Dear All,
This will be a short post. Our students face many issues in their lives, there is no argument about that. Whether they have it harder or easier than we did growing up is not the point and not really worth arguing about.
I do know that we should all want to make some of what they face easier. I'm not talking about lowering standards, or spoon-feeding our adloescents. I'm talking about some of our kids facing difficulties that have had nothing to do with any decisions they have ever made.
Our kids do not choose to leave a school in October to move to another school. Our kids do not choose to have 17 different elementary school experiences. And our students do not choose to miss whole topics of discussion or learning because of that.
We can help.
Ideas cost nothing.
One of my teachers came up to me at the end of a staff meeting and said, "If a student returns to Forster after only a few months, wouldn't it be nice for them if they could have their old locker back?"
When students "up and move" at the end of a month, sometimes very hurriedly, leaving behind (sometimes) possessions that adults see as unimportant, but the child sees entirely differently, how important would it be for a student to be greeted by a friendly face and be told, "Here's your locker. We left it here just for you."?
That simple idea took seconds to relate to me. In future, it might entirely change a child's life. (Thanks Karen)
I know there are more ideas out there.
Please share them.
(Thanks to LC for the comments she's posted. Her ideas will shape the discussion my staff and the staffs of five other schools has around this issue. Yours can too.)
Dave
No comments:
Post a Comment