There is a taxidermied pheasant and heron at our school. This week we’ve had many conversations about the similarities and differences in their structure, habitat, and what they eat. We shared our prior knowledge and did a bit of research. Then we built our own birds with an entire pheasant worth of feathers. I was given the feathers by a former teacher friend who lives in Saskatchewan.

It’s delightful to see the students’ curiosity and wonder at the beauty of the shimmering iridescent blues and greens on the pheasant’s neck. And to notice and appreciate the symmetry of the brown and black feathers covering the body. And to be surprised by the smooth and fluffy texture of the down. I overheard many variations on the theme: wow nature is amazing!

We’ve been using some logic puzzles to reason our way through some new math. And working together to create our own games to teach math skills.

Sometimes new learning can also bring frustration. We have been delving into strategies for recognizing when we are experiencing a strong emotion, and how to handle our emotions if we become frustrated with an expectation or activity. We also reflected on the fact that we can feel proud of our efforts,  perseverance, and resilience even if we aren’t always successful.

Please be reminded that Friday, November 24th is a Professional Day.

 

By LBaker