South Bristol’s Educator in Residence: Cam
With my second year at South Bristol School beginning I feel at home. Every student I interact with there is a connection. I greet every student by name, and I look forward to working with every class every day. The staff at South Bristol School bring the energy of support and engagement with students that you can’t help but want to emulate.
I start each day with the 5th and 6th grade, talking about the plan of the day, and any big news coming up. From there I get to join the PE class where I get to work with the 2nd through 4th grade at inline skating (I am great at putting all the safety gear on.) After inline skating I make my celebrity appearance at lunch, taking time to talk with each table about their day, and what they may be looking forward to the rest of the week.
A focus for me this year is helping the 5th and 6th grade with their Quest Project. The Quest Project is a writing project that emphasizes the history of South Bristol while providing a guided tour. In the past the 5th and 6th grade focused on hiking trails, historic monuments. This year’s project is underway! Research has begun, writing formats are being discussed, and tours are being taken to provide the best guide of South Bristol. Come take a tour of South Bristol this spring with the Quest Project!
Woodland’s Educator in Residence: Neil
I am so happy to continue my EIR experience
in Woodland, Maine. This is my second year in Woodland but my fourth year as an Educator in Residence. While it’s only the second full week of my EIR I already feel very at home. The students welcomed me back and were already asking when I would be working
with their classes. My site mentor, Janice Rice, has made the beginning of this year very smooth. My first day she took me into the Elementary school to meet and plan with every single teacher there. Last year I rarely worked with the Elementary students so
I am so excited for this year.
In terms of my daily routine I typically head straight to my office area and read responses to my google form. This google form has been great! The teachers can go on and see my schedule, fill in what time they need me, what part of the TLS curriculum they need me for, room number as well as other notes on the class. If there are no specific plans for the day I will visit Mr. Moody’s gym class and possibly facilitate the class. During lunch I normally walk around the cafeteria chatting with some students while also looking for students that may be sitting alone or unhappy. Last week Janice spotted a young person having a panic attack during the end of lunch. We did some breathing exercises with this person then moved to my office. Janice had to go to another obligation so I stayed with them for 35 minutes just chatting and having a good time. My relationship with this student is now great due to this one small experience they had with me. EIR encompasses so many different areas of a school but talking and hanging out with students that may be falling through the cracks is one of my favorite ways we make a difference.
As for my presence in the Woodland (Downeast Maine) community I feel very welcomed. It is a very small area so I see students a ton whether it be at the movies, Yancy’s restaurant, or on the lake ice fishing. I think that the students feel more comfortable talking to me since we have a mutual
connection outside of school. It’s only the second week but I cannot wait to see what is to come! I’m very lucky to have been around this area meeting people even before working for The Leadership School. I see this as an advantage because I can instantly relate to landmarks, restaurants, and people as soon as a conversation happens. For instance, Tuesday I was talking to an 8th grader about the new pizza place in town and he hadn’t even heard about it yet! Can’t wait to keep getting to know this area and community.
Woodland’s Educator in Residence: Phyllis
Woodland Highschool was the school my sister went to and the rival school to the one I attended so this area/community is very near and dear to my heart. I know the community, I see their changes, and can even be a part of those changes. Seeing how I am only at Woodland high school two days out of the week, it is a little difficult to connect with the students with so little time but I make it work. I know at that age, I didn’t know much about fitness but I wanted workout. The past few times I’ve been around,I have talked with students about goals and decided to create a simple workout plan with instruction and a picture of how to balance meals. I plan to dig a little deeper in that area because it is also a great way to connect with the students on a more personal level.
As of illustrating the Social and Emotional Learning book, which is what I’m mostly doing during the week, things are going great. Making time when working from home can be tough so I have a strict schedule and set goals for myself and so far I’ve been successful with it. Also, just being able to illustrate the work we do makes me feel like I have a real connection with it. I get to think about what we do on a daily basis and think about how I can do something better or just different. The EIR/illustration season has been fun and interesting but I’m looking forward to being back at Kieve with a finished book, new connections, and a new outlook on the community I call, my old stomping grounds.