KNOW students are brilliant, by any measure.
We begin each class sitting around the kitchen table, brewing up cups of tea, catching up on a week's worth of news.
Settling into dinner, we find our way toward our topics for the evening, often beginning with a concept or thought one of the students has been pondering. Often paper and writing implements are necessary for plotting out the structure of the idea.
After supper, we move into the comfort of the classroom, and the help of our large, wall-sized chalkboard.
We've been figuring out ways to get to the heart of our personal values. This past week, KNOW students interviewed one another, then shared the results of their work. It was interesting to recognize the similarities between students, as well as the ways students diverge.
We've continued to discern and develop vocabulary for our studies, and have begun to recognize some of the many reasons vocabulary is so important. As well, we're cracking the door toward understanding some of the limitations of our vocabulary.
When parents arrive, KNOW students pay attention to the energy in our classroom, consciously choosing an appropriate moment to invite parents to join in. We're acknowledging, and naming, changes that occur when parents enter the classroom.
We're creating our personal and collective ground. We'll have to name it.