It’s the last day before spring break… when everyone in the school community is doing their best to hold it together until a much-needed vacation begins. Teaching is hard. I knew it during my 34 years in the elementary and special education environment. I see it now as a graduate-level instructor and student teaching supervisor/coach. The demands and pressure surrounding each program committed to giving students the education that will help them be life-long learners is endless…
It’s the last day, but at the school I visited today there was no ‘winding down!’ Instead, I witnessed an amazing display of fully engaged 2nd graders demonstrating their learning with full immersion into a culminating hands-on experience that hit on more standards and real-life skills than I could count!
Flea Fest …how creative! how kid-centered! how utterly real… Each child producing and selling their own creative product or service. I purchased ‘how to pronounce 2 Arabic words‘ that I learned for a mere $2 each! Practical. Meaningful. Inclusive. Culturally empowering…
Indeed, this team not only hit the social studied standards*…but the amount of SEL (Social Emotional Learning) that was happening at the Flea Fest will certainly stay with those students well beyond any assessment to measure their growth!
Back in the classroom, hearing every child be able to articulate their learning (yes, even the ELLs!) was beyond amazing. What a goldmine of expertise at this school! Our graduate students are so fortunate to be receiving their mentorship in this community of learners.
In a time when education, and particularly educators are feeling a continuous demand to give more, be more, and still be present to ever-growing needs in their community of learners, there is magic still happening.
How privileged I am, to have witnessed that today.
I am choosing to believe that the magic surrounding these formative years of this 2nd-grade class WILL harvest the solutions for our troubled world. I am humbled by the dedication and commitment that I see day after day from so many educators. They are focused on the solution… not the problems that too readily rear their ugly heads.
Be brave dear hearts. You are right where you belong. Those children need you; the world needs them. Every minute you commit to them will be ‘harvested’ a thousand-fold. This I believe. This I cling to.
Thank you. THANK YOU…
*To name a few!
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURAL IDENTITY
2.SOC.3 [2.2b] Explores how different ideas, talents, perspectives, and cultures are shared across their community
2.SOC.6 [a.] Explores opportunities to provide service to their school community and the community at large (e.g., beautifying school grounds, thank you notes, fundraiser)
ECONOMIC SYSTEMS
2.SOC.10. [2.8a] c. Explores economic decision making
2.SOC.11. [2.9] Understands that a community requires the interdependence of many people performing a variety of jobs and services to provide basic needs and wants
Exciting and full of hope!