| For even more inspiration and encouragement, read “this related post, Teachers With a Design Mindset, and join the SHARE and TELL conversations in our Facebook group! Thank you for all you do for students! |
January is an ideal time to get your kids excited about a meaningful project that contributes to the school or community, something they might even work on for the next several months.
Gifts are meant to be shared, and the hope is that intellectually gifted adults will use their gifts for good, for the betterment of the world. It’s never too early to introduce this idea, and students benefit from knowing that what they’re doing in our classrooms can serve a higher purpose.
START BIG or SMALL
7 WAYS STUDENTS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR LEARNING COMMUNITY
This is a landing page I wanted to remind you about. You’ll find links to many previous posts that give all the details for short-term and longer-term projects. You might even share these ideas with students and elicit ideas they could add to the list. It could also be a choice board, allowing students to choose a smaller project or a team project based on their interests and the time you can dedicate to project work. Here is another previous post that may inspire you:
HOW CAN I IMPACT THE WORLD IN A POSITIVE WAY?
A GROWTH MINDSET for the TEACHER
If you choose to work on a larger project, such as a showcase or interactive museum, the greater challenge might seem daunting, but it’s so worth it! Empowering students to “begin with the end in mind,” to envision something, take ownership, and then see it come to life, months later, is awesome (in the truest sense of that word)! I would also encourage you, even urge you, to journal or blog about it, as I did (photo below- read more HERE). I wrote about the obstacles, the “fails,” and the wins, and the written reflections were so helpful to me as a teacher. They kept me going. Give it a try! You will be able to more clearly process each step and grow with your students! And then, of course, we’d love it if you shared it all with us! <grin>
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Our Facebook group would love to hear about what your students are doing! We are all about sharing meaningful learning ideas and projects. If you have not yet joined us, please consider it. You can read more about what we do in the group HERE, and join HERE.
HAPPY SECOND SEMESTER (for U.S. readers) HAPPY START TO THE YEAR (Australia, New Zealand, and others).