Welcome back.
I’d like to start this year of posts off with a few doses of gratitude.
Thank you for not rushing towards that photocopier.
Thank you for resisting those urges to cover desks with papers.
It can wait.
Thank you for not going willingly towards that textbook.
Thank you for resisting those urges to get down to business so quickly.
It can wait.
Thank you for not going quickly towards those tests for, as, and of learning.
Thank you for resisting those urges to assess from the start.
It can wait.
Thank you for not going gently towards getting back to “normal”.
because whatever” normal” was, is no more.
“Normal has left the building.”
I share these moments of thankfulness with you as acknowledgement of the incredible work happening throughout elementary schools in Ontario. I see how you are prioritizing students above all else this month by establishing community first. It was clear from day 1 walking around my new school, from check-ins with caring and committed like-minded educators around the province, and via social media that this is exactly what is happening. I am hearing stories of caring climates coming to life where students are feeling included, welcome and connected first in classrooms everywhere.
Thank you for choosing to establish safe, inclusive, and caring community as that crucial first cornerstone to hold up their classrooms regardless of minstry blustering and ad content. In the past, this was not the priority when law and order, worksheets, and “what did you do over the summer?” tasks were the focus during those first weeks back. Students can tell when it’s authentic, relevant, and when they feel welcome/seen.
Thank you for thinking of these first few weeks, not as a the chance to make up for some perceived lost time, but rather as an investment in the next 40+ to follow. By taking the time to establish genuine channels of connection before all else, students are going to feel and trust that they are the ones you are teaching and not the curriculum which, by the way, will wait.
And while I’m at it, thank you for taking the time to read this too.
Cheers to another great year ahead at the speed and joy of learning.
W!ll
