During the month of May, we enter a phase of reflection. The end of the year brings challenges of antsy students but also the anticipation of both celebrating learning and envisioning a classroom of new ideas for next year.
Hold this question in your thinking as we share and converse around content this month: How can we use reflection to maintain momentum, positivity and progress in our learning communities?
“There are often issues that get in the way of establishing enough trust to talk with a child about her learning, but overcoming those obstacles is the essence of our work.”
Meet Emiliano.
In her inspiring article in the Digital Library, available for download below, Debbie Miller shares stories of the child that tugged at her heart strings, the child who showed her the importance of envisioning what is possible for the children that keep us awake at night.
From crawling under a table to a reading conference to making a clear plan—their plan, not hers—Debbie reminds us of the personal work we do as educators, the kind of work that creates change. Through “Emilio’s Manifesto”, she calls to us all to hear what the child is really telling us, asking of us and requiring of us.
Place a student in your mind as you read the article, especially the manifesto, and hear the call of these young learners. Let’s imagine new possibilities for the children that keep us awake at night.
Go deeper into the work readers need to grow, including Emiliano’s story, in the Heinemann On-Demand course co-authored by Debbie Miller and Samantha Bennett: Everyday Habits that Grow Readers. You can learn more with these authors in their new mini-course Classroom Redesign with Children in Mind.
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Wondering where to connect online? Start by signing up below for Heinemann's Online PLC! Each week, we'll share content from the Heinemann Digital Library as food for thought and discussion. Our conversations can occur in comments here on the blog, on Twitter using #OnlinePLC or in our Facebook Group. Looking forward to sharing content, conversation and camaraderie!
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