I believe that children are capable, deserving, world-changers.
This student changed the trajectory of my teaching career. Despite Wedly being nonverbal, we immediately connected. After working with him to create a self-image book, the pride shown through the joy in his eyes was enough for me to realize that teaching is so much more than words. Wedly was more than capable of creating his own book, he simply needed the correct tools, environment, and support to do so. As Loris Malaguzzi so famously pointed out, it is about the process. Wedly taught me more about myself as an educator than words ever could have.
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ALL children are deserving of an education. Throughout my time at Butler, I have had exposure to numerous different educational settings. I have learned to look for the joy of teaching in the little things everyday. Children are curious and full of potential; each and every student is deserving of an education. These two students are the best of friends. Their love for reading is infectious. The first thing they do each morning is run to grab a book and read together. This is a constant reminder that teaching is beyond lesson plans, it is the deep rooted curiosity that is found in each and every student.
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Children are world-changers. As seen above, at Pleasant View Elementary we celebrated career day. This day allowed students to cultivate their dreams and aspirations through dressing up as their future profession.
I was overjoyed to see these two similing faces walk in as astronauts. It reminded me that I am teaching the future generation! Each and every student in our classrooms have their own dreams and aspirations and our job as educators are to support and inspire them to continue to pursue those goals! |
"A school needs to be a place for all children, not based on the idea that they are all the same, but that they are different."
-Loris Malaguzzi
I believe that teachers are passionate, empathetic, difference-makers.
As seen in the quote below, teaching becomes the most powerful when students become their own teachers. Pictured above is a very special student of mine. This student's behavior plan was constantly evolving and changing as the days go by. After a few weeks of this similar routine, this student asked me if he could fill out his own self-reflection for the day. I was filled with so much pride in him, he had grown so much. From this day forward, he completed his own reflected, noting two things he was proud of and something he wanted to work on for the days to come. How powerful to let the students do their own reflection and give them ownership of their learning and growth.
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This video perfectly displays the joy of learning. My sweet focal student was ecstatic to show off her "big fact of the day!" She is smart, capable, and deserving and I am a better educator because of moments like these!
Teaching is fully cultivated when students are seen teaching one another. There is such power in peer teaching moments.
Pictured above is a small group of students working to collaboratively create a beehive using tangrams that they have worked with in math. These students had the idea to "mix math with their animal learning." |
"The biggest effects on student learning occur when teachers become learners of their own teaching, and when students become their own teachers" |
I believe that education is powerful, foundational, and life-changing.
In the photo above, kindergarten students were engaging in a NASA space lesson that I had planned. Here, they were practicing landing a spaceship on a landing site. The joy shown in their expressions is the epitome of education: powerful, foundational, and life-changing!
At Butler Lab 55, one of the pivotal parts of our day is morning meeting. Pictured above, a student is taking on the role of the teacher, leading morning meeting for her classmates. It was so inspiring to see her the on the roots of responsibility and gain the courage and confidence to be a leader in her classroom! How powerful of a moment this was; watching a student show just how foundational education is.
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My first grade students and I were able to take our learning out into the real world and travel to a local sandbar. At the sandbar, we furthered our rock provocations by building like Andy Goldsworthy inspired structures! These students inspire me each and every day.
"The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." |