This is a guest post by Melissa McLean, KIT 2012 Program Committee representative and teacher...
The upcoming Knights in Training Conference for all grade 5 boys in Red Deer Public and Catholic Schools will provide an opportunity for them to connect and reflect about several important and lifelong learning areas: Responsibility, Respect, Understanding and Relationships, and at the root of each of these; HOPE.
During my time teaching boys in Grades 3, 4 and 5, I have learned a lot about who boys are, not just as students, but also as “future men”. These boys are going to one day be the men fixing my car at the garage, working as an engineer at Nova, balancing my finances at the bank, driving in NASCAR, playing in a symphony, selling their art, building houses, playing in an NHL game… (I have big dreams for my students!!!!) Some of the biggest memories that stick out in my teaching career were sparked during an activity in class, a school sports game, a field trip, recess etc. Were any of these moments created during one of my amazing lessons on Creative Writing, Triple digit by double digit multiplication or Canada’s regions?… no-no they weren’t! The memories were sparked because the students and I had created relationships of mutual respect; an understanding that I wanted them to do their best, that each student had responsibility for their own actions and words, and that as their teacher, I had big hopes for their near and distant futures.