Effective Enrichment Programming

Arts. Music. STEAM. Writing. Academics. Project Based Learning. Martial Arts. There are many ideas about what makes an effective enrichment experience for children. How does exposure to the arts or science or music impact student achievement? Some may argue that students who are already academically below level need more academic time, rather than time spent involved in such "extra" activities. I have personally heard the comments like "these kids can't read, they don't need to go to band," or "why are we encouraging them to draw if they can't write?" With so much pressure on kids, teachers, and school leaders to see results in terms of academic achievement, it is understandable that enrichment programming can be seen as "extra" or "unnecessary."

I fully believe in the power of enrichment. There is magic in what happens in classrooms where the arts, hands-on learning experiences, and problem solving experiences are happening. There is a power in understanding how the arts and sciences can compliment one another and can enhance a certain symbiosis of understanding. While I definitely feel the pressure of academic performance, enrichment provides students with what we need more of in our society - the ability to develop soul, creativity, and collaboration.

Gretchen Morgan, in her book Innovative Educators, states that our factory school approach has taught children, and teachers, to be passive (2015). Have we stopped to think about what the skills are that our students will need in order to be college and career ready? Where are those skills in our schools? We must encourage creativity, collaboration, flexibility, problem-solving, and perseverance in our schools if those are the skills that we know our children need to master in order to be successful in their future. Enrichment often provides opportunities to engage in this type of thinking.

But creativity does not flourish without structure. You cannot simply hand children a paintbrush and expect that their state test scores will improve. Creating a culture where creative thinking flourishes, where it is safe to explore ideas, and where failure leads to growth and learning sounds great, but tends to make most educators feel slightly nervous when pushed toward implementation. How do I grade that? How do I assess that? What about the curriculum? These are valid questions, and certainly must be considered by enrichment teachers as well. Enrichment teachers who fail to consider the structured side of teaching end up missing out on powerful connections that exist between creative thinking and critical thinking. We have to teach our students to connect the dots between these ways of thinking - it doesn't just happen magically. Likewise, we have to develop relationships with our colleagues where we can see what will help our students master the skills they will need for their future and not just doing a project for the sake of the project.

So, what does it take to be an effective enrichment program? Here are my beliefs.

• Collaboration - there simply must be communication and everyone must be on the same page. If someone, at any level, is trying to do their own thing and it doesn't align with what is needed for the kids - it will impact the whole program.
• Connections - there must be someone in the program who can see the big picture - who "gets it." Without someone who understands both sides of the equation, the program will fee disjointed. There must be someone who can connect the dots between the school curriculum and enrichment curriculum. They have to see the possibilities in both sides as well as the possibilities within the children.
• Communication - this must happen at all levels. Sometimes outside organizations do not understand the intricacies of schools and sometimes schools just don't get how the organizations can really assist and support them. Teachers can easily become annoyed with enrichment programming that seems unstructured or without purpose. Enrichment staff can feel like they don't belong. Honest communication at all levels has to keep it moving forward.
• Classroom Management - this is so important because it is that structure piece and it is how teachers live, breathe, and find success. Without classroom management, the greatest ideas will not work. A friend of mine referred to teaching as a "series of episodes" and I have always kept that with me. Like a good television show, your lesson must have a structure in order for the children to stay engaged and involved.
• Curiosity - isn't this what it is about? Enrichment should not be about "make and take" activities that just keep kids quiet and in their seats. It should be about questioning, creating, developing ideas, having more ideas, trying things, and learning about the way things work. Enrichment of any kind should be about exploring who we are and not about following strict instructions to create a carbon copy of the exemplar. Children should be full of new ideas and ways of thinking as a result of enrichment - not bored, checked out, or disengaged. If the kids don't love it - rethink it. Is it about you or the kids?

We have such an opportunity to change the future with everyday that we teach our children. We need to ensure that we are teaching them the skills that they will need for their future and not for a factory based future that no longer exists. Enrichment is a powerful opportunity for our children. Let's make every moment count.