This week, we challenged the PNA community to articulate what they love about PNA.  I became a teacher because I value learning for learning's sake, because reading opens up entire worlds to us, because our world is full of interesting things to be explored and explained.  I chose to teach at PNA because it allows me to help my students become creative, stay curious, explore their interests, and discover their place in our world. 
   
When asked to write what he loves about PNA, one of our sweet kindergartners said, "Well, I don't know.  Sometimes I have to work really hard and it's tough."  I love that, even though we strive to make learning fun and engaging, we also challenge our students.  Students are not simply given answers or encouraged to conform, follow one path, or give the "right" or expected answer.  Instead, students are encouraged to persevere through challenges, to try new things, to look at things from multiple perspectives, to take risks, struggle, and even fail at times.  Students, teachers, and parents work together to learn, to embrace the journey, and to grow.  As a result, students bounce into school, eager to learn and experience whatever the day holds, not because it will be on a test or because they have to, but because we capitalize on their natural curiosity and eagerness to explore the world in which we live, because we provide interesting, authentic, and engaging learning contexts, because we build a community where mistakes are okay and where risks and growth are expected and encouraged.   
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For the past few weeks, I have had a classroom full of mushers, dog trainers, actors, and movie directors.  Students, engaged in projects, have had the opportunity to learn using real word tools and authentic contexts.  They have been challenged, had fun, and learned new skills.  PNA allows me to help my students learn in an amazing way, and I love that. 

As you know, we celebrated our 100th day of school this week.  As students pretended to be 100 and shared about what they picture themselves doing at 100 years old, I was struck by a few things, the first being their sense of humor and love of fun.  ​

This week in math, the first graders and I embarked on a pretend expedition to Antarctica.  We encountered penguins, learning number stories about them (which included their height, weight, and the number of eggs they lay) and comparing our heights to theirs.

It was a highly engaging unit.  Students asked me throughout the day, "When are we going to work on our penguin project again?"  

With Bridges, we invite them to engage in mathematical thinking, support them as they learn new skills and strategies, and provide continued exposure to and practice with learned skills and strategies through work stations.  

The whole experience is age-appropriate, fun, and engaging.  Students look forward to math and exploring the world through the lens of a mathematician, and it is a joy to be part of that experience with them.  ​