One of my passions is actively fostering positive relationships, joy in the classroom and reflection of the learning journey.
Over the eleven years I have been an educator I have tried to find a means to live this out daily.
I have asked other teachers what has worked for them. I have tried my own variations.
Each time, something was lacking or it was too big to actually continue to do.
I have found joy in focusing first on our collective Social Emotional Learning. Each quarter, this school year, we will engage in different activities that fosters our thinking and expressing of where we are at, fosters our collective understanding of the people around us and our abilities to navigate big emotions as we are doing this learning.
Our space, K108, will be radical in our gentleness of checking in with ourselves, others and our practice of developing empathy.
SMILES AND FROWNS (Q1)
Twitter has allowed me to learn beyond the space that I stand and has dramatically changed how I view learning and my educational practices. I started following Monte Syrie (@montesyrie) on Twitter, an educator from Washington, after reading his thoughts on building relationships in the classroom. As a learner, I know that I can grow and better for my students daily.
I learned about Smiles and Frowns is from Mr. Syrie. He writes about it purpose in his blog piece, REFLECTION’S REALITY: RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT ACCIDENTS.
This time, 5-8 minutes (depending on class size) at the beginning of class has allowed me to get to know my students and to understand what is happening in their lives by simply asking them if they are Smiling or Frowning. Every student has the right to pass if they are not wanting to share that particular day. What I have seen is usually its the people that the student chooses to sit with that encourage them to share if they are passing every day.
Life does not stop at the door and for me to be the best teacher I can be for my students I need to provide opportunities for them to share what is happening, happy or sad.
GRATITUDE JOURNAL (Q2) (click on me for the presentation)
Science shows us. Our body tells us. Our friends and family feel us.
When we practice gratitude, we change.
Our brain chemical composition changes.
I am seeking ways to experience more joy, more peace, more clarity, so that I can be here for myself and for those who I love.
I ask students to select one thing a day to journal about that they are grateful for. The students do this on their portfolio with finding an image and then writing about what they have chosen to focus on.
Faces: The Art of One-on-One Conversations (Q3)
The art of interacting and having one-on-one conversations with the people around us. Each day, I am asking our young people to sit and talk with someone in the classroom until they have talked with everyone.
I hear too much that our young people do not interact with each other, "they don't know how to talk to each other because of...name it...Covid, they hate each other, phones..."
This is not true. Our young people may be super awkward and want to avoid that feeling but I believe being intentional about setting up the time and a little re-teaching and social reminders, our spaces can be radical in knowing and caring about each other if we give ourselves the time we need.
Relationships are not easy. Our young people do not volunteeraly come to our classes, they are assigned them. Often with people they do not know very well, hopefully at the beginning of the year.
I want to be a leader of space that is radical in how we know and develop community.
I will be a space that humanizes this experience of learning and remembering.
Hopes Journal (Q4)
The light, SUNLIGHT, is at the end of the tunnel.
Summer break is approaching. The end of a school year, finally.
With the end comes the thinking we are moving, hopefully forward, and with that we can have hope for the future!
Throughout the 4th quarter, my young people will be asked to make 40+ entries in their Hopes Journal.
Personal hopes, family hopes, friendship hopes, 5-year hopes, 10-year hopes, health hopes, community hopes, education hopes, mental health hopes...so many opportuntiies for hope.
I have to admit, I am not always hopeful about what our current events mean for our society or future. But, I have read wayyyyy too many people who have experienced the low of lows and remained hopeful for us to experience this world.
I am hopeful this learning journey for our young people is a positive one. I am hopeful for each individual in each of my classes to achieve joy, peace and rest as they navigate through each of their days.
Over the eleven years I have been an educator I have tried to find a means to live this out daily.
I have asked other teachers what has worked for them. I have tried my own variations.
Each time, something was lacking or it was too big to actually continue to do.
I have found joy in focusing first on our collective Social Emotional Learning. Each quarter, this school year, we will engage in different activities that fosters our thinking and expressing of where we are at, fosters our collective understanding of the people around us and our abilities to navigate big emotions as we are doing this learning.
Our space, K108, will be radical in our gentleness of checking in with ourselves, others and our practice of developing empathy.
SMILES AND FROWNS (Q1)
Twitter has allowed me to learn beyond the space that I stand and has dramatically changed how I view learning and my educational practices. I started following Monte Syrie (@montesyrie) on Twitter, an educator from Washington, after reading his thoughts on building relationships in the classroom. As a learner, I know that I can grow and better for my students daily.
I learned about Smiles and Frowns is from Mr. Syrie. He writes about it purpose in his blog piece, REFLECTION’S REALITY: RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT ACCIDENTS.
This time, 5-8 minutes (depending on class size) at the beginning of class has allowed me to get to know my students and to understand what is happening in their lives by simply asking them if they are Smiling or Frowning. Every student has the right to pass if they are not wanting to share that particular day. What I have seen is usually its the people that the student chooses to sit with that encourage them to share if they are passing every day.
Life does not stop at the door and for me to be the best teacher I can be for my students I need to provide opportunities for them to share what is happening, happy or sad.
GRATITUDE JOURNAL (Q2) (click on me for the presentation)
Science shows us. Our body tells us. Our friends and family feel us.
When we practice gratitude, we change.
Our brain chemical composition changes.
I am seeking ways to experience more joy, more peace, more clarity, so that I can be here for myself and for those who I love.
I ask students to select one thing a day to journal about that they are grateful for. The students do this on their portfolio with finding an image and then writing about what they have chosen to focus on.
Faces: The Art of One-on-One Conversations (Q3)
The art of interacting and having one-on-one conversations with the people around us. Each day, I am asking our young people to sit and talk with someone in the classroom until they have talked with everyone.
I hear too much that our young people do not interact with each other, "they don't know how to talk to each other because of...name it...Covid, they hate each other, phones..."
This is not true. Our young people may be super awkward and want to avoid that feeling but I believe being intentional about setting up the time and a little re-teaching and social reminders, our spaces can be radical in knowing and caring about each other if we give ourselves the time we need.
Relationships are not easy. Our young people do not volunteeraly come to our classes, they are assigned them. Often with people they do not know very well, hopefully at the beginning of the year.
I want to be a leader of space that is radical in how we know and develop community.
I will be a space that humanizes this experience of learning and remembering.
Hopes Journal (Q4)
The light, SUNLIGHT, is at the end of the tunnel.
Summer break is approaching. The end of a school year, finally.
With the end comes the thinking we are moving, hopefully forward, and with that we can have hope for the future!
Throughout the 4th quarter, my young people will be asked to make 40+ entries in their Hopes Journal.
Personal hopes, family hopes, friendship hopes, 5-year hopes, 10-year hopes, health hopes, community hopes, education hopes, mental health hopes...so many opportuntiies for hope.
I have to admit, I am not always hopeful about what our current events mean for our society or future. But, I have read wayyyyy too many people who have experienced the low of lows and remained hopeful for us to experience this world.
I am hopeful this learning journey for our young people is a positive one. I am hopeful for each individual in each of my classes to achieve joy, peace and rest as they navigate through each of their days.