It was hard to tell it was winter. With stretches of 70 degree days throughout December and January, the shapes of the winter trees reminded me that even without the cold or snow, my world was in winter.
I shared with the children my love for trees in all seasons, especially in winter. Without leaves to hide behind, they are quiet and still, their forms vulnerable against winter skies…
The more I have taught, the more I realize that my teaching compass always points in the same direction. No matter the content– whether it is sounding out new words, or painting a tree, or solving a math problem– what I want children to learn is how to face their failures in a way that serves them. If only a learner can be gentle to their self and keep trying in the face of challenges, they will find the words, the painted trees, and the answers to the math problems will come with time. Helping children believe that they will get better with practice and time is, for me, what it’s all about…
Read more from Ms. Bowman, our Elementary Atelier, in her blog post, “Where Teaching Begins”
