Lest we forget and get caught in the undertow of busyness , paperwork and test prep, remember:
Learning is both a process and product, measurable and mysterious; predictable and spontaneous. The common variables are desire and diligence. All learning is active. All good teaching is driven by passion. Supporting passionate people is like operating a green house. Supply the right balance of light, space and stimulation. The growth of the mind and the development of intellect, imagination and sensibility are the core responsibilities of all teachers in all grades and subject areas. All learners should experience an education that amplifies their full development. Give me a school that is committed to inventiveness, collaboration, inquiry and social and emotional intelligences, and I will show you a culture that honors the curiosity, wonder and humanity of learners and their educators. It comes down to this: unleashing what is natural and alive in children, exposing them systematically and thoughtfully to content that informs and inspires, tooling them with diverse ways to create, compose and communicate, and surrounding them with multiple forms of democratic behavior.
At its very core— education celebrates life, and invites learning of the most active and authentic kind.