CBE 182
Follow us on:
  • The Stories
  • About CBE 182
  • Write For CBE 182
  • Calendar of Writers

Day 4: Sarah Simmons, Teacher, Olympic Heights

9/4/2015

0 Comments

 
I think my brain fell out of my head this afternoon. No, really: right into the middle of my kitchen floor.

I had been talking to my oldest daughter about her second day in kindergarten. She is very excited about school and already loves her class, fellow learners and teacher. This is a great place for her, and us, to be in.

We started off asking about what she had done at school that day and how things had made her feel. We got snippets of story time, talk about other kids, shadows of things that they had done during the morning. I didn’t understand half of it. I think they read a story about a camel. Maybe a cat. Somebody had trouble getting their shoes on and I had packed a yummy snack that day. She’s not quite five years old. I get that, but it got me really thinking about how some of my parents must feel when they talk to their children about the work we do in our class. We do some crazy, big work! Are these kids better at communicating some of the powerful learning that happens within our classroom? Or are those parents left feeling as baffled and confused as I just was? I know that there would have been some great work that happened in that kindergarten class today.

It made me realize the vital importance of communication with our families and has left me with several questions: How do we best communicate with our families? Is there one ideal format or does it take a varied approach using multiple platforms?

How can we connect and share the depth and vibrancy of the work we are doing?

Is it possible to communicate in such a way that our parents are as connected to the work as the students are? How do we ensure that parents get a true glimpse into their daily student lives?

How do we convey and communicate what it feels like to work with our students to help them achieve the successes that they do, all while being inspired by them on a daily basis? I sometimes wonder if they even realize how amazing they are. And how desperately we want their stories to be heard.

Today made me realize that much of the work we do goes on behind closed doors. It must our jobs to break these doors down and make the learning visible. It doesn’t take much. Write a blog post. Add a picture. Tweet it. Share it. Celebrate it.


Sarah Simmons (@sesimmons01) currently teaches Grade Six at Olympic Heights School. She is passionate about being a mom, wife, teacher, Shift Labber, and DIY’er in any matter of things.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Do you want to get an email notification of all new posts? Enter your address below!

    RSS Feed

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    AB Government
    Ability
    Administrator
    Assistant Principal
    Awareness
    Boys School
    #cBEwell
    Challenge
    Collaboration
    Connections
    Courage
    Daily 5
    Design Thinking
    Director
    Elementary
    Engagement
    Environment
    Expectations
    Experience
    Goal
    Growth Mindsets
    Highschool
    High School
    Inquiry
    Introduction
    Kindergarten
    Learning Leader
    Learning Specialist
    Lessons
    Literacy
    Maker
    Math
    Meaningfullearning
    Meaningful Learning
    Middle School
    Multiple Entry Points
    Parent
    Passion
    Perseverance
    Physical Education
    Physical Literacy
    Play
    Positivity
    Principal
    Process
    Real Learning
    Relationships
    Resource Teacher
    Say Something
    Specialist
    Student
    Student Leadership
    Students First
    Student Teacher
    Student Voice
    Teacher
    Technology
    Trust
    Trustee
    Visitor
    Willingness

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.