It’s the 3rd Monday since we’ve been back-to-school. I feel tired, worn-out, beat up, overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, confused, inefficient, ineffective, and exhausted. I feel like every ounce of my energy has been zapped and that I have nothing left to give.
Today was Orange Shirt day. Not only did I forgot to wear mine, but I also forgot to remind my students to wear theirs. 🤦🏾♀️ In my defence, ‘Orange Shirt Day’ is an ongoing, year-long learning journey for us. Orange Shirt Day is everyday.
Great book. Lots of repetitive, rhyming fun. But, I missed the mark in terms of it being a HIT with my Grade 1/2's transition back-to-school. Maybe I'd been away from face-to-face teaching for too long. Maybe my students forgot how to play (highly unlikely). Likely, I 'temporarily' forgot what 5-7 year olds like.
During a time when thousands of students’ classrooms are computer screens, creative arts programs are being slashed, when disregard for the environment and all its living things is the norm. During a time when profit matters more than human life and dignity, it seems now, (not only because it’s the safest place to be), more than ever that we need to be outside.
Teaching is consuming. It consumes me. I don’t know how I feel about that. 😕🤷🏾♀️ What consumes you? Tamla
In general, I think about purpose a lot. My own purpose, the purpose of others and our purpose on this planet. I regularly remind and encourage my students to think about and explore their purpose, as well. Recently, after learning about Chadwick Boseman’s passing my social media fields were full of his messages, his wisdom. I watched and rewatched, listened and re-listened to his Howard University Homecoming Speech. His words were simple, true and resonated with my whole being.
Would you still be celebrating if I told you that increasing numbers of BIPoC students were entering high school being unable to read and write?
Many of us who are excited about the ‘back-to-basics’ aspect of the curriculum are relieved and looking forward to something that is hopefully more straightforward than the current system. Certainly, many think it’s the hardcore drilling of math skills that is going to benefit our students’ achievements in math. However, there’s so much data, so many lived experiences with math proving that the drilling and rote learning method doesn’t work for a lot of our students. It’s actually quite detrimental. This finding is why changes were made in math education to begin with.
12raisins 