My classroom is a chaotic symphony. Students sit by their friends, music is playing, there is constant motion as students move about to get the materials they need, or to find someone who can help solve a problem. It is often hard to find me as I'm likely seated with a student, engaged in a process.
My students are so diverse; it is impossible to describe them except to say that they are the most open minded empathetic group of young people you would ever like to meet.
Some of our students are homeless, many of our students have parents who work in agriculture, some work in technology and still others have parents who work at the university. We have students who are second language learners and some who choose to take a second language as their elective.
I'm fortunate to teach 6th, 7th and 8th graders in mixed grade level classes. I love this arrangement because the older students show the younger students the ropes, and provide examples of advanced student work, while the younger students are really still very childlike, just on the cusp of adolescence, not yet terribly self-conscious, and more willing to play and take risks. They offer a balance for each other that lends itself to fantastically creative work.
My Project
I've got a friend with Parkinson's Disease in New York. His condition is such that he very rarely leaves the house unless someone comes to take him out. I want to see him more often, but I live in California. This summer I started a postcard exchange with him. I sent him 40 addressed and stamped blank postcards so that when he receives a post card from me it is easy for him to send a return one to me.
I got to thinking about how many people are separated from their loved ones by distance. Modern communication such as email makes keeping in touch easier, but it is not always an accessible tool for older or socioeconomically disadvantaged folks.
Which got me to thinking about grandparents and how rewarding this process could be for my students and an older person they do not get to see very often.
We need stamps, 9 x 12 prepaid envelopes, and card stock. My students will mail a package of addressed and stamped postcards to a geographically distant loved one and once a week we will spend time in class drawing on and writing out postcards.
The eighty students involved in the project are my drawing students.
We will use blank postcards to create art work on one side and then write out notes on the other. The cards will become a weekly activity that enhances their drawing and writing skills while deepening a personal connection to someone who does not live near them.
For students who do not have a family member to write to I will provide them with an elder pen pal.
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