About mid-year, 4th grade students Kaylee and Audrina asked if they could come into my 1st grade classroom and help out with a lesson I was teaching. I gladly said yes to the girls, but I wasn’t sure how to have them help. When they arrived in the classroom for teaching the lesson the girls did a great job helping out groups and went above and beyond to connect with each student, offering their knowledge and experience.
A few weeks passed by and the girls requested another visit to my classroom, only this time they wanted to teach a lesson to my students. I met with them both and presented them with the standard I needed them to teach. We worked together to come up with the lesson and materials that would need. When they arrived again students were overjoyed to see them! The girls presented the lesson and I was again amazed at how my students responded to them. Students were engaged and able to relate to how the girls presented the material.
By the end of 3rd quarter the girls and I were meeting to work on strategies for teaching that I pay close attention to when I develop lessons for my students. The girls were rocking it! Students were so excited to see them. They had thought provoking questions to ask, engagement strategies to keep students involved and a product for students to complete and turn in for me to assess learning. These young ladies were a joy to have in class. They empowered my students and themselves. I look forward to future collaborations next year.
