Dear Fourth Grade,
What a full week it has been!
Feeling the Feels: the paragraph in which we are reminded about human struggle
To quote a colleague, fourth grade is “feeling all the feels” right now. Lots of emotions are bubbling up within their new ten-year-old consciousnesses. This is a great time to remind everyone that for human beings ‘healthy’ does not always equate with ‘harmony.’ As you know, it is how we handle conflict and the lessons we learn from sticky situations that often give rise to higher social and inner capacities. The fourth grade is doing this hard work of identifying the choices they made that weren’t the right thing and trying to make it right with their peers. However, this is harder than it was in the past because they are each experiencing more complexity in their emotional reactions. There are now serious shades of grey developing instead of just black and white. Sometimes they can express this and sometimes they can’t, but I often see adamant surety of their perspective and then realization of another’s experience or confusion at the drastically different accounts. “It used to be easier,” one said. “Fourth grade has so much drama,” another said.
It’s gonna be okay: where Ms Avellone says ‘developmentally appropriate’ in several different ways….
This experience is exactly where they are supposed to be. The multi-layered complexity of the human experience is now coming into their awareness. I’m not saying that it is okay that they are having so many fights, but rather that we will not panic at the way their 10-year-old developmental experiences are manifesting. The curriculum meets this stage with images of polarities that change, one-sidedness that develops into something else, characters who we feel differently towards over the course of the story instead of a ‘hero’ we appreciate throughout. The curriculum also provides them with experiences of crossings (braided form drawing, cross stitch) that protect and also foster a sense of self. I continue to coach them implicitly and explicitly within the context of the classroom, and give them lots and lots of hard work. The faculty handles situations that have escalated with the restorative practices we’ve been using the past several years. There are consequences and there is also understanding. A couple faculty members have made comments along the lines of, “Wow, they are so right where they are supposed to be. They are so healthy.” This is always followed with, “Now, how can we help you support them through this?”
The upside: in which Ms Avellone does a bit of boasting
Besides the positive social capacities they are developing, the other side of this is a HUGE jump in overall ability in the classroom. Our composition project this week took the class a quarter of the time than a similar project did in late September. Their writing is developing beautifully. Everything has improved, from diction and expression to spelling and punctuation. I couldn’t believe how much extra work I kept having to throw their way this week. Their increased ability for focused, independent work is exhibiting strongly. Plus, they are funnier and overall appear more interested in everything. We’ve had lots of great discussions and good laughs this past week.
The academic highlight for me was a simple mad-libs-type game we played building sentences. It involved prepositions (this week’s new part of speech), alliteration, verb conjugation and tense, noun-article matching, and acting. A close second is their math chime sheet challenge. They have each set a goal for themselves about their success with their timed math fact daily drill to achieve by the end of this block. They have really taken on the challenge of practicing this block, and will be attempting to earn their laurels this coming week.
More than just academics: the paragraph where Ms Avellone cries
The non-academic highlight was our mini-expedition to the nearby retirement home. I wish you could’ve all been there to see them. They sang beautifully, but it was really their attitude that was beautiful. They were a bit shy but wonderfully interested in the residents. After we sang, they went around to tables and said hello. Some of the residents were jokesters, and the students were able to laugh with them. I got many comments from the adults that it was so amazing to have the young people look them in the eye, and what a great thing we were doing. Truly, this was one of the best trips we have ever taken. It was perfect timing for them to have an experience like this, where they witness hardship (many were in wheel chairs or had other physical difficulties) and are able to do something to bring joy.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Community Solstice Spiral – Tuesday, Dec 18, 5:30-7:00pm. All community members are invited on Tuesday evening to experience the winter garden spiral walk of light.
- Festival of Lights assembly – Thursday, Dec 20, 1:30. Join us for our final hurrah of 2018! There will be a puppet show and a short community singalong.
- Open Dismissal – Thursday, Dec 20, 2:15-2:45ish. After Festival of Lights, we invite you to come to the classroom for hugs and hellos before helping your student collect all their end-of-term things. I can dismiss students directly to you in the classroom. The car line will also be available. Please note: There is no aftercare this day.