What Will Your Verse Be?

What Will Your Verse Be?

10,175 minutes

“Food for worms boys…we are all food for worms.” Not a rather jovial thought, but as Robin Williams so eloquently stated in one of my favorite educational movies, Dead Poets Society, the thought hits home. We only have so many days on this planet – what are we going to do with them? We only have so many days with our students, what are we going to do with them? As a sixth grade teacher I will meet with my students 55 minutes a day for 185 days. Will I make each day memorable for every one of the students who will be learning in my class this year? I get to do sixth grade again; they don’t.

  

YOLO in Latin

Carpe Diem. Seize the day. My plan this year is to truly focus on what my students are learning and allow for them to take advantage of as many opportunities for learning as they can. I created a livebinder for my students and parents to provide them with the resources  I will be sharing this year. 

One of the key aspects of my teaching this year will be what I call “The Learning Code”. Check it out here

The Learning Code

That Summer Wind

Like painted kites, those days and nights went flyin’ by- a great verse from Frank Sinatra. It’s exciting to think that in a few short days, I’ll be standing in front of one hundred plus students – eager to start their middle school career and "write" their verses.  As I look out at their faces, I will see eyes filled with hope, anxiety, fear, and expectations. I will smile and think to myself, “Let's make some moments."

As I think back on the last fifteen years in education, it’s those moments that I recall – the laughter, the tears, and the relationships that were built, both with my colleagues and most importantly with my students. As I tell the new teachers, and some of the rather seasoned ones,  remember these moments – our students will not always remember what you taught them, but they will always remember how you made them feel, and most importantly, they will not forget the moments you create for them. 

How will you make moments this year? What will your verse be?