Slice of Life: Are Your Students Dancing Into School? #SOL20 #TWTBlog

I hike my bag up higher on my shoulder trying to balance the bag on my other arm.  As I cautiously make my way across the parking lot and through the line of buses, I hear a WHOOSH.  I turn, first to my left and then my right.  Students are pouring out of buses in a synchronized sway.  I am captivated by the visual scene unfolding in front of me and then the music begins. The sound coming from all directions, outside and inside. For some students, the sway becomes a strut, for others a boogie, hop or hustle.  Smiles spread across every face. The energy soars throughout the crowd as students greet each other with a nod, high-five or fist bump.  I am swept up in the sea of a community of learners energized for the day ahead.

This is how my day started last week when I arrived at my partner school.  I entered through the wrong door and I had to lug my things farther than I needed, but this entrance was worth every extra step. 

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I have the privilege to witness the opening routines of many schools. So often I hear kids being told to be quiet in the hallways as they make their way to their classroom.  Students looking down, not greeting each other, or engaging with the community.  Elementary learners need to be active, creative and collaborative to prepare for the expectations of the twenty-first-century workforce. I am often hired to support schools as they shift to a more authentic, constructive approach to instruction.  Student agency, accountable talk, and collaborative learning are concepts many schools are studying in PLCs.  The contradiction between behavioral expectations inside and outside of the classroom often causes me to pause. 

If we want our students to be engaged in learning, our schools need to have engaging environments.  Students need to see themselves reflected in this setting.  They need to feel confident, empowered, and accepted.  Laughing, dancing and connecting as the day begins feels like the perfect start to the day.  The brain research on movement and learning alone supports this school’s daily ritual.  If learning and school feel fun, won’t our students be more likely to show up and engage?  If our students feel accepted, won’t they be more likely to take risks in their learning?  If our students identify with school, haven’t we set them on the path for lifelong learning? 

So much of our educational talk is around the “what” of our teaching, we cannot overlook the importance of “how” we teach.  The art and craft of our instruction are what make the difference for how students find their voice in learning.  I know I am still thinking about this experience a week later.  Imagine what it does for students each and every day.  How do you start your day?  What rituals invite and empower your students? We need to create space to share the craft of our teaching – these are the moves that keep our students running to school every day.

Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Marina, Kathleen, Kelsey, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for this weekly forum from Two Writing Teachers. Check out the writers, readers, and teachers here.