Ms. Castro's Classroom Culture

HAPPY OCTOBER EVERYONE! It is my favorite time of the year, the weather is getting chilly and wonderful! On the other hand, the temperature drop means students are battling getting out of their cozy beds to make it to my class- And they're succeeding! Attendance has been better than ever and I am so proud of them for making good choices.

The YESS program at Adams City has been thriving due to the connections made during our activities. Last week was great because we had real conversations concerning all the components of Social-Emotional Learning. The students worked together with their mentor/mentee to identify real life examples of Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making and how they can apply it to their lives in school and outside of school. They got creative making sketches for each domain and broke down all the components belonging to each one. We discussed how the current event they are passionate about at the moment can be drawn back to at least one of these domains, as well as the struggles and positive experiences in life.

The second half of the week we submerged ourselves into the meaning of Culture and the different examples of it in our every day environment. The students were surprised to learn that Culture can be defined outside of different traditions and customs belonging to different places in the world- Culture can be cultivated and found right there in our room! Every student brings a special aspect to the class which makes our classroom culture so diverse while also creating a vibe of unity. Miss Diane was a visitor in the room and she discussed her own culture she grew up in and the students were shocked to hear about the difference between how they grew up and how she did. They were also shocked to learn about my upbringing and how the place in which I grew up was very similar to Adams City. As a person of color in a teaching position, I feel that it is important to be vulnerable with them in explaining where I come from, the obsticals I've overcome, and how my differences have made me who I am; they have made me strong.

Last week was also monumental because the Mentor Leaders for each class were interviewed and chosen!!! To share a private moment with my mentors and hear their passion behind wanting to be a leader and the events that have contributed to their success was extremely inspiring and moving, it made my week. A success that I will never forget is hearing one of my mentors answer an interview question asking, "who has been a mentor for you?" and her answer made me cry. She said that I was a mentor that changed her life (I had this student last year when I worked with students on drop-out prevention) and that she believes she would not have stayed in school if it wasn't for our weekly meetings. She told me that her career goals have been shifted into dreams of becoming a teacher because she said that she wants to be just like me, someone who creates a safe space free of judgement who loves each person individually. She said that YESS was her favorite class and that she loves coming every day and is ecstatic at the opportunity of being a Mentor Leader. Last week was extremely busy for me as a teacher and as a person so for me to stop and listen to her say these words really reset my battery and reminded me of why I chose this profession. It just goes to further prove that with genuine care for the well-being of students that YESS promotes brings students realizing their own potential - She will do great things one day, I'm so proud to have her as a student and have the opportunity to watch her blossom into a wonderful young woman.

I love my job so much! And I am exploding with gratitude for these young people in my life and for the opportunity to bring meaningful curriculum into their lives while fostering an environment that thrives from connection. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings for us.

Until next week,
Ms. Castro