I am fortunate because my world is colored from the perspective of optimism. Don't get me wrong, I have had my share of disappointments and personal suffering. I know all of us have struggles, some far greater than others. But, I guess I'm a dreamer, filled with hope and wonder and I maintain that there is good in the world and opportunity for each and every individual. My goal is to identify and nourish the opportunities for my students.
2nd grade is an interesting year of growth. I compare the learning your children will go through to an enormous locomotive. Picture that big, black, engine at the front of a hundred cars plus a caboose behind it. The train stands ready to move, the engine is packed with abundant coal and the conductor prepares for the trip. She eases the engine to life; carefully pressing the ignition. The fire, burning slowly begins to burn hotter. The engineer stokes the fire among the coals, slowly adding more to intensify the heat. Once the fire has reached the ideal temperature, then, and only then, does the conductor engage the forward throttle. At first there is almost no movement, the wheels of the engine spin in place... reaching, turning and gripping the track below. All this "movement" is happening, but to the person standing at the depot, they don't see the train "moving". Suddenly, the wheel grabs the track and the train lurches forward, success! But success doesn't last because the train has only moved a foot in it's long journey. The wheels slip and grip sporadically. In time, the wheels begin to grip more than slip. Now, the movement is perceptible to those folks who are standing at the depot. The conductor has carefully pushed the throttle forward and she is asking for more coal in the fire so they can go a bit faster. At this point, the entire train is moving and it's clear that the train (your child) will reach his or her destination.
Please join me on this journey. Ask questions, share your thoughts, inform me of struggles and concerns and together we will reach the destination.
