Why do you love PNA?
2/17/2018
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. 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. Comments are closed.
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Hali TuomiMs. Tuomi has over five years experience in ASD, where she taught first and fifth grade classrooms. An avid skier, Ms. Tuomi is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Alaska Pacific University’s Bachelor of Arts in K-8 Education. Archives
April 2021
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