This motto has been “mine” for many years.
I believe very deeply that every moment is a moment to grow, to learn, to love, and to serve.
One day, in the middle of teaching kindergarten, one of the children said, “Teacher, a worm just fell on my desk.” I ignored the comment and went on. Within a few seconds, another child cried more urgently, “Teacher, a worm came down from the ceiling!” And when the call came a third time, I decided it was time to take notice. Sure enough, upon inspection, little white “worms” were coming from the ceiling! We immediately stopped what we were doing, grabbed our little magnifying boxes, put a worm inside, and began to “study” it. Eventually, I asked a child to go to the office and have someone come over to see what it really was, and what needed to be done!
However, I hope what I modeled was that there are interesting things to be examined all around us.
Curiosity is a gift not to be squelched by the humdrum of “planned curriculum”.
Learning tools are everywhere – we just need to be aware and take advantage.
Using our moments wisely is also a great classroom management technique. When your children are standing in line, are you busy making sure they’re standing properly, not touching each other, walking in a straight line, etc? Or are they singing a song, practicing the memorization of a poem, reciting their times tables, learning a new math formula or giving a compliment to the person in front of them?
Wasting five minutes a day adds up to 25 minutes a week, which makes 100 minutes per month……well, you get the idea. How long does it take your children to settle down and remember the purpose for which they came to school? Do you talk to them about the job they are there to do?
We have no minutes to waste…..not in the classroom and not in life. Once time is gone, we can never get it back. Use each moment wisely.
Every Moment a Learning Moment 