These observations forced me to I recall my own experiences as a high school student. I was a good student in high school--nearly straight A's every year and graduated with a 4.3. However, I remember being bored in certain classes, so bored in fact that I read Harry Potter half the time in my biology and AP World History classes--and aced both. I remember sitting awkwardly in my seat in most classes, my legs/feet always contorted in some weird position and slouching because I was so uncomfortable (and don't remind me about those awful stools we were forced to sit on in chemistry!). I remember struggling to remain awake after completing long hours of homework. I remember playing paper football with the guy next to me in my Honors English 10 Class because I longed to do something other than sit quietly, take notes, and not get my questions answered (Why DO we not know more than 10 facts about Shakespeare even though he's the greatest writer the world's ever known?).
From these personal experiences, I conclude the same results as Wiggins: I was bored, uncomfortable, sleepy, and tired to sitting quietly and taking notes. I needed to move, have interactive lessons and not simply go through the motions of school. The classes I remember most fondly--my AP Language, AP Literature, chemistry, physics, Algebra II, Spanish I, II, and IV, AP Economics, AP Government, AP US History and two drama classes (only 13 classes out of the 24 I took, a little more than half)--were interactive and engaging. In my English classes, we did many collaborative projects. In drama, we were always moving around--we were actors after all! In my science classes, we did lots of labs and experiments. In Algebra II, we were always solving problems and working together. In my Spanish I, II, and IV classes, we played games and did collaborative projects. In my AP history classes, we did projects and used a variety of media. Because I was involved in what I was learning (and wasn't simply just sitting quietly and taking notes), I was engaged and learning!
Looking at my own personal experience and that of the anonymous teacher, the classes I still remember and the teachers I want to emulate were those who engaged the class in true learning. They did not just assume students were empty vessels needing to be filled with knowledge—they treated us like we were a part of the class and not just in it. I hope my students experience my class in the same way.