The Best Day in Education

The best day in education happened at the end of this past school year. Every year I complete an activity at the beginning of the year called The Best Part of Me, it is based off the book by Wendy Ewald. The premise of the activity is for students to choose the best part of themselves and write about why they love it.  I usually do this at the beginning of the year as a team building activity.  I then explain to students how each person has their own set of special qualities and that adds to making our classroom great.  It usually turns out decent.

Well, this year I had a group of great students that actually got along and behaved! They were truly a dream class.  I did not feel it necessary to complete the activity within the first few weeks of school like I usually did.  As we all know, the first few days of school move quickly into the first few weeks and then it’s Spring break before we know it.  Needless to say, I found myself in May, the last week of school and I still had not done the project.

I reached out to the mother of one of my students who was a professional photographer.  She agreed to come in on short notice and photograph each student.  Once that part was complete, I read the book to the students.  Fast forward to the best day in education. Each student received his or her black and white photograph and a writing template.  It was time to get to work.  Some students immediately started jotting down all the reasons they loved the particular part of their body they had chosen.  Some chose their hands because it helped them hold a sibling, some chose their feet because it helped them play soccer, and some students just sat there.  They had already chosen the best part of them, they just did not know why.  Without prompting, students started helping those that were stuck.  I heard things like, “you’re great at drawing maybe that’s why you love your hands.”  I also heard a group of girls telling another student she in fact does have the best hair because she “always has cool braids and cat headbands”.  To see the way they came together and helped build each other out truly melted my heart. Mission accomplished.   

I do not know if waiting until the end of the year made this project more authentic.  Were the students more mature? Better writers? Did they have more time to get to know one another? I do not know what it was, but I am seriously considering moving this project to the end of the year.  Keeping my fingers crossed for another awesome experience.  

Marisa B.