That time of year is here when kids are picking out their costumes and carving pumpkins. The kids have been looking forward to this Halloween since November 1st 2018! Should they pick a scary costume or a funny costume? Should their pumpkin be smiling or grimacing? To a child, these are important questions! However, it is also that time of year when teachers are preparing for parent-teacher conferences and report cards. Should they schedule them all in one day and get them done or spread them out a few at a time over a number of days? Should they give Johnny the better grade on his behavior because he’s been trying so hard but he just can’t help but always interrupt your lessons? Should they take the kids out for an extra recess today or should they finish those last few assessments? To a teacher, these are important questions. As a teacher, and especially as a teacher of lower elementary, it is hard to find the balance between letting your students be kids and teaching them to grow up. For example, last year my principal brought a question up to the staff at a staff meeting. Should we keep the Halloween Parade next year? After much discussion about the kids whose parents can’t come or the kids who don’t show up with a costume or even the kids who just simply can’t handle the overstimulation of the parade, we put it to a vote. My colleagues voted to get rid of the parade. Herein lies many problems but what sticks out like a sore thumb to me is this: to what extent does a school need to let kids be kids? Was the parade, an event that happens once a year and doesn’t last longer than 20 minutes, that much of a hassle? Although there were issues brought up by the parade, much like any event disrupting the school day, could we have figured out a way to solve those problems without getting rid of it all together? All in all, this situation has caused me to think more about my teaching philosophy. During my first year of teaching I was all about curriculum and structure. However, the longer I teach and the more kids I get to know the more I think IT IS OKAY to #letthembelittle sometimes because…they are! Baker, C. (Photographer). (2017, October 28). Squad [digital image]. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/7FC-84Ap_IU.
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