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.
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.
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