Here it is, already midyear! The period between the holidays and mid-winter break is a time of steady routine and productivity for the students. The children usually return from the holidays anxious to get back to work and this year was no different. Our classes have been bustling as the students go about their activities and eagerly receive new lessons.
Every year I am struck by how much each child has grown during the relatively short time of the holiday break. Day-to-day growth can be so incremental that we often don’t notice it as it is happening. It is only when there is a break or when we consciously look back and compare, that we can appreciate how much change actually has occurred for them.
Midyear can also be a time to reflect on the academic growth each child has made since the beginning of the school year. As parents, many of you have been contemplating your child’s progress in light of re-enrollment decisions, and as teachers we are currently looking at our students with an eye toward writing mid-year evaluations. This goal oriented, end point way of thinking however is a purely adult perspective. Children live in the moment and their activities and thoughts reflect this. This was illustrated by a comment made by a student as we were preparing for the long anticipated Pumpkin Patch field trip last fall. After loading up all of the primary children into their car seats for the drive, I got into my car and one student in the backseat said, “I’m so glad I am driving with someone I know.” For this child, the journey was as important as the destination. Perhaps, this is an important message for us adults. While it is good to take stock of progress from time to time, perhaps we should relax and enjoy the journey while it is happening and trust that progress is also occurring.
Leslie Taphouse
