Monday, February 29, 2016

SOLSC #1 - Classroom Visitors!

To read my student's posts on the
Classroom SOL challenge click here
Introduction: Hello and welcome to my blog! This is the third year I have participated in the SOLSC and also the third year for my students as well! I teach students, ages 11-14, in a multi-age classroom at The Logan School for Creative Learning in Denver, CO. This year, I am hosting students from all three middle school classes and they are participating on a volunteer basis (with a few prizes thrown in for inspiration). I'm looking forward to being part of this amazing community again!





Classroom Visitors!
They swept into my classroom, all laughter and smiles, with a confidence that somehow radiates from high school seniors. Voices, actions, laughter, faces; so completely familiar and yet different too.

Has it really been four years since they were in my class? 
Old trips books and happy memories!

It wasn't a perfect time since I was about to read aloud to my class and then give a lesson about how to link up to the class blog for the Slice of Life Challenge. I asked them to share their college plans (at least the plans they knew) to my class, and sent them on their way to see some other staff members, with a promise they would be back.

Later they sit on the carpet in my room, pouring over old trip books, looking at pictures from four, five, even six years ago. Adolescent cheeks and braces smile out from their pasts as memories are triggered and excitedly exclaimed over. They ask questions about our recent trips, my daughter, old colleagues. I learn about great teachers, their current dreams, their families.

It's over too soon. They are a little antsy and have run out of things to share in front of each other and my class. I need my current students to wrap up their days and clean the room. We take a group picture and say our goodbyes.

It was too long. It was too short. I feel blessed.