Yesterday was the last day of school. It was bittersweet, as it tends to be from year to year. It's hard to believe that the group you've lived with for ten months will no longer be together come September, and at the same time you're ready for summer vacation to start. The last few days of the school year are often hurried, leaving little time to enjoy each other and say farewell properly. Three other activities yesterday contributed to this hectic pace: our school's annual talent show, SmartBoard installations in various classrooms, and an ice cream party on the playground. In the middle of this craziness, we stopped and I addressed each child individually before everyone went their separate ways. After I finished reading my "the most important thing about..." paragraphs for each child one of my students walked over to his desk and started writing furiously. I assumed he was adding to a comic he had been working on during the week. Then, he came o...
This blog is a place to ruminate on the problems of teaching. If I am thinking thoughtfully, my posts will hopefully raise more questions than answers. By problematizing teaching we reflect on those questions that are constantly behind, in front, and at center of everything we do in the classroom. Feel free to comment. I'd love to hear what other teachers are thinking about on these and other issues. Cheers! Elisa