Students are settling in quite nicely and are already experiencing that feeling of being part of a strong and special community. Those first-day jitters are evolving into smiles, laughter, and a sense of comfort and belonging.
We've carefully and deliberately spent our first weeks of school not just establishing routines and expectations, but more importantly, creating a classroom that is built on community; where students recognize and celebrate shared goals and experiences, are learning to trust one another, feel empowered to contribute, and who feel understood, valued and capable. Those important traits will be nurtured all year long as they provide an essential foundation for developing teamwork, cooperation, communication, flexibility, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
We asked students to reflect on their experiences over the last few weeks and write about which ones they found most meaningful, which skills they nurtured in the process, and why and how those skills are important. Here are a handful of reflections from this week's guest bloggers. Enjoy.
My best learning experiences over the last few weeks were the map skills escape room challenges. I needed to collaborate and work with my partner as a team in order to be successful. I also needed to have stamina because there was no time for a break. Working on these skills will be important for any job that I have in the future. @PotatoPie
My best learning experience over the last few weeks was the map skill escape room. It gave me a chance to practice using cardinal directions. I needed to have patience and flexibility during this activity and needed to listen to my teammates' ideas, not just my own. These skills will help me collaborate with other people better and it lets me practice how to be flexible when there are disagreements. @LoonDog1
My best learning experience over the last few weeks was the paper chain team-building activity. I had to listen to my partner and think about the problem differently when we made a mistake. If something goes wrong in life, you have to be patient, learn from it, and try something different. - @Ruff
My best learning experiences over the last few weeks have been the writing activities. I am learning that if I stay focused and silent, I can create an amazing product. I worked on my stamina, focus, perseverance, and problem-solving during these activities and it helped keep me in my zone. If I keep developing these skills, I can stay in my zone and make the best possible outcome for my clients' cases (yes, I want to be a lawyer when I grow up). - @ApplePie
My best learning experience over the last few weeks was the map skills escape room challenge. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. I needed to focus, be flexible, and work as a team. My partner and I may not have "escaped", but we did develop some important skills. Focusing helps me work harder and not be distracted. Flexibility helps me be better with change. Understanding how to collaborate with others helps me be a better teammate. - @BlueBear
My best learning experiences over the last few weeks were the escape room challenges and the cards & castles activities. I had to be a good listener and communicator for both as well as be flexible and lean into the struggle. These skills help me be more open-minded and more productive. - @HockeyGirl14
My best learning experience over the last few weeks was the cards & castles activity. It was very fun to build the castles, but it was very challenging. I needed to work on many skills during this activity, like teamwork, flexibility, focus, patience, perseverance, kindness, stamina, and leaning into the struggle. It's also really important to listen to others and understand them. - @DollyParton101
My best learning experiences over the last few weeks were the friendship games. They taught me so much about my classmates and the importance of being kind, respectful, and patient. I learned that it's important not to rush people and let them have the time they need. - @SODA
My best learning experience over the last few weeks was the map skills escape room challenge because I learned how to accept others' ideas and how to think outside the box. I really had to think during this activity and demonstrate perseverance if we wanted to be successful. Those same skills would be important if I were to play doubles in tennis - they're very winning qualities. - @TennisMan18
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