Celebrate the Small Successes

Elementary Engineering students in 3rd-5th grades are closing in on week eight of using the Student Menus that allow them to choose different projects from a collection of required projects.  Students started off very enthusiastic about the process.  There were difficulties communicating and understanding the expectations with the new writing process of claim, evidence, and reasoning this year.  In addition, it is difficult for me to provide as much one-on-one support as the teacher because I am pulled in so many directions during class.  In addition, students may have more difficulty finding students to ask because there may not be any other students on the same project or the same step.  Students are also only allowed to have the a partner for one project.  They cannot have the same partner for multiple projects.  This creates an additional difficulty of finding a new partner when a student is ready to begin a new project.

With all the challenges, I remind myself and the students why we are using the menus.  In the past, a project was covered and then we moved on.  What I mean by this is that I would give the students x number of days to complete a given project.  If students were adept at building with the materials, they would complete their project.  If not, students had to move on whether or not their project was complete, documenting only the portion that was completed.  While I tried to support all students in finishing their projects in the allotted time, it never seemed to work well.  Some students would be done and free building other projects.  Other students would be frantically trying to complete their work and still not have enough time.  The use of the student menus not only a provide some opportunities for student choice, but also allow student completion and mastery of projects rather than covering and moving on in elementary engineering.  Of course there are both pros and cons to this system as well.  Today, however, I want to share with you a pro.

I have had many of the students in my fifth grade classes for five years now.  They are the last group of students in the school that have known any other elementary teacher besides me.  One young lady, I will call her Suzy, has always been a hard worker.  She has always shown perseverance and a good attitude, but has had difficulty completing builds with the past structure of the classroom.  This allowed her very little opportunity for feelings of success.  Yesterday, Suzy completed her first independent building project in class this year.  She had paid attention to detail, followed instructions carefully, asked for assistance with needed, and completed her full project.  She was finally allowed to shine.  After all, don't most teachers want to encourage the aforementioned traits in our students.  And yet, this was not the pinnacle of her success.  Suzy was happily starting on her next project, ready to tackle a build that was noted as a partner build individually.  She happened to notice I was caught between two different sets of students who needed me.  A pair of the students were working on the build Suzy had just completed individually and having some difficulties.  Suzy came up to me and asked if I wanted her to help the pair of students while I helped the others.  Relief was my first emotion to surface as I gladly handed the pair of students into her capable hands.  Excitement was my next emotion once I had a moment to reflect on the event.  Here was my student who had experienced few completed individual projects, and was not only able, but volunteering to assist another pair of students.  I was elated.  Perhaps this is how Suzy felt even if she didn't show it.  Moments like these are why I teach.  Moments like these make me love my career and renew my passion for what I do.  While I could reflect on all the things I have done wrong during my teaching career, I have always tried to do what was best for students.  My methods may work for some and not for others, and I am always looking to improve my practices.  But through all the years, there has always been moments like these to sustain me.  Remember to celebrate the successes no matter how small.  Those successes matter to students like Suzy and they should matter to you.  Best wishes to you and to your successes.