Connect, Create, Communicate

Context: A writer lives inside of you.

Last Spring was an exciting time in my classroom. I had decided to test the concept of The Six Cedar Trees and see what worked and what didn’t. My class had embraced a growth mindset and we knew no boundaries. Each day my students talked about being like Raven or Salmon or Wolf; and each day my students came with pictures and posters and stories they had begun in class and then finished at home.

IMG_0428For some of my students, connecting with the Six Cedar animals gave them new purpose and direction. This was the case for my little Raven, Emily. Emily loved the lessons each animal taught. She drew pictures and told her little sister all about each animal. One day, she came to school with her own book… an “Easy Reader” version of The Six Cedar Trees. I will never forget that feeling of absolute pride, not for anything I felt I had done but for the magic that can happen when a child is inspired.

Context: What animal do you connect with?

Have you ever had a colleague that just wows you? You listen to her stories and you walk into her room and you wish you could come be a student for a day? This is the way I feel about Melanie. As a veteran Kindergarten teacher, this is Melanie’s first year teaching Grade 3/4. She’ll humbly tell you she is muddling her way through, but the work she is doing is truly beautiful!

In first term, Melanie began her journey with Orca. Inspired by Adrienne Gear, Melanie’s Big Idea this term was “We are all connected.” As students explored the Positive Personal and Cultural Identity Competency, they engaged in different ways of representing themselves and their interests.

 

In a series of lessons, Melanie had students read and respond to the beautiful book, Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox. Guiding them through the five-day writing process set out in Writing Power, Melanie encouraged students to think about themselves and their family members as animals. This was something that came naturally to many who had experience with several other Indigenous books, including The Six Cedar Trees. Here is a sample of their finished work!