Blooms and Weeds: Reflecting on the School Year

By Early Childhood and Elementary Head, Kathryn Bauman-Hill

Warmer weather and the signs of Spring exploding in flowers and trees bring a renewed sense of hope. As educators, this time of year leads to reflection of the current year and hopeful new ideas for the next school year. Recently I have looked at this process as identifying blooms, areas that have thrived, and weeds, areas that could be removed or adjusted before the next year begins. 

Teachers are reflecting, too, on both ideas that have bloomed this year as well as ideas that need more care for continued growth. Being reunited with students in person has opened opportunities for thriving ideas and practices this school year. Student and teacher enthusiasm for various units, whether it be science, social studies, math, or literacy, is palpable. Fourth graders have jumped into engaging science experiments, deeper exploration, and have applied mathematical ideas in interdisciplinary settings, requiring children to think more flexibly. EC West has used picture analysis to grow students' critical thinking skills beyond the plot in a story. New collaborative teaching strategies have ignited many moments of growth in all classrooms. In Third grade, one bloom has been jigsaw learning, where students become experts on a topic and share their knowledge to create a fuller understanding for the class. Through collaborative learning, teachers have seen extensive academic and social growth across all ages as students navigate challenging ideas, have discussions, and build off of each other's ideas and observations. 

Having time to dive deeply into a unit has been another area where teachers have seen depth in student understanding. A creative geometry unit in Third grade merged art with math. Students have created a polygon picture glyph of their face, developed toothpick people highlighting angles as body parts, connected ideas through geometry jeopardy, and built 3-D geometric figures from a multitude of materials. First grade has investigated social justice and built awareness through their garden unit, extending into food waste, food deserts, and urban gardening. They are learning about food preparation techniques and safety using a biweekly box of produce from Imperfect Foods–and tasting the results! Many classes are highlighting learning successes through showcase moments that have helped students synthesize individual, small group, and whole-class projects. On the flip side, other classes have been thinking creatively about how to condense the essentials of a unit and approach traditions in a new format. Another benefit has been the opportunity to be back in a routine, which has led to rich moments with students blooming more vibrantly this time of the year. Both students and teachers have developed deep relationships and comfort levels with one another which allows for advanced risk-taking and growth. 

There are places to adjust and items to weed away as we look towards the future, too. Many classes are interested in examining the literature in their classrooms, creating refreshed libraries showcasing more diversity in book choices and throughout the curriculum. Other classes are looking to enhance their science units with more input from experts on various topics and to develop more interactive units for the students. Having students utilize science notebooks and graphic features regularly will build richer experiences to record their observations and thinking in creative and precise ways. Focusing on how to make learning even more engaging for students is one area everyone wants to continue to build on in the next year after the restrictions from the pandemic. Finally, collaborating more intentionally with families, by partnering with parents and providing more opportunities for involvement, are essential adjustments. Teachers are eager to weed away family restrictions on entering the school, instead building more moments for families to be a deeper part of the daily school community.  

With this being my first year at Capitol Hill Day School, I have observed many ideas that I would love to see continue to flower and grow. On a personal level, one lovely bloom for me has been the welcome spirit and ease of integrating into our community of educators, students, and families. Sammy Robertson, the EC/Elementary counselor, and I teach guidance lessons in all classes at the EC/Elementary level to encourage social emotional growth in individuals and the greater student community. Multiple touchpoints with the children have helped me build deeper relationships, cherish their individual strengths, and see potential areas for growth. Each of these important moments of connection build areas where all can blossom within the Capitol Hill Day School community.