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Inside The Classroom:
Going Global with Sheika Luc

Sheika Luc conducts a "brainstorm" session with her third grade class.

As third grade teacher Sheika Luc enters her classroom on a late Thursday morning, her 19 students have just returned from another class, and are gathered in a rough circle on the rug, chattering amongst themselves.

“This is transition time—it gives them a few minutes to unwind from their last class before we focus on this period’s activity,” says Luc.

Focus is something they will need, as Luc’s class delves into a social studies curriculum which spends the second half of the School year examining modern and ancient Egypt. 

“We’re going to start off with a ‘brainstorm’,” says Luc, as she uncaps a pen and stands before an easel with a large drawing pad on it. “Let’s talk about the geography surrounding Egypt—can anyone tell me what countries can be found on the continent of Africa and the Middle East?”

Hands shoot up across the carpet of kids, and the names come fast and furiously;
“Madagascar,” “Libya,” “Morocco,” “Niger,” “Republic of Congo,” “Korea,” and many more are tossed into the air. While not all of them are correct, the scope of names is impressive.

“I try to find out what they (the students) know before I teach a lesson—it helps me cater the lesson to their needs,” says Luc. “It also encourages them to use each other’s knowledge so they aren’t conditioned to just ask me for answers—students here bring a lot to the table on their own which is empowering for them to realize.”

Following the ‘brainstorm’ session, students will break up into groups and using a sheet of paper with many countries written on it, work together to circle all of the countries located in African and the Middle East. The catch is they cannot use maps or the internet—only each other.

“If you disagree over a country, what can you do?” asks Luc.

“Rock, scissors, papers!?” ventures one intrepid student. Ultimately the consensus is to discuss disagreements and vote on them. After all of the countries are circled, the groups will complete a puzzle of Africa and the Middle East, and check their answers against the map.

Unlike many geography assignments, Luc goes out of her way to make this one fun. To create the groups, she passes around a bag of colored pencils, each marked with a letter, number, shape, and color. After each student selects one, they will find the rest of their group by matching the various characteristics of their pencil to everyone else’s. This ‘grab bag’ encourages cooperation and problem solving, but also creates a game-like feel as the kids reach into the bag and seek out their group-mates.

With the groups now chosen, Luc raises her hand, and silence falls on the room, “Okay, now that you have your groups—go!”

The room is suddenly a flurry of activity as students convene in circles on the floor, or at desks, and begin selecting countries. At one point a “Norway’s in!” chant goes up from one group as the children discuss which countries should be included. To add to the lesson and the ambience, Luc plays music derivative of the culture being studied.

The sounds of Amr Diab, a famous Egyptian singer and composer of ‘jeel’ music, has kids tapping their toes as they complete the assignment and move onto the puzzle stage of the activity.

“I’ve told the kids to listen for differences in the music from what they typically hear,” says Luc. “Dialect, style, feel—it gives them more context for the areas they are learning about.”

The semester will culminate in a research project about one specific aspect of Egypt, presented in pairs replete with a display poster or diorama.

“Interactive projects with each other allow them to become more independent, but at the same time I still maintain the comfort of a nurturing, community feel in the classroom,” says Luc.

Luc believes that BB&N contributes to that independence within a group feel as well. Coming from the Brearley School in New York City, where Luc taught primarily second and third grade, she experienced a much more urban environment, and appreciates the extra space BB&N offers students despite being located in the middle of Cambridge.

“Being part of a contained campus like the Lower School really creates a sense of community,” says Luc. “At this age kids are asked to start doing more things on their own—being able to walk to class almost like on a college campus, for example—but in a small community. It’s a warm, safe environment.”

In her second year at the BB&N, Luc feels right at home. Judging from the smiles, laughs, and learning that permeates her classroom, her students feel much the same.