Expanding our School Walls

I'm excited about our Photography 10 excursion that will take place tomorrow.  The Photo teacher and I will be splitting up the students into 2 groups and touring two professional photography studios.  We have had the students prepare questions that they will ask each photographer.  When confirming with each photographer, I explained that we don't just want a tour.  We want them to show us their equipment, teach us some of their lighting tips, and really teach us their craft.  After the tour, we are giving the students the opportunity to add to their portfolios.  Because it is Saskatchewan and is not very nice outside right now, we have come up with a few indoor options.  Seven students have chosen to go to a local thrift shop to see what kind of treasures they can capture.  Four animal lovers are going to an animal shelter and four others have chosen a farm implement dealer.  I can't wait to see what their camera lens sees!
Taking students outside of our building is such a great opportunity, and I'm glad that our administration sees the value in expanding our school walls.
I'll let you know how things go.  Hopefully I can add some of their work! 

To Wonder is to Smile

"The word wonder comes from the ancient Indo-European root meaning simply to smile or to laugh.  Anything wonderful is something to smile in the presence of. " (Thomas, 1983)

Every teacher wants to touch their students, to reach them in such a way that we hear little pings and almost see lightbulbs over their heads.  It is for this reason that I have focused on encouraging discovery and curiosity in my classroom.  I teach English Language Arts 3, 4, 9, and 10 in a small K-12 school.  It is a wide range, but I love the challenge of the younger students and the discussions of the older ones.  My days are never boring and I want the students to feel that way too.  My goal is to create a classroom of thinking, questioning, and discovering.  How can you not smile when wondering?