Saturday, March 8, 2014

This is why I teach

When I was a freshman in college, learning about the immune system in Anatomy and Physiology 101, I had a brilliant idea: my classmates and I should dress up as microbes and white blood cells and have an epic battle! My level-headed friends calmly refused and told me I was crazy.
 
I guess I never really gave up on the idea, because last week when I was teaching my community health agents about the immune system and HIV/AIDS, I came prepared with costumes. We had Killer T cells, Helper T cells, B lymphocytes, macrophages, lymph nodes, antibodies, and of course, a troop of viruses.
 
 
 
I narrated the battle while my students (and a few kids from the elementary school) acted out their roles. Fortunately, Haitian adults think this kind of game is hilarious, so they participated with glee. And when it was all over, they understood the immune response significantly better than before.
 



 
And this is why I became a teacher.
 

4 comments:

Dannae said...

I would have joined you in an epic battle while in A&P. Which is why we are friends. :)

Mama-Beth said...

Such a 'Keziah' move!

Anyone who has ever known you will recognize your handiwork here!

librorum helluo said...

What is a fantastic way to learn that complicated system. And I would have joined you in such an epic battle! :)

Nicole said...

This is awesome. My kids and I would have gladly participated.