The children I am teaching are from a different world than me. Really and truly! I live in this world with them today but I didn’t grow up in it. My today reality is the reality of a grown up. But theirs is that of a small child.
It has taken me a while to fully grasp this and I am still working at it. Yesterday I began reading a book that is helping me open my eyes a bit further. And I only read the first chapter!
The book is, “We Got This.” by Cornelius Minor. It caught my attention at a workshop I recently had the pleasure of attending. The book deals with Equity and reaching all children, meeting all their needs, recognizing all their situations. And becoming the Super Hero they need me to be!
What struck me in this very first chapter was quite simple. It dealt with the art of listening. Listening to the children, finding out what is important to them, what is troubling them, what they are dealing with. And then fitting my lessons into that context.
Now this isn’t a novel idea to me but Mr. Minor has structured his ideas in such a way that they feel novel! And they feel exciting! And since, like I said, I am teaching children who are growing up in a different world than the one I grew up in, I feel inspired.
And isn’t teaching really just one long learning curve?
So thank you, Mr. Minor. Thank you for getting it and helping me to get it to. Here’s looking forward to Chapter 2!
writintime 
It means the world to children when adults listen, and this idea of the author’s truly enables a child’s experience in the classroom to be differentiated in individualized. Incidentally, if you haven’t noticed, you get excited about almost everything you read. I am sure your students notice. That models such a good attitude for the children to have.
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I do get excited about the books I read! Hahaha. People tell me, oh Suzanne, you like all books. I just shrug. And you are right, the kids know this about me and are proud to be the same way.
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This is a great reminder. There are a few instances in my life when it was glaringly apparent that the kids and I were on two different planets, and I had to come to them, not the other way round. They are lucky to have you for many reasons, but in this case for your mindfulness.
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