Teach Mind-Mapping
guide Self-Discovery
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Lucy Calkins, Nancie Atwell, and the other founders of workshop-teaching changed the Language Arts classroom through authentic writing. Their philosophies and techniques are based on the premise that students will tell their stories; they will learn about writing by learning about themselves. Teachers who demand authentic writing from their students quickly learn its intrinsic benefit: Pupils discover and develop their identities through these critical opportunities for self-expression. Authentic writing's benefits apply to all authentic language art, which includes mind maps among its many styles (visual poetry, cartoons, other art/writing pieces).
"Know thyself" the Greek maxim states. But what teachers are giving their students the time and tools to accomplish this all-important task? You could be! And it wouldn't even be that hard. Mind mapping takes a minute to learn and leads to a lifetime of benefits. Here's how you can incorporate mind maps into your teaching practice:
"Know thyself" the Greek maxim states. But what teachers are giving their students the time and tools to accomplish this all-important task? You could be! And it wouldn't even be that hard. Mind mapping takes a minute to learn and leads to a lifetime of benefits. Here's how you can incorporate mind maps into your teaching practice:
1) The First Assignment. "ID Cards" are a great way to kick off a year. You lay down the basics of mind mapping and students immediately begin learning about themselves. "Write your name in the center," you can say. "Then mind map about your interests, hobbies, and passions. Try to get as detailed as possible. Use any art skills or mediums you desire."
Assignments like these are student-centered because the child's life experiences are at its core. Most of school is about adults dumping massive quantities of information INTO the students.
"ID Cards" is the opposite: It asks students to pour OUT. Authentic Language art opens powerful and unexpected doors to discovery and inspires growth. This assignment creates momentum, too. The rest of the course relies on mind-mapping skills and repeatedly asks students to explore themselves through creative arts.
Assignments like these are student-centered because the child's life experiences are at its core. Most of school is about adults dumping massive quantities of information INTO the students.
"ID Cards" is the opposite: It asks students to pour OUT. Authentic Language art opens powerful and unexpected doors to discovery and inspires growth. This assignment creates momentum, too. The rest of the course relies on mind-mapping skills and repeatedly asks students to explore themselves through creative arts.
What about artistic talent? What about grading this work? These are the first questions English teachers have about integrating mind maps and other creative works into their classes. I've developed a simple binary system of evaluating this type of work that works wonderfully, inspires students to layer their work, and accepts creative work of all shapes sizes, and styles regardless of "artistic talent."
Creative submissions are not graded; they are evaluated as either "teacher-edit" or "final". If the piece is marked as the former, the student is coached to revise and resubmit until it is final. This system helps to nullify the difference in art-skill between students like Jeff and Michelle. If I thought Jeff could do any better, I'd mark his work "teacher-edit" or encourage him to keep working on the piece. Generally speaking, students tend to work to their ability when intrinsically motivated to create meaningful art.
Creative submissions are not graded; they are evaluated as either "teacher-edit" or "final". If the piece is marked as the former, the student is coached to revise and resubmit until it is final. This system helps to nullify the difference in art-skill between students like Jeff and Michelle. If I thought Jeff could do any better, I'd mark his work "teacher-edit" or encourage him to keep working on the piece. Generally speaking, students tend to work to their ability when intrinsically motivated to create meaningful art.
2. Incorporate Mind Mapping to Personalize Any Unit. I frequently begin my lessons by instructing my students to "Take out your markers, open to a blank page, and begin a mind map on ______." Notice, again, it's about drawing information out of the student.
These exercises motivate students to probe deeper by engaging their subconscious, digging for ideas, and creating connections to our reading and writing lessons. The time we spend on them is enjoyable, insightful, and educational.
"Places" kicks off my lesson on setting, which dovetails into memoir. I suggest the subtopics "Places I knew as a child" and "Places I know now," while also encouraging them to follow their own instincts, add original branches, and keep searching for true details (the "pebbles" as Atwell calls them).
These exercises motivate students to probe deeper by engaging their subconscious, digging for ideas, and creating connections to our reading and writing lessons. The time we spend on them is enjoyable, insightful, and educational.
"Places" kicks off my lesson on setting, which dovetails into memoir. I suggest the subtopics "Places I knew as a child" and "Places I know now," while also encouraging them to follow their own instincts, add original branches, and keep searching for true details (the "pebbles" as Atwell calls them).
"Emotions and States of Mind" is a class exercise that invites students to first map out words like irritated, safe, and thankful; then "loop back" and write about a memory when they felt this way.
In the workshop environment, these exercises are valuable tools of collaboration, reflection, and self-invention.
In the workshop environment, these exercises are valuable tools of collaboration, reflection, and self-invention.
3. Believe in Art's Therapeutic Value. Students don't need any art-skills to enjoy the benefits of art creation. A teenager's life is complex and the journey can be difficult to navigate. All our lives are filled with tragedies, mistakes, broken friendships, illnesses, heartbreaks, poverty, family squabbles, and more. When students are given the freedom and coaching to produce mind maps, they will naturally seek out ways to heal themselves.
I never asked Mige to write about "Leukemia". She chose it herself because it allowed her to reflect on her childhood battle against this disease. The mind-map process took her on a journey through many important events in her life, including moving to the United States, undergoing chemotherapy, and being homeschooled.
This piece helped Mige accomplish her goal of creating three mind maps in the quarter, and it inspired a memoir she wrote later in the course.
I never asked Mige to write about "Leukemia". She chose it herself because it allowed her to reflect on her childhood battle against this disease. The mind-map process took her on a journey through many important events in her life, including moving to the United States, undergoing chemotherapy, and being homeschooled.
This piece helped Mige accomplish her goal of creating three mind maps in the quarter, and it inspired a memoir she wrote later in the course.
4. Finally, Always Say Yes. Mind mapping will lead students and teachers down unpredictable roads. When Beth asked about doing a piece with no words, I said "Yes!"
The result? A piece teeming with ideas symbols, and the search for identity. "I started in the middle of the page with a zipper," she said. "[It's] about uncovering feelings and thoughts that otherwise would stay locked inside."
Beth created this piece nine years ago and she's now a teacher herself. You can click here for a PDF of a reflection she recently wrote about this piece, where she explains many of the details in the work and reflects on their importance.
The result? A piece teeming with ideas symbols, and the search for identity. "I started in the middle of the page with a zipper," she said. "[It's] about uncovering feelings and thoughts that otherwise would stay locked inside."
Beth created this piece nine years ago and she's now a teacher herself. You can click here for a PDF of a reflection she recently wrote about this piece, where she explains many of the details in the work and reflects on their importance.
Beth's piece has inspired countless students over the years, including Samantha just last spring. "Can I do a piece like that one?" she asked, pointing to Beth's.
"Yes!!" I said. Then I learned that "KTG" means Killing The Game; that "Dope" still means cool; and that the Rolling Stones are still quite popular.
"Yes!!" I said. Then I learned that "KTG" means Killing The Game; that "Dope" still means cool; and that the Rolling Stones are still quite popular.
***
Using mind maps to help students discover and shape their identities has all sorts of intangible rewards -- from developing stronger teacher-student relations to making learning relevant to creating fun in the classroom. It's easy to teach, turns every student into an artist, and leads to rewarding and unpredictable paths.
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