Lately I’ve been thinking about limits. I’ve been thinking about the words that Rick Wormeli spoke at a conference I attended: “Get out of their way!” I’ve been realizing the all the tiny ways that we might be limiting student’s learning. The picture above represents “Limitless Learning” to me. These kids are going ALL OUT. Their hearts, souls, and minds are in it. From the second they hit my door in the morning, they’re ready. I am lucky, and sometimes exhausted, but lucky for sure. They bring this energy to my classroom. Every. Single. Day.
This week I overheard conversations about what the most important historical events were. I heard debates on which stocks were the best to invest our “classroom savings” in. I heard kids talking about what makes writing exciting for the audience, and then question what type of audience. Through all of these discussions, I heard thinking. I saw thinking. I saw kids stepping back to think about their answers and going forward to back up their opinions.
My favorite moment of the week was when I overheard two students discussing the Great Depression and how the economy improved during a time of war. They discussed how it was interesting that a terrible event like a war could actually have a positive effect on things. Another student spoke up, “Well, because of the Titanic, we have lifeboat regulations.” They were realizing at that very moment that history is not about pages in a book, it’s about the connections between events and how those events connect to us. Me, I just got out of their way. Afterall, who am I to limit their learning?
