September 25

It was exciting to learn more about our new Math program during our Professional Development Day.

One thing I've added to my toolbox is a series of three questions that your child will be hearing a lot this year -- and not only in Math.

1. What are you doing?
2. Why are you doing it?
3. How is it helping you?

These questions help to focus the mind on behavior. The goal is to make us all more aware of the strategies we use to solve problems of all kinds.

I'll be asking myself these questions as well.

Here are my answers about the big question of how I'm spending my year.

1. What are you doing? Teaching Grade One in the school I attended as a child.
2. Why are you doing that? I prefer to teach Grade One because this is the age group I understand best and because I love their developmental stage. Knowing what to do next is seldom a problem when I'm teaching Grade One. I love the sense of continuity I have when I connect with former classmates, now grandparents, bringing their grandchildren to school. I love the memories of my own time at Gibsons Elementary that flood in as I walk in the playground or enjoy a track meet.
   
3. How is it helping you? My days are filled with deep joy and satisfaction. I laugh more and sleep better. I feel like I am filling an important place in my world.

How about you? What are you doing? Why? How is it helping you?