Understanding, learning, and responsibility.

It’s early Saturday morning and for once the street outside my apartment in quiet.  My giant white cat is asleep out on the balcony and the sky is slowly brightening from pink to a faint blue.  It is a peaceful time and one perfect for reflection. 

Last year at this time I was deeply submerged in a master’s program- thesis writing, and reading piles upon piles of dry academic articles held my focus.  So how refreshing it is this year to be immersed in the joy of children, the craft of teaching, and all of the nuances both hold.  It has been a long time since I really enjoyed the material I was learning and even longer since the material seemed immediately applicable.  Right now I am truly engaged in the process and everyday see its value.  The name of this blog, The Joyful Educator, stemmed from how uplifting and exciting the elementary program has been for me.

This blog will reflect my growing understanding and appreciation for teaching and learning in the subject of English Language Arts (ELA) in the elementary grades.  So far I have had a week and a half of classes and the main thing I have learned is how much I still have to learn!  It will be interesting to watch the evolution of my understanding and practice over the next few months.

The question we were asked to reflect on this week is, “What do you expect English Language Arts to look like/ sound like/ be like in the Elementary School classroom?” The first image that came to mind for me was a brightly lit classroom full of colour and life.  A group of little ones sits around the teacher raptly engaged in a story book that the teacher actively reading.  The teacher uses different voices for the characters and lots of large gestures.  The children laugh or gasp in response.

Over the last week I have come to realise that ELA includes so much more.  At its core it is teaching the art of communication, both understanding and expressing.  It includes reading but also viewing; listening and speaking; and expression through writing and representing.  It can include art, drama, and media in a wide variety of forms.  The more I learn the more ELA seems to be a foundation to all of the other subjects and success in general.  This leaves me realising the responsibility we have to teach this subject well to all students.  What I hope to learn next is how.