Friday Musings: Chunk it!

This was my sign for the Fair Funding Rally

The final weeks of school are here, and every day is booked with wonderful events. I told students that we were going to use the winning coach Bill Belichick's approach which is to chunk it--take it event by event until we reach the finish line.

The Fifth Grade Play
The focus of the next few days will be the fifth grade play. The students are giving it their best, and the musical will be welcome entertainment for the whole school and the students' parents and friends. I have to get my own costume prepared and practice my lines to be ready for the teacher cameo appearance too.

Biography Research
The projects are in the works, and there's lots of quiet reading, research, writing, and conferencing to do.

STEAM Series
The little seedlings are poking through the plant packets students made and stored in dark places. Next week, students will plant those seedlings, bring the plants home to a sunny windowsill for further growing and until they are ready to plant in a large pot or the ground. They'll also put together their solar ovens soon and then cook s'mores under the sun in those ovens.

Professional Events
Last night I had the chance to attend the Fair Funding Rally at the State House. It was a terrific show of solidarity with its objective as fair funding for all schools in Massachusetts. My sign encouraged those listening to invest in children because that truly is an investment in our future. I'd rather our state invest in the positivity and promise that children hold rather than having to pay the costs associated with a populous that has not had equitable opportunity and education.

I also had the chance to attend the

Teacher Collaborative Event in Boston. The Teacher Collaborative is a welcoming teacher education, professional learning, and collaboration group that forwards multiple events to bring teachers together and support their good work.

This morning I'll meet with a colleague(s) and the Superintendent of Schools to discuss a math data report I created. The report includes specific data and ideas to better and develop our math program in an effort to teach every child well.

Later in the day, after I attend to a family need, I'll attend a family member's art show--this will provide professional learning too since it will be an example of the intersection of art and a social story--the kind of interdisciplinary work we aim to do with our own students. I will be interested in how the event is organized and the timeline of effort that went into this work. I'll also be interested in how the final project is displayed and shared.

Over the weekend, there will be good time to attend to all the prep and planning for the busy and exciting weeks of teaching and learning ahead. The students have been incredible, and this is certainly a joyous, yet very busy, time in the school year. Onward.