September 19, 2011
A Crystallizing Moment
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ~ William Arthur Ward
In my earlier years as a teacher, I worked diligently with a non-verbal student who struggled with both verbal communication and behaviors due to his inability to communicate with others. Every day, I would come into my classroom and greet him, as I did any other child, as well as narrate and sign almost every action I did throughout my day. By the end of the school year, this child was beginning to sign back to me, as well as making valiant attempts to verbalize with myself and others. When I returned the following year, remembering me, he greeted me with a big smile, a kiss on the cheek, and a “hi”, which he still does to this day when I see him. This brought me to tears and to this day, is one of the proudest moments in my teaching career.
How can you cultivate a “crystallizing moment” in your classroom? Meaning, a moment which makes a life-long memory for or impact on a child. Have you already?
Looking forward to hearing from you! ~ Lindsay, Education Specialist