Friday, September 21, 2012

Taking a Big Picture Break

I'm taking a big picture break with regards to school life. I'm sure many of my admin are sighing with relief.  One reason I've been entrenched in big picture thought and ideals is that the big picture affects almost every action I make in a school.  As I've mentioned in earlier posts, the classroom teacher works with many, many professionals including OTs, PTs, Speech Therapists, Special Educators, Reading Specialists, Math Coaches, Curriculum Directors, Building and System Administrators, Parents, Nurses, Specialists and Teaching Assistants--that's a lot of input to take in when you're planning a week, and a lot of scheduling to account for.

I do believe the system can be streamlined, but for now I'm taking a break from the big picture.

I have a delightful class.  They love to learn.  Today when they were creating culture flags, the questions and conversation were amazing as they shared the attributes of their unique cultures  Also, as they struggled with a too-difficult math test (my fault), they persevered and I was able to congratulate them on their stick-to-it-ness and stamina.  At the end of the day, we read People which tells the story of the great diversity of cultures on our planet and we finished our interactive read aloud, The Gold Threaded Dress.  The conversation that followed was wonderful, so good that a little boy remarked, "I love when we talk like this."

So it's back to the place where I feel most at home, and the people who are excited to learn and grow--the students.  I'm taking a big picture break.  How long will it last?