I have to admit that I don’t know how to sew even though I am pretty sure that my mother tried to teach me at some point, but my husband and I still like to watch Project Runway and love listening to Tim Gunn checking in on fellow contestants while implanting his famous words of wisdom, ‘Make it Work”. This idea of persistence takes me back to a professional development session I had a few years ago with Karen Boyes and the 16 Habits of Mind and has been in my head the past two weeks while I’ve been finding my feet in a new school.
There are always challenges to face during the school year, some things can be changed or implemented right away, while others take time and patience. (policies, resources, etc.) So instead of complaining and moping about, I find myself making it work! Isn’t this the attitude we want our students to have as well? To become problem solvers, not only in math, but in everyday life.
We want our students to try new ideas, apply and adapt new strategies, and monitor and reflect on progress. These ideas have already helped my Grade 3s this year to solve problems such as a lunch bin that was too heavy for even two students to carry and a rotation schedule for our classroom jobs. Roadblocks may come up, but stick with it, and push forward, especially when it will benefit your students!
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