There's Only One YOU

Since the beginning of school I've been working to get into every single classroom to do a 30-minute lesson.  I like to remind the students who I am and what my job is, and - let's face it - I NEVER want to lose my connection with teaching.  I did these lessons last year, and was a little hesitant to tackle them this year, being that I'm 9 months pregnant... but I decided it was worth it, and I've been trucking along for the past month to get into each room.

I do a different story/lesson in each grade level, and first grade's is about how we are all different - some of us smaller, or taller, or rounder, or thinner.  It seems like a giant concept for a 6-year-old, but I had success with it last year and decided to try it again this year.

In one of the first grade classes, we were discussing the book I had just read (called The Big Seed, in case you're interested).  I was trying to get the concept across, trying to get the students to understand that the book was about more than just a little girl planting a sunflower seed.  One little boy raised his hand after he realized that his classmates just did not get the point.  (And now I'm going to attempt to quote him word-for word.)  "Well, it's like this... there's only one YOU.  There's never going to be another YOU again.  That's why we're all so different.  We can't be the same, because there's only one YOU."

Pretty profound for a 6-year-old.

While I looked at him in awe and continued the lesson with the class, I haven't been able to forget what he said.  Obviously we, as adults, recognize that there's only one of us.  But are we getting this message across to our students?  Or are we making generalizations and grouping them together without paying enough attention to individual differences?  As a teacher, it's tough to pay attention to the individual needs of 20+ students... but that doesn't make it any less important.

Your students will never have a teacher like you again.  Make yourself memorable - make your classroom a place where the student feels cherished, and special, and important, and unique.  Give each child the opportunity to grow as an individual, to reach his/her true potential - a potential that is incredibly different for each and every student.  Hold high expectations, but differentiate those expectations.  Get to know your children.  Don't make assumptions.  Don't make generalizations.

Remember, there's only one YOU.  And you're the only person who can be the best YOU.  So you'd better get started!

Don't Forget!
*October 3rd - SMART Response Workshop at Moore
*October 6th - Kathy Bryant visits all PLC's
*October 24th - 1st Quarter Test (Reading)
*October 25th - 1st Quarter Test (Math with a Calculator)
*October 26th - 1st Quarter Test (Math without a Calculator)
*October 27th - 1st Quarter Test Make-ups
*November 2nd-4th - CogAt Testing
*November 14th-16th - ITBS Testing