Revealing the BIGGER Picture

The life of a mother, wife, teacher, and graduate student never ends. If I could stay plugged into my computer 24/7, I would to find the answers to all my questions.

Being a lower level teacher for most of my teaching career the fundamentals are being taught and they don't know much so there isn't much of a foundation to build on. But in upper grades, those primary foundations are critical to learning the next steps in the intermediate grades. It was revealed  this week and sadden me, that students have BIG "gaps" in their education. By the upper grades those gaps become a canyon.

If we notice the gaps, the students usually see it as a boulder holding them back from achieving their potential. 

As teacher, or parent, we become frustrated and then start placing blame or get upset at the teacher, parent, or student.  Like in the blind men and the elephant fable, we need to focus on the BIGGER picture. 

 Our job as the adults in "our" childrens' lives is to educate them and raise them up from "boulders" or obstacles. It is not an easy solution, but a critical one.  As the caregivers, we need to sit back and see the whole picture to fill in the gaps.

My revelation,solution, this week is to love, care, and fill in gaps along the way.  My favorite professor says, "a good teacher (even parent) can teach their student anything with even a bunch of rocks."  So as we are approaching the state tests and we are on the downhill of the school year (Hooray for 100th day!), we need to teach the teachable moments and not stir up emotions while we teach.  When the child has reached their breaking point, or we have, no one is learning anymore.  I've exposed the "elephant in the room".... now begin to see the BIGGER picture and love those kids (even the ones that don't seem to respond to it).