Illustration Elements
Illustration Éléments
Context
The Teacher’s Voice
As a class, we read the book “You Hold Me Up” by Monique Gray Smith. The story shares a journey of how the main character feels supported by those around them. As a class, we reflected on our own caring classroom and brainstormed the different ways that we support one another.
To visually represent our caring classroom community, students worked in pairs to take photos of each other. They then digitally edited the photo to include words representing the many positive traits each student brings with them into our community. The photos were displayed on a bulletin board so that if someone in our class needed encouragement, they could look at their photo and be ‘held up’ by a classmate’s kind words. The bulletin board display helped remind us that we were a caring and supportive community and that we could all make a difference in someone’s day by supporting them. We also added the photos to our FreshGrade so that we had a reminder that every individual is an important part of our classroom community.
Illustration
Student Work Samples
Teacher Reflection
I noticed my classroom community strengthen and my class become a tighter knit community. Students built and strengthened relationships with classmates, and through the process of creation they learned more about one another. Students showed responsibility, care, kindness, and respect for one another with this task. They truly wanted each photo to motivate and support their peers. They showed empathy through their desire to add words on their peers’ photographs so that their peers had something to make them smile when they were having a tough day. Each student was thoughtful in their word choices for their peers. As a class we were reflective of the diversity in our classroom and of all the unique gifts we bring to our class each day. We shared this learning activity with parents during student-led conferences and parents echoed the sentiments and support that were written for their children.
I can take purposeful action to support others and the environment.
I can build relationships and be a thoughtful and supportive friend. I can identify ways my actions and the actions of others affect my community and the natural environment. I look for ways to make my classroom, school, community, or natural world a better place and identify small things I can do that could make a difference. I demonstrate respectful and inclusive behaviour in a variety of settings, and I recognize that everyone has something to offer.