Day 58: "The Purple Scarf"

Today's post is from Kelli Litterer, Reading Intervention teacher at Hilliard Horizon

The Purple Scarf

I wore a scarf today.  Not the kind you wear to keep warm.  It was a “fashion” scarf, the kind you wear all day.  This may not seem like a big deal, but in a way it was for me.  See, I don’t really like scarves.  That’s not exactly true, though, because I do like them on other people and I’ve even bought a few. I don’t wear them because I don’t really like things bunched around my neck.  I also don’t wear them (and this is the real reason) because I don’t really know how to tie them and wear them with confidence.  I bought a beautiful purple scarf in December.  I looked at it every day in my closet.  I kept finding outfits it would look great with.  Still... I kept chickening out.  Until today.  For some reason I decided to wear it today and you know what?  It looked good! 

If you’ve read this far -- thank you!  You hung in there even though you probably didn’t know what Mrs. Litterer wearing a purple scarf to school could possibly have to do with Horizon’s 165 Days of Learning.  Here’s what I learned today:  I was reminded of how kids feel every day.  They are nervous.  They are wondering what others think of them.  They want to fit in.  They take chances in their learning and step out of their comfort zones.  I was reminded of how I felt in the days when I was more anxious to try new things yet sometimes unsure.  I am so impressed with our students here at Hilliard Horizon!  They come in to school with a positive attitude (usually!) and every day they put themselves out there.  They share their ideas, they display their work, they listen to constructive criticism, and they keep trying new things.  They do this with confidence, excitement, and even with butterflies in their stomachs.  They do this with the support of the amazing adults in our building as a safety net. 

As adults, I think we occasionally forget what it’s like to do that every day.  We get in our comfort zones and tend to do what we’re used to.  I stepped out of my zone in a small way today.  I like the way I felt.  It makes me want to try other new things. 

Yet again, the teacher learns from the student.