"Learning transforms not only your mind but your heart." - student in Mr. Tanaka's class

Last week at a staff meeting, we watched a brief documentary some kids had made about their experience learning about refugees in Mr. Tanaka's class at Cooper Elementary School in Spokane. They wanted to learn about what being a refugee meant. The kids went to World Relief and went through a refugee simulation experience. They then decided to prepare homes for 2 incoming Burmese families, getting everything ready for them to come. In the documentary, which the kids produced about their experience, you see kids start out saying they know nothing about what being a refugee means, to statements like the one above, and I couldn't help but wish more kids had the opportunity to truly learn in a transformative way.

I am heading to Philadelphia this summer with that hope in the forefront of my mind. I'll be working with new teachers, trying to get them to see that their kids are beautiful and amazing and lovely and profound, and have much to offer. And that the kind of classroom they create can transform kids' lives, or denigrate them, depending on the methodology they choose.

Here's to 6 weeks of transformation, peeps.