Curriculum Corner: 'Lessons in Love'
I took time to slow down and support them where they may have needed it, so this week we didn’t begin our measurements unit. I’m sure now that we have reviewed this important concept the Ambers are ready for some new mathematics to practice and learn.
By Jacob Sisson, Blue Mountain School Amber teacher (7- to 9-year-olds)
As I reflect upon our week I’m happy that so many different learning opportunities and experiences lived with us. The beginning of our week was rooted in the understanding of why Blue Mountain School schedules school on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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I always take this time to talk a little slower and to listen to questions first and then offer up information about who the reverend was and his great work. Students almost always instantly understand the unfairness of segregation. Personally I enjoyed talking with our staff to hear the different developmentally appropriate conversations that each teacher expressed to me that they had in their classrooms. Students took time to make peace flags and seeing them outside really brings a smile to my face because I am thankful that we can take time to give these powerful conversations space, to listen and not to respond so quickly but to show our students how their voice matters. Our conversations on peace, equality, and positive change also carried over into Tuesday.
For the Ambers and the Jades, we collaborated during our “Writing Buddies” time, and our students shared their wishes for the world and then wrote plans they have. Their plans ranged from self-affirmations to helping friends or their community and were as far reaching as to help our world. Quite a few of them are especially concerned about pollution in our ocean.
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Our plan for language arts has our young readers work really hard during their peer reading groups. I keep finding wonderful words of fiction and nonfiction, and they keep showing up and demonstrating just how great it is to read together. I have been asked by quite a few of them to read about animals, and so right now that has been my focus on researching articles for them in the future. Luckily, when we begin reading chapter books there are plenty of books that have animals in them.
Our mathematics time last week was spent on addition and subtraction with regrouping. I found that writing out our computations on paper, instead of on dry erase, has also helped students' concrete ability to solve these equations. I took time to slow down and support them where they may have needed it, so this week we didn’t begin our measurements unit. I’m sure now that we have reviewed this important concept the Ambers are ready for some new mathematics to practice and learn.
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We are located a half block from the stoplight. We are right around the corner.
Blue Mountain has a foundation of contemplative and progressive practices. When I give space for my students to think and to live in a concept — especially those that have such deep meaning like equality and voice, I don’t want them to rush in for the right answer.
I want to know their answer — the one that shows they have a connection to what they see they would change about their world. The progressive factor is that I’ll never stop altering and tweaking what my educational plan is for them. How can I predict what problem has more meaning for them? How will I know when we need more time to really practice enough for familiarity and growth? I hope I never know because that whimsical and adventurous problem solving is part of humanity and I teach humans, not robots.
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know
peace.” — Jimi Hendrix
Blue Mountain School is a progressive, contemplative school in Floyd where intentional curriculum planning is part of the everyday.