Attendance

This is my attendance board. There are three emotions: one positive, one that is negative, and one that is a bit in the middle. I like that these cards actually show the emotions through facial expression and body language because a lot of my first graders cannot read these big "feeling" words and/or don't know what they mean. The students check in by placing their popsicle stick in the pocket of the emotion that they are closest to feeling at that time. This allows me to have an awareness of my students' needs right from the start. I will take a moment to speak with any students who identify with the negative emotion and work with them to determine what they might need that day. This helps students learn emotion words and identify specific words for the emotions that they are feeling. I hope it will start to give them the vocabulary to express their emotions and advocate for their needs. This is one simple way that I acknowledge that my students are more than just "brains" entering my room, they are whole people with feelings and needs. It creates the kind of nurturing, caring community that holistic education strives for. I can't take credit for this great idea- one of my great professors at SOU passed it on to me.

An exciting path

I spoke with my awesome advisor/friend at SOU the other day and we decided that I should pursue my passion for holistic education. I will try to incorporate holistic practices every day and keep track of everything I attempt. It might prove to be a challenge to incorporate these practices in my mainstream classroom, and that is one of the reasons I find it exciting. I'm hoping I can start to pave the way for other teachers who have the same passion, but who don't quite know how to "make it work" in a traditional educational setting. Soon I will have pictures and updates to share how I am beginning this journey.