Teacherscribe's Teaching Thought #38

Teaching Thought #38

The four Elements of peak moments for your classroom.

In The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath, they explore how businesses and teachers can cater to the customer service experience so that your business or classes are filled with great experiences.  They examine ‘peak’ moments; their research has revealed that there are four elements inherent in peak moments. Element #1 – “Elevation.”

ELEVATION - Remarkable moments stand above the normal routine.  This is often triggered by hitting a particular sense (like the popsicles served at the Magic Castel being delivered on a silver tray).  I recall one remarkable moment I used to have in my 11th grade lit class when we read Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death.”  As part of our intro to the story, I had students read this account on the Black Death.  I recall how that document talked about how if you had the plague, you’d get these large boils in your armpits and groans that were full of blood and puss.  They often were the size of apples. I don’t know why that description caught my eye, but it did. So when we began this unit, I’d have a good old Braeburn apple in my hand that I’d toss up and down once awhile.  Then as students took turns reading the eye witness account, I’d keep tossing the apple and draw their attention to it. Then when they read the description about the boils, they were disgusted. I said, holding the apple up, “could you imagine having a boil this size in your armpit or crotch?”  Then – without any hint at all – I’d bite a huge chunk of the apple out. Man! Kids would lose it! Ha ha. It was great.

So how can you “elevate” the experience of your students?  Look for ways to present information in unique or clever ways.  

I know this is uncomfortable to some (remember what Dave Burgess said about the thing that angers him most about teachers and the concept of “Oh, that’s easy for you because you’re creative and I’m not”) because it causes some to have to work differently than what they are used to.  But if you put the work in, you’ll love the results. Best of all, so will your students.