AP Corner

Spreading Kindness

When we think about what we want for our students, we want them all to leave our school as well rounded scholars who will make our world a better place. We want them to feel the joy in learning something new, whether it's a new strategy to multiply large numbers, a new series of books they found in the library, or a new approach to saving water or improving air quality. We want our students to see learning as extending beyond the classroom and into their everyday lives. And we want them to contribute to the world by being kind, considerate, generous young people who care about one another.

Often, these social-emotional skills are called "soft skills" because they're not as easily measurable as the "hard" academic skills. But to call them soft takes away from their importance. For our students to truly be college and career ready, we all need to see the value in these skills.

Our word of the month of November is giving, and it made me think of all the ways we can incorporate a broader definition of the word into our classrooms. Giving doesn't have to be something physical. It can be giving a compliment to another student. It can include giving a student a hand when they need it.  Or it can be giving kindness to one another.

There are so many ways to incorporate giving into the final weeks of November. Looking for some ideas? Check out the resource below:

https://www.learningtogive.org/teach

Photos from the week:

Students practicing noticing and wondering on post-its in Ms. Saenz's class.

Mr. deBerardinis preparing his students to create didactic panels for museum exhibits.

Ms. Rodriguez reminding her students that reading is joyful!

Ms. Hidalgo's small group practicing division using manipulatives.