Observation

“It is not our differences that divide us. 

It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”

~ Audre Lorde

It takes a special skill to be observant: to scan around your learning space and not just look, but see. As we journey through the middle of our teaching week, let’s consider this scenario: 

It’s a busy, energetic day in your classroom. After circulating around the room answering questions and providing support, you pause for a moment to catch your breath. In those few seconds, you watch. You watch everything happening around you. There are students who may need another reminder of the expected task. You see a student helping another, and it occurs to you that these students aren’t friends nor have they previously interacted with each other, and yet they are supporting each other. You listen to a child tell a joke they just made up. You overhear a teenager quietly confide to a friend about a difficult situation at home. When you pause to observe for those few moments, your eyes and heart are opened a little wider.

Taking the time to reflect on our surroundings is critical. It helps us tune in to our learning space, appreciate the blessings we have been given, and become aware of barriers we might never have noticed. It also reminds us that our students are human, with complex emotions and experiences. Being observant means recognizing the similarities and differences in our learning community and identifying how these nuances strengthen our space. Today, let’s take a second look to notice, embrace, and celebrate the unique and beautiful gifts in our classroom.