Write here: A moment from this school year where your learning this summer changed your perspective. by Kelsey Davis

2024-09-11 20:27:41 UTC

Building relationships with my students seems to be far easier than years past. Moving from 'expert' to 'learner' has created less tension and more natural conversations.

2024-09-11 20:28:04 UTC

Spending more time in nature has been wonderful

2024-09-11 20:28:31 UTC

Teaching the scientific method

dbuck16 — 2024-09-11 20:29:02 UTC

There are so many ways I'm viewing the world, and my practice, differently. The main one is how I go about classroom discussions, with everyone facing each other in a circle. I had a moment yesterday when I said "I need to stop talking so much", and a student replied, "But you're the teacher." I looked around the circle and said "I'm here in the circle with all of you. I'm not in front of you." It was really freeing.

2024-09-11 20:29:34 UTC

I reinstated my daily morning circle time, remembering the value in it.

2024-09-11 20:29:47 UTC

A teacher in my building has very large maps of Maine from the mid-19th century. They are antiques passed down to him, and the two of them together dominate an entire wall. When I look at these maps now, all I can see is everything that is erased/being erased by them. I don't know how to have a conversation with this teacher about how his map might be alienating to some of our students.

2024-09-11 20:30:53 UTC

When I have tried to share some of my new perspectives it has not been as well received as I would have hoped. I have had to reflect on how they have not had the opportunity that I did to have the unlearning and relearning. I think people are rigid because they do not want anyone to imply that their teaching or units have anything lacking or that they might be actually perpetuating racism. I know that is not their intention.

2024-09-11 20:30:56 UTC

Working with students on history has taken an entirely new perspective. Focusing on how history has been developed, understanding that history is not a complete or accurate concept has helped students voice their own understanding. We spend more time digging into the understanding without getting hung up on who determined what 'was'. We are all learning

2024-09-11 20:32:16 UTC

I have been asked my students to collect at least one weather “story” from someone in their family or a friend of the family. What is the biggest change in weather that they have noticed and experienced over the years? Also, what is one big weather event that they can recall? This has really opened the year up to sharing their family stories.

dbuck16 — 2024-09-11 20:32:57 UTC

Sharing the concept of Etuaptmumk, and the TEDTalk we viewed, was pretty exciting. We're talking about the importance of language in culture. I also showed them a cool video from NPR about Star Wars being dubbed into the Navajo language. They were really pretty excited about looking at what is behind language and culture.

2024-09-11 20:34:51 UTC

I'm struggling with the new admin's push for 120 minutes of literacy and 70 minutes of math, with little to no exception, and we're finding we don't have time for science and social studies. We have three curriculums (lit and math) we're supposed to do page for page. We are supposed to integrate with literacy, which is doable but to a minimal extent. Kids can't do real science that way. Also, I'm mourning the loss of freedom of creativity. I'm in a tough space as a teacher. I value education differently than this.