and I am a teacher of science and technology. I have a passion for considering how technology can positively impact my classroom and the education of all students.
Checkout my website at andrewjohnjulian.com for other information.
For more about my foray into AR/VR and other classroom instruction, you can read my Medium articles, a few of which are found below. Thanks!
Novelty vs. Practicality: Technology In the Classroom
With emerging trends such as AR/VR becoming more culturally significant, the eternal question for educational…medium.com
Teachers, Take the Risk for Innovation’s Sake!
Being innovative takes a special combination of creativity, relentlessness, and a certain degree of recklessness. The…medium.com