You Can Learn a Lot from a Stuffy

Before the sights and sounds of students fill Parker’s halls in September, Principal Dan Frank meets with faculty and staff in an annual start-of-school meeting. In addition to welcoming and thanking those who support our school and community, Frank shares stories that resonate with employees throughout the academic year.

Such was the case when he introduced employees to some archival footage of Cindy Lou in this year’s start-of-school meeting. Cindy Lou was a cow that paid a visit to one of Parker’s 1st-grade classrooms back in the ’60s. In a textbook example of learning by doing, Cindy Lou allowed children to experience a large, live animal close up. They watched the cow being milked, listened to a man sharing information about the cow—even touched the cow.

Cindy Lou, Prize cow visits 1st grade classroom, Francis Parker School 11-29-60 (Frank Koza Collection) from Chicago Film Archives on Vimeo.

Frank suggested that, today, “bring a cow to class” might mean doing something different, perhaps unexpected, authentic, creative, original, expressive, something that takes a chance, something that resonates or hopes to resonate, contributing to growth and understanding.

He reminded employees that educator and philosopher John Dewey’s concept of “learning by doing” has been part of Parker’s philosophy since the school’s founding in 1901 and continually shows up in classrooms. This hands-on approach to learning directs students to interact with their environment to adapt and learn. Learning by doing encourages active engagement with available materials—an effective technique that helps ingrain knowledge in one’s memory.

First grade teacher Bev “Greenie” Greenberg always finds Dr. Frank’s opening remarks inspirational for the year ahead, so she devised a plan to do something different and unexpected—bring a cow to her classroom.

Greenie determined that large stuffed animals, often referred to as “stuffies” by her students, would serve as her classroom’s “cows” for this project. She asked her students to bring in the largest one they owned or could borrow, keeping it in the classroom over an extended period of time for some interdisciplinary curriculum.

Greenie also led her charges in learning more about the real-life objects from around the world their stuffies represented, including their habitat, diet and unusual facts. First grade students read nonfiction library books and used online videos to research more about their unique stuffies, which included a wide range of animals, an avocado, a mug of hot cocoa, even the Incredible Hulk. Using their developing math skills, students weighed their stuffies, measured their dimensions and compared their results with one another using addition and subtraction. Students then practiced their writing by noting three to four facts they had learned from their reading, discussions and videos. They then shared their findings with the community in a hallway display outside the classroom. Students even walked over to the Lincoln Park Zoo to visit their cows, who, despite the student’s coaxing moos, refused to visit with them!

There is a lot to learn from a stuffy—as all involved in this experience discovered.

Thanks to all who loaned out a stuffy—including Art Department Co-Chair Kay Silva. As community members, they underscored how Parker embraces learning in many different ways.

Reflecting upon the “cow” project she brought to class this year, Greenie offered, “It was such a wonderful experience that fueled 1st graders’ learning and underscored my philosophy that dreams can become a reality. A project is a wonderful way to get kids to learn academic skills. That’s what makes teaching at Parker so special.”

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