Nothing makes you want to pay it forward more than when you go far away, and folks put themselves out to welcome you with open arms. I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what we need a lot more of. So, having been so generously and lovingly welcomed by the students and teachers and administrators and taxi drivers and servers and folks everywhere we traveled in Peru, I have a lot of gratitude to share. Holding on to that kind state of mind is the challenge.
How do I hold on to that sense of balance and simple kindness that I experienced on my journey? I am forced to commit to certain practices so they become ritual on in my classroom. It might be something as concrete as Ron Clark’s Rules for Success (or maybe a modified interpretation of that authored by the students? Maybe less than 55 rules?) And it continues with a genuine commitment to not assigning work at home beyond reading. (Maybe world-geography-games.com? FMAD? Word study?? Where does it end?!) Julio’s kids are not assigned work that is expected to be completed at home. How about: Read to younger sibling and upload a selfie of this? Help cook dinner? Set & Clear?
The challenge remains: How do I maintain the BALANCE that was so evident in Moyobamba? My head is literally spinning with ideas. Living those ideals is the next mountain. I just keep speaking these intentions out loud: I want kids to enter my room and breathe a big sigh of Ahhhhhh, I’m here! (while still covering the essentials). My job is to build passionate readers and writers with a sense of curiosity about the world and an awareness of the power they each possess to impact others with their words and actions. I want my room to be a reading and writing lab, and I want to be certain that I don’t add to the stress and anxiety in their young lives. I want to help them build the tools they need to seek out knowledge and to identify as readers and writers. I want them to want to travel and see other parts of the world. I want to make my classes purposeful and build toward a deeper understanding by constructing around big questions, like we did in Moyobamba. (Our Essential Question was: “What does a culture gain or lose when other cultures enter?” Our activities and readings built towards a broader and more informed response over the course of the week..
I want to have the power to stick to my intention. How will I maintain balance in my classroom this year?
How will I maintain this sense of balance in my classroom this year?