ONTARIO — Joni Stierhoff isn’t afraid to let her fifth graders get messy.
Every spring, they demonstrate a skill of their own choosing — whether that’s playing piano, baking banana bread or making slime.
“We’ve had some interesting science experiments,” Stierhoff said. “When we first started, I had carpet in here, and I allowed a student to do a volcano.
“In hindsight, I don’t know if that was the best choice.”
“Teach shares” have become a beloved tradition in Stierhoff’s fifth grade English classroom at Stingel Elementary.
Stierhoff came up with the idea as a way to incorporate a fun reward (that’s still educational) after students complete state standardized tests.
“It allows you to see another side to the kids,” said Stierhoff, a 25-year educator. “We have been working really hard all year, but especially leading up to testing.
“We need to let them shine and show what they’re capable of.”
Stierhoff said the presentations teach critical skills like planning, organization and public speaking. Students are required to speak for at least five minutes and prepare handouts with instructions so their classmates can follow along.
“It’s a nice way to build confidence,” Stierhoff said. “Many of them don’t have the opportunity to stand up in front of a group.”
The project also gives students a chance to learn more about each other.
“(One student) taught us how to write her name in Chinese, and then she was able to share about her family and her history and how she speaks that at home and how she takes lessons,” Stierhoff said.
“It would have been not something any of us knew. You see a different aspect of their classmate when they are teaching.”
A project students fondly remember
This year’s topics ranged from crocheting to casting a fishing pole. Food-themed projects were popular this year, with student chefs whipping up French fires, salmon, Caesar salad and even chicken alfredo.
Stierhoff said she swelled with pride was watching one of her students, who moved to the United States and didn’t know much English, teach her classmates how to draw a cat.
“She’s come such a far away with her English,” Stierhoff said. “Speaking in front of a group and teaching a lesson this year — it was a highlight for me to watch her be able to do that.”
“I think it’s probably one of the best things that we do,” she added. “Middle schoolers come back and high schoolers, and they always remember and refer to when we were doing teach shares and they remember what they did.”
Stierhoff said part of the reason teach shares are successful is the support students receive at home. Families often go above and beyond, supplying food samples or craft supplies so students can follow along, even though it’s not a project requirement.
“We spent three weeks eating,” Stierhoff said with a laugh.
Tonya Winningham, a second grade teacher at Stingel, said Stierhoff has a gift for making learning engaging.
“Mrs. Stierhoff might have been teaching for a while now, but she keeps current with technology and incorporates it into projects so students stay interested,” she said.
“She is the teacher who is constantly adapting her teaching to reach students. She reads good literature to them, even when fifth graders think they are too old or too cool to be read to.”
The veteran teacher manages to be both gentle and firm, redirecting students with a calm voice and often referring to them as “honey.”
“She shows interest in what they have to say, she helps them, she goes to watch their sports and activities if invited, and she makes her classroom a place where they want to learn,” Winningham said.
