In Between The Spelling & Math

For me, education happens here. I know I’m speaking against the grain but I ‘m calling forth one of the many elephants in the room. The over-sized, slightly lost elephant simply looking to be loved and seen. I have to wonder, if this time at home will invite more of these questions forth. Are we doing it right? Are we educating from the heart or are we swimming against a system that is completely broken?

My kindergarten teacher mastered the moments in between. The magic was in the middle. For Ms. Wolfenden, it was not about memorizing your addition facts but rather feeling excited about the patterns and possibilities of numbers. Learning to read had nothing to do with being at a certain level by the end of the year and instead had everything to do with the wonderment and infinite possibilities words and pictures can bring into our little lives. Learning was about the joy, the excitement and the enthusiasm each of her students experienced along the way. It was pure and she was present and she trusted me. She trusted that I would blossom when it was my time and that was one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. 

Ms. Wolfenden continues to be one of my greatest teachers today. While I am no longer holding my own classroom, there were so many moments in my teaching that lead back to her. I learned to slow my teaching down. It was not about a checklist of goals and outcomes, but instead watching a child’s eyes light up when all of a sudden something clicked. Learning was tucked in the moment that two friends work through something that felt uncomfortable on the playground or a student standing in front of her class for the first time all year to share a poem. That was the gold for me.

There is more gold. There is gold in the hard and I wonder if many of you are experiencing that right now. As I write, I watch my daughter struggle with the cursor on her computer. In a frustrated moment she shuts her screen down and exclaims “I’m done.” 10 seconds later, she opens the computer again and gets back to work. That is gold. Gold is writing your teacher and saying “I’m having a hard day. Can I take a break from today’s zoom meeting?” And one last moment to share… It is when your child learns how to open Google Docs for the first time and start writing the story that has been swimming in his head. Small moments…. yes. But they are the soil that will nourish our children moving forward.

So, dear reader…I invite you to look between the cracks. Hang your hat on the smaller moments when you notice your child doing something hard or great or new. Allow the laughter to rise and also the frustration. It is ALL an education. Trust the space in between. That is the gold.