Guilt...

I've had a lot of guilt feelings this past school year.  I walk by other teachers' classrooms and see these beautiful arts and crafts projects hanging in the windows.  I stop and think, hmm, I don't do those things in my classroom- I'm a terrible teacher!  My children have no finished product to take home (except the occasional celebration or social studies unit that allows for it).  Then I begin to argue with myself about where I can fit these things in.  Where can I cut time out of to make time for arts and crafts.  Reading? Writing? Math? Absolutely NOT! Then I finally give up and just sulk about it for awhile.  

I have to ask... What are these kiddos really learning from cutting and pasting leprechauns or pots of gold? Honestly, not much.  If they are lucky, their teacher reads them a good story first or makes them write about their creation.  I'm sure they enjoy the experience of the scissors, glue, markers, crayons, and glitter. And after that, I bet they go home and are super excited to show their mom and dad what a beautiful project they made, and guess what else, I bet mom and dad are even more excited to hang it on the fridge for a while until the next beautiful project comes home and the last one gets shoved in a drawer, box, closet, or even thrown away.

Well, I must say- I think I've finally come to my senses.  Reading and writing arts and crafts are cute, but you probably will not find those in my class this year, next year, or probably ever.  My students may not come home with the latest creation that their teacher was so excited to find online and share with all the other teachers at their grade level.  My students probably won't have a box at home labeled "1st Grade" filled with all the scissors, glue, marker, crayon, and glitter creations for that year.  


So what, you ask, will my students come home with?  My students will come home with the ability to read!  They will come home with the confidence to pick up a book and read it to their mom, dad, brother, sister, or anyone because they know they have all the tools needed to tackle that book.  They know that they will be able to read the words and understand what they read- and if they do not, they know that they will have strategies to help them figure it out.  My students will not struggle come the next school year because their teacher cut down their reading time to fit in another arts and crafts project.  My students will take home the knowledge gained from the HUNDREDS of books they read all year in my classroom.  They will take home the ability to sit down and read on their own for 15, 20, or even 30 minutes, even though they are "only 6 years old".  They will take home the feeling that their teacher believes they are an AMAZING reader and cannot wait to read with them again tomorrow.  


So, next time I walk by those windows I won't feel guilty anymore.  I will feel proud that I am giving my students something that some teachers will never give them- the time, energy, effort, and excitement of becoming life-long readers. Good-bye guilt!