The Sunrise Story

This week has reminded me to question perspective. There were some things in my life causing me stress or sadness. I decided to write about them. Seeing things from a different perspective and questioning my perspective turn into lightbulb moments for me. I'm choosing to believe that everyone has a story and is doing the best they can. I'm reminding myself that I, too, am doing the best that I can.  With my students, we created mission statements to focus our perspective during class. I can't tell you how amazing it is to hear the words that they wrote being read aloud, every single day. Here's one class sharing their mission statement:   We begin our time together reminding ourselves of our goals and our potential. Yesterday started out as a dreary Friday. In my communications class, the first class of the day, there were yawns and sighs and not much energy. We decided to change our perspective. In the morning news, we heard that it was Random Acts of Kindness...

I am going to let the words of my students speak today. We are working together on writing a class mission statement. I've written about the process here and here . One class is still in the revision process. They are at the point where they have completed individual or small group statements and they are on their way to revising for one statement. Here are some of their ideas... Many of these posters have been revised already. The next step is sharing and revising. In my other class, we revised as a class. (Have you ever tried that? Revising with an entire classroom full of sixth graders. It isn't easy, but it was lots of fun.) Each group shared their mission statement. We applauded and then we picked out the best words, phrases, and ideas to include in one class mission statement.  As we finished for the day, I reminded them that the loud and messy process we just completed is called revision. I said, "It's hard and messy, s...

This is why I teach.  In my last post , I wrote about a new mission statement that my principal wrote for our school. This comment on my post gave me a great idea... I decided to try this out with my students and we began our journey to create a class mission statement. Yesterday, we read and analyzed some mission statements. When we felt like we understood what a mission statement is, we started brainstorming words and ideas to include in a class mission statement. Today, we visited youtube and listened to Montague's Workshop and Kid President for some inspiration.  We continued to plan and we started to draft. Students were working hard and the room was abuzz with excitement. We aren't finished, but I couldn't wait to share these amazing mission statement drafts. Why do I teach? THIS is why I teach... Somehow we will revise and revise and revise to create one unified mission statement. Stay tuned...

Monday morning started out as any other in school. We turned on the morning announcements to begin our day. Our principal ends each day with sharing part of our school's mission statement. He does this every day. It becomes part of the fabric of our community since we hear it daily. Here's the full mission statement: On this particular morning, there was a change. Mr. Phillips paused and changed the mission statement. I noticed the seventh and eighth-grade students in my class, look up and pay attention to this change. Here is what he said, " We offer every student and staff member here, each day, an unlimited welcome. No matter who you are, what your background, religious beliefs, ethnicity, or how you look, speak, or dress – that welcome is unlimited and unchanging. Today, treat each person with dignity, so that dignity can grow into understanding. For, in the end, there is only one true school rule – treat others with the respect and kindness that you wo...