The Students are Teaching Me!

It's amazing what students are capable of accomplishing when given rich, meaningful tasks to complete. I just finished uploading my latest classroom podcast, and I am still smiling as I listen to the student responses to the following question: "Do you think that it is possible for a young student to make a difference in the world? What could you do in the next few months to make a difference in your home, school, community, and world as a whole?" I was expecting a lot of comments about the importance of recycling and being environmentally responsible, and these comments were definitely made; however, what really caught me by surprise were the references to other students such as Laura Stockman, Makenzie Snyder, and Stephanie Taylor who demonstrated incredible leadership and selfless thinking to make the world a better place. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but I was shocked that the students in my grade 5 class would seek out other students who have led by example. I had heard of Laura's mission, but I had never heard of Makenzie or Stephanie. We really do learn from each other, and I guess that's why they say that we are all "lifelong learners."