I looked up at the sky- it was Crayola Blue- that rich beautiful blue you see without a cloud nearby.
For the first time in many months, my class was taking a mask break outside. In the fall, we took outside masks breaks daily until the temperature started dropping. By mid-November, we were no longer going outside. It's a long day in the classroom now, with special area teachers coming to us and lunch no longer in the cafeteria. The chance to get outside, breathe in fresh air and be out of our classroom is so welcome. It was a blue sky kind of teaching day. We did a hands-on science activity where students had to build a bridge out of paper that would support pennies. They had to create stronger bridges to get more and more pennies to stay on top without making the bridge collapse. Students worked with a partner- masks on- and it felt so refreshing to be able to have students collaborate. The opportunities have been limited but there is so much value in their conversations, their shared ideas, their teamwork. In math, we used play-doh to represent fractions- a new concept for students. We partitioned the play-doh into halves, fourths, thirds, and more. Students were so engaged. Some days in the classroom can be downright stormy and some are just mildly gray. A blue sky teaching day doesn't come around as much as I'd like, but today reminded me that I need to do more to control the weather in my classroom because the blue sky days feel really good.
5 Comments
3/9/2021 02:04:51 pm
I love your term "blue sky teaching day!" I think I had one today as well. It just was a day where most things fell into place so nicely. It's so energizing, isn't it? Hope your skies remain clear heading forward!
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I love how you brought crayons into this and want to steal that phrase "blue sky teaching day." Especially when you continued the description by referring to the stormy grey later on...
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Holly Mueller
3/9/2021 05:02:38 pm
Oh, what a wonderful description of a good day now - "a blue sky teaching day". They do seem to come less frequently these days, so I'm so glad you got one!
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3/9/2021 05:07:16 pm
Today was a Crayola blue day, for sure, reaching 63 degrees here in March. It's clear how much you and your class needed
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3/9/2021 07:02:00 pm
Oh, I love this piece. Yes, a blue sky day--that kind of day where teaching and learning almost feel effortless. Love the color and sky and weather comparisons. Just beautiful!
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AuthorKathleen Neagle Sokolowski Archives
February 2024
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