So we were out at recess recently and I saw a bunch of students crowded around a shed on the playground. Of course, I go to investigate. There are 3 kittens probably a few months old, they look pretty healthy. I chase the kiddos away because I don't want them to accidently hurt or scare the babies. It seems like there is a mama cat taking care of them, I feel like they will be alright. Well, that afternoon at dismissal I see a dead mama cat with exactly the same coloring as one of the kittens (we have lots of stray dogs in the area and we have some huge hawks). So now I'm worried about them.
I was talking to one of the administrators and she said if I can catch them, she will find them homes. So I took the whole class outside. Talked to the kiddos beforehand about how we have to be quiet and still and wait patiently for them to come out. Anyone who did not want to help could sit on the bench and watch. The students talked about how the babies must be scared without their mom and how they are glad we are able to help them. With food we lured 3 hungry kittens out and followed the mews to one other that got separated from its siblings on the other side of the building. Bad storms moved in later that day and I was so glad we were able to rescue them because I don't think they would have survived on their own very long.
Later that day I am in the office and overhear one of my teammates criticizing me. She says "well, some teachers focus on teaching curriculum and some teachers focus on kittens". *sigh* I have actually heard that she says things like this about me to people all the time-that I don't follow the curriculum. First of all, that is just false-the curriculum is absolutely my guide. But I am also 100% the teacher that will take a class outside to help the kittens! I believe there are so many skills outside of the written curriculum that will benefit students from learning-that we have to teach the whole child. What did they learn that morning:
1) How to be still and patient in waiting for what we want
2) How to care for animals.
3) How to think about others.
4) How to solve a problem. Many people just walk past situations like this. We did something.
5) They learned empathy and thinking from another perspective.
I am also reminded of a time it snowed (in Texas that does not happen very often) and I took the class outside so they could catch snowflakes with their tongues-that class is now graduating from high school and I still remember that moment. Was it in my lesson plan? No. Was it a learning experience? Absolutely. Students learn more if it is something they are interested in. If I know a student loves lions, we design a unit around that subject. Informational text about lions to teach text features. Problem solving in math using zoo animals. Classifying mammals in science. All objectives but they are learning them in a way that taps into their interests.
Parents are out there declaring "just teach the curriculum" as they rail against social-emotional programs and diversity days. This year in my class we practiced conflict resolution and anger management skills. We learned how to debate, how to make a polite, cohesive argument. We read tons of diverse stories. Had many discussions on how it's ok to be unique or different. We learned how to present publicly. We learned how to create, how to think critically. None of those skills are specifically listed in any of our curriculum materials-but are they important? Of course they are.
I will ALWAYS choose the kittens and I do not apologize for that. You want to know who I am as a teacher-that is who I am.
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