Week 3 had the whisperings of a rhythm taking shape in the studio. We began our week by setting our first SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timebound) goal as a group. We had a choice between everyone being able to count from and identify numbers 1 to 20, or for everyone to know and identify the days of the week by Friday. The reward? Getting to watch a 30 minute documentary on Terry Fox! The group voted for days of the week, and one hero in particular commented "I already know how to count from 1 to 20 and I want to learn something new!" To help us on this goal we began every day with a days of the week song while referencing our studio calendar.
We revisited our contract promises, including our role in taking care of our environment, both inside and out. We read "Sarah Cynthia Stout Would not Take the Garbage Out" by Shel Silverstein and a great conversation followed about the things we resist or avoid doing, and how we organize the studio and personal maintenance. This carried forward into a new tradition we brought to campus: "Waterkeeper Wednesdays"! We're so fortunate to have access to the beautiful Millstone River and want to do our part to care for this part of the environment too. Armed with buckets and garbage pickers we set out and removed cans, socks, fishing line, water bottles, and various mystery items!
Almost as if on cue, we were soon after greeted by some of the local fauna: the turtle, a deer, and a sweet little snail!
Our learners have really gotten into their groove on their e-learning programs and you can hear a pin drop in the studio during core skills time (save for the sporadic whoops of joy when someone perseveres through a challenging lesson!). They were also introduced to "The Handwriting Game", and provided with their Handwriting Without Tears books to begin their handwriting journey. Seeing their movable avatar on the map with the prospect of earning a badge for each book completed was all the motivation they needed, and they jumped at the opportunity to get started! These maps, seen throughout the studio, serve many purposes, one of which is that learners are able to see who's ahead of them on the journey and who they can turn to for help when needed. Over time, they'll begin to rely more and more on each other and less and less on the adult in the room.
This week we read a book called "Have you Filled a Bucket Today?", a beautiful story about the invisible bucket we all carry with us that is either filled up by things that make us happy, or emptied (dipped into) by those that make us sad. Even our smallest actions (like a smile) can have an impact on the buckets of those around us, and we had a powerful discussion about whether one has a choice to be a bucket filler or dipper. We discussed ways we can be bucket fillers and how one might be a bucket dipper, something we all can be from time to time. Each learner was then given their own bucket to decorate and write words or draw pictures of what they can do to be bucket fillers in our studio. These will be displayed on our walls to remind us all of the impact we can have on those around us.
On Friday morning we checked in on our SMART goal and alas, we weren't all able to identify the days of the week. This was a great learning opportunity for the group, and they brainstormed ideas for how they might achieve this goal next week. Volunteers put their names forward and we will try again, because heroes don't give up! We finished off our week with our very first birthday celebration at Acton Academy Nanaimo. One of our heroes turned 8 and the studio was abuzz with excitement as they all made beautiful cards, wrote poems, made puppets, and learned fun facts about their friend. We lit a candle, sang some songs, and passed around one photo from each year of his life. He shared his goal for this year with us and we all closed our eyes and made a birthday wish for him. Before we knew it, parents were arriving and it was time to say goodbye once again.
I hope your bucket was filled this weekend, and in the wise words of Henri Frederic Amiel, “Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind.”
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