SOLSC #11: Tree Philosophy 101

 

 

Today I join my fellow bloggers in
"serving up a slice" to the March SOLSC
sponsored by Two Writing Teachers.

As we were settling in for our slicing time today, I encouraged my students to remember that they could slice about what was going on in the outside world.  I pointed to "the tree outside our window," and commented that I've often written my slice of life about the arrival of spring and even this particular tree since it blooms each year during March.  I commented that it had changed dramatically in the past few days and that today's blue skies added to its beauty.  Someone said that it would be fun to take a photo every day to document its growth.  Oh well, maybe next year!

About this time, one of my students piped up, "That tree is ugly!"  Classmates quickly pointed out that he was looking at the wrong tree.  When I walked to the back of the classroom, I saw his view of "the tree outside our window."  While I wouldn't say it's ugly, it's definitely at a different stage of development.  I ventured outside after school to snap pictures of both trees.  

As I stood looking down the line of cherry trees lining the west entrance to our building, I realized that each of the four trees looked dramatically different.  While each of them receives the same amount of moisture and sunshine, each is at a different stage of development.  Each will eventually blossom and add beauty to our campus, but not at the same time.   I celebrate the unique timetable for each tree knowing that we'll have pink blossoms out front for quite awhile this spring before all the trees get their leaves. There's a great parallel here to the learners in my classroom.  My challenge is to celebrate growth with each learner, trusting that each will eventually blossom and reach his or her potential.