Emerging Stories

We spent our first 3 days of school building our classroom community again. We talked about cooperation, the power of our words, our need to stick together, and how we fit together just as puzzle pieces do. We made promises to each other, including the promise to talk things out with each other when we are hurt. While I spent recess and lunch all three days resolving conflict, I was proud of my students for the steps they were taking to actually resolve their conflicts with each other. By the end of the week, we had one main mantra: "One stick can easily be broken, but put 29 together and nothing will break us!" I loved it. Watching these kids filled me with joy.

I thought the tearjerking moments would be over today. It's our first full week and it was time to get down to business. And get down to business we did. The day rolled on like it did every day last year, until we got to writing time. I've always been inspired by Lucy Calkins' The Art of Teaching Writing and, with Rachael's support we began implementation of the curriculum today. I wanted the writing time to be a space for the students to have a safe place to share their stories about their lives, their cares, their worries. And, guess what? They shared. So vulnerably. I walked around during our half hour of writing time and heard sniffles and found tears flowing down a few of my students' faces. They shared about the day they found out their siblings passed away. They shared about their parents being separated. They shared about their love for their family. They shared and shared and shared some more. I was so moved and my heart was so blessed.

I became real to my students today as I shared my story and my students became real to me and to each other as they shared theirs. There was not emotional flatness in our room today and I loved every moment of it. Calkins suggests that, "We cannot affect another person unless we were affected by them." I was affected by my students today and I can't wait to fall more and more in love with them as their stories emerge this year.