Do you provide opportunity for students?
That is my new class buzzword… OPPORTUNITY! It is one word that creates such excitement among my 3rd graders. One word that speaks to every child. One word with so many meanings that I cannot possibly stop smiling when I hear the chit chat that surrounds this one topic.
Let’s get something straight…
I’m not an expert.
I’m not the most knowledgeable teacher on every topic that interests every child.
AND I don’t pretend to be!
BUT I do not believe I have to be any of these things to open the minds of my students so that they in turn obtain personal growth and ignite their own learning!
I simply spark curiosity and provide opportunity. BOOM!
In place of an obstacle that they turn their back on, what if they saw it as an opportunity to show their T.R.U.E. G.R.I.T.? Click To Tweet
Opportunity is what my students appreciate more than anything! Opportunity to create, design, tinker, and as one student said “mess around” to find new ways to learn and master the skills required. “I just messed around with it” responded one of my students when asked WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN WEBSITE? To be fair, she credited the teachers who pointed her in the right direction, but that one opportunity developed into a whole new world for this child’s learning, along with a fellow classmate. At the age of 8, these 2 students finally found a way to link their passions to their learning. They self-taught through problem solving.
Isn’t this what we want when a child struggles to problem solve in any subject? In life itself? Don’t we want them to tinker? To mess around? In place of an obstacle that they turn their back on, what if they saw it as an opportunity to show their T.R.U.E. G.R.I.T.?
There are two amazing books that are an incredible springboard to this mindset. They are both written by the same author, Kobi Yamada. I always start with “What Do You Do With An Idea” and then within days, and after many ideas wind up with issues, I read “What Do You Do With A Problem“. Maybe Kobi Yamada would team up with my class and write a new book, “What Do You Do With An Opportunity?” #Nan3EDU
About Kristen Nan
Life is about choices… CHOOSE POSITIVE! After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Elementary Education (with an emphasis in Emotional Support) Kristen Nan started her career in Learning Support then moved into the regular classroom teaching 3rd grade at Hopewell Elementary, HASD, in Aliquippa, PA for the last 21 years. She is a dreamer…an optimist… a disruptor in education! Her mantra is empowerment at all ages. Kristen believes empowering students to make decisions builds strong character. She instills this with T.R.U.E G.R.I.T. Kristen was most recently awarded 2017 Week 1 Steeler Chevron Leader in the Classroom for innovative practices.
