My favorite thing about teaching is building long lasting relationships with new students and families every year. When students feel valued, heard, and loved, even the most reluctant learners will want to try their best every day. This school year, one of my goals was to increase engagement by making connections to our learning by involving our community and families as an extension of our social studies and literacy lessons. These opportunities taught students the value of relationships outside of the classroom. We have had a lot of fun exploring businesses in Keystone, learning about farm life with Alaina from the Benton County Farm Bureau Federation, and a visit from a student’s family and her bottle calf. These are the memories that will stick with the students and bring their learning to life.
