When Our Students Teach Us

You’ve heard me share about the monthly assemblies when the entire preschool and elementary gathers in Bakken auditorium for about 45 minutes to celebrate community. The primary focus is the curriculum presentation that different classes prepare about some aspect of their year-long inquiry, a learning skill like being in a book club, or an experience like working in a loʻi. Sometimes there are special guests. And then there are students who, on their own and without teacher direction or input, want to share something important completely on their own.

When this happens, it is magical, wonder-filled, especially for the faculty.

Before the reveal, some background: An essential part of our educational program is character education. More than 40 years ago, an Epiphany teacher developed the curriculum for character education for the school, several years before this curricular concept was known as social-emotional education. Character Education (we refer to it as ʻCEʻ) focuses on self in relation to self, self to other/community, self to the world, and self to the concept of God or higher being. Unlike the typical content areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, physical education, CE is difficult to assess or evaluate because the learning is internalized, introspective, not measurable or quantifiable. Our assessment is looking for patterns of thinking and behavior that students express when writing, speaking, interacting with peers in different situations in and out of the classroom. How do children problem-solve? When faced with a challenge, are they resilient? We listen and observe.

At this past assembly and other assemblies this year, a few students have approached me about sharing an idea at an assembly. We talk very generally about their idea, and then they are off on their own to develop their idea into a slide presentation. They do their own research, create their own slides and talking points, then share their slides with me. At the assembly, it is always a surprise for me to see what unfolds in front of an audience of over 300 (preschool, elementary, and the faculty).

Sandwiched between excellent classroom inquiry presentations this past Friday about the multiage 1-2 big idea on “place,” — studentsʻ practice of kilo and their sensory awareness of places special to individual students and another class who taught us a clever song about the seven continents — were two student-developed presentations.

Second graders S. and A. framed their presentation around a real problem or challenge, gathered observational data, developed a theory of change, and encouraged us consider the underlying factors that contribute to anger.

S. and A. have been taking their learning in CE class and applying their understanding about “anger mountain” to real situations. Their own awareness of how to develop empathy was so powerful that they wanted to share their insights with the entire elementary. This concept about anger mountain and how our feelings, if left misunderstood or disregarded, can lead to mounting anger and the emotional flare-up and meltdown. By then, it’s too late to avoid reaching the peak of our anger. All students experience the CE curriculum, so this concept of feeling and anger mountain is familiar. But so much more powerful and effective when the teaching is done by the students.

The Friday assembly ended with a presentation on friendship by E. and S., two fifth graders. These two students have been friends since the first grade. The fifth graders, keenly aware that this is their last year in the elementary school, have been much more reflective about their personal friendships and the meaning of friendship. I’ve duplicated a portion of their presentation here so that you too can appreciate the depth of their understanding about friendship.

There are so many moments during the school day when your children become our teachers, when we step back with deep satisfaction that our students have grasped an essential learning skill that reaches beyond academics. When we see your children as independent thinkers and empathetic persons, we are filled with the wonder of learning.

E Kūlia Kākou! Let’s strive and aspire together!

For our children,

Edna L. Hussey, Ed.D.
Principal