Meghan BrtnikShow-and-share is something the students eagerly look forward to every week. Show-and-share is a whole-class sharing activity in which one student after another takes the center stage and talks about what they brought in from home. The audience then asks a couple of questions.
There are many benefits for kids in presenting their show-and-share to the class. The students get to practice their oral communication and build their self-confidence as they speak in front of each other. They learn how to respect each other’s turn to talk, and they practice the skills of listening to and answering questions. All this learning is happening and the students don’t even realize it! I can see the students’ presentation skills have grown by leaps and bounds from the beginning of the year. The presenters are now speaking in a loud voice, making eye contact with the audience, and sharing meaningful stories with the class. I am so pleased with how respectful they are as listeners and how interesting their questions are.
This year we made themes for each Friday to have the students thinking about what to bring in and to make it more meaningful. This week the theme was “something new.” A few of the items the students brought in this week were a new chapter book, a stuffed animal, and a rock collection. One of our students had an exciting new surprise for show-and-share. He brought in the footprints of his new baby brother — only one day old! I look forward to hearing more stories from my students as they bring in their special items and share them with the class.
Meghan Brtnik
is a classroom teacher on the K-2 team. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Meghan was a substitute teacher at an international baccalaureate school in Toronto and at the Latin School of Chicago. She graduated from York University, Toronto, with a M.Ed. at the primary/junior level and completed an additional qualification course in special education. Meghan earned a B.A. from the University of Western Ontario in honors psychology, focusing on the psychological and social foundations in human behavior. In addition, Meghan has worked in a Montessori school, tutored students individually, and lived and worked at an all-girls boarding school.
For fun, Meghan loves traveling, trying out new restaurants, exploring new neighborhoods, swimming, reading, and walking.