By Christine Boyd

Well, it has officially arrived. This magical time each summer, when I start to think about my focus for the upcoming school year. Academics are always a priority, as well as connecting and bonding with my fifth graders.    However, there has to be more. When my children were in school, the one thing I always hoped for was that they would be treated with respect and kindness. Therefore, I treat my students the same way I would want my children treated. I do my best to achieve this because I feel passionate about it, and mostly because children deserve nothing less. Still, I ponder.  What will be my focus this year? 

Let me first get a mental picture of my classroom. When I close my eyes to picture it, I see desks and chairs, books, Chromebooks, backpacks, and lunchboxes. The walls are yellow and sprinkled with brightly colored posters. There are bins full of pencils, markers, crayons, and colored pencils. Then, I open my eyes and realize that I pictured the physical classroom, and that’s not what I want to see. 

I close my eyes again, look beyond the physical, and picture what counts: the students in action. I immediately smile because I see students engaged in their work, quietly whispering to each other to collaborate and work together.  I see a calm, peaceful, safe environment where students feel comfortable.  A room where students feel safe to make mistakes, learn, ask questions, and try even when it’s hard. I see the occasional spark in a child’s eye and catch the proud smile of someone satisfied with their progress. I open my eyes.  Yes, that’s my classroom. And yet, the question lingers in my mind.  What will be my focus this year?

Then it hits me. I’m visualizing the classroom and my students in action. All that is good.  However, I’m not seeing every student beyond the work, the assessments, beyond the reading, writing, beyond the bins of crayons, notebooks, pencils, markers, and projects. So, what will be my focus this year?  My focus comes from my heart, and not my head. I want every student to feel seen and heard.  I want to pay close attention to the small moments: eye contact, smiles, personal stories and experiences, and sometimes tears and heartache. Even though my day will be hectic, full of decisions, lesson plans, meetings, phone calls, and emails, I want to be present in the moment for my students and appreciate them as individuals. I want to truly see them, each one of them, because that is what they deserve, and honestly, that is what truly matters. 

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