Little Blessings and Big Hopes

As this year comes to a close, I can't help but smile at the joys of this first semester and get excited about the adventures of the new year.  I have so many things to be grateful for this year.  Specifically my students.  I want to thank them for the joy they bring to my life.  I want to thank them for their laughter and curiosity.  Even when I think I surely will break out in hives, I still appreciate their enthusiasm; I may just have to redirect their bubbling energy.  I want to thank my students for their sincerity and dedication to their learning when they share their frustrations and concerns about new material at the end of the week on their goal sheets.  I also appreciate the occasional random notes just to see if I really read their comments; I almost always get I good laugh.  I need that. I want to thank my students for their ability to learn with me as we jump into new topics and try new activities.  Their creativity and ability to stretch into a new concept is inspiring.  The sweet "bye Ms. Campbell"..."have a good day Ms. Campbell"... it means more than they will ever know.  Most of all, I want to thank them for  trusting me with their future.  It is amazing to me that I have the opportunity to share in such a special gift.  I am so proud of the young adults they are becoming.

When we come back after Christmas, we will begin a new unit focusing on how what we read and write can help us determine the "greater good."  This is such a perfect season to begin talking about those hard decisions that mold who we are.  Are we the typical hero or the despised villain or the unexpected dynamic lesson learner.  At some point, we all have to make choices that define who we are, and I love the idea of helping my students learn this as they prepare for the ocean of change, high school.  They are our future, and in a way, I feel like I get a tiny window to help them decide who they want to be.  The sheep that follows blindly or the rebel that decides rashly or the leader who chooses wisely.

 I am also very excited about some of the lesson strategies I am planning to use.  We will be using Wordle, Table Top Twitter, and hopefully Symbolism Scrapbooks to discover the beauty of difficult discussions that lead to the realization of the greater good in Lois Lowry's The Giver.

So, here's to small blessings and big hopes!  Merry Christmas!