Classroom Conflict: Old Teacher vs. New Teacher

Today, I present two conflicts between Old Teacher, stuck in the traditional teacher-centered mindset of teaching, and New Teacher working in a progressive student-centered mindset.

My students were learning about the Loop block in the EV3 software. They were using the tutorial in the Beyond Basics palette of the Robot Educator. The program looks as shown below:

"Mr. Kahn, we got it." One group shouted to get my attention. As I watched their robot go through the program, I realized that yes, indeed, they did have it. As they pressed the touch sensor the loop was interrupted and the robot stopped. Before I was able to tell them to move on to the next step in the tutorial, one of them said "Can you use the touch sensor to turn it on?" Decision time. Old Teacher would dismiss the question and tell the students to move on to the next step. Old Teacher would tell the students to complete the tutorial, maybe because Old Teacher doesn't at that moment know the how to solve that very problem. New Teacher would say "Great question. Give it a try. See if you can make it so that if the touch sensor is pressed again, the robot continues." I ask: Which activity would the students be more interested in? Which teacher would be more effective in inspiring students to explore, take risks and learn?  New Teacher won the battle and the two students looked at each other, ideas flashing in their eyes as they attacked to the computer. 

Scanning the room to assess the progress of the other students, I saw this:

Old Teacher would have responded by telling the students to remove their extra pieces because it was not in the tutorial within the software. Old Teacher would have told them to get back to programming. New Teacher would have reacted by commenting on the new features in some positive manner to encourage the students' desire to design and build, maybe even making some suggestions about how to stabilize the structure. Or New Teacher may have just smiled to himself, not said anything at all and allowed the kids to keep their unique modifications. The end of class arrived. The students powered down their robot and placed it into the cabinet in the above configuration.  

I have a confession to make: I am both those teachers. Old Teacher exists within me, but New Teacher is muscling him out of the way. The thoughts of Old Teacher live briefly before the thoughts of New Teacher slay them and take over. There may be moments when Old Teacher is necessary to summon, but presently, New Teacher is in complete control, and I am truly enjoying this more natural and satisfying way of teaching and so are my students.