Reflection 21: Bringing hobbies/interests to the classroom

One of the passions that I bring to my classroom is the belief that service is a societal responsibility, not something that is done for required hours or recognition. Often students look at service as a way to be recognized (ie. National Honor Society or Student Council) or to build a resume for college application. I believe that if given the opportunity, students can participate in projects that connect them to real people, real situations and develop service as a reflection of how they live their lives.

At AHS, part of our mission statement includes "compete, thrive and philanthropically contribute within the the emerging global society". It is important that this concept is not limited to those groups with required service hours. One way that I have modeled my belief in service is to share the Wrapped in Love project I coordinate with my sister. It is a very personal story and connection, and I also share that aspect with the students. For the last two days I have scheduled a work day in the library space. Students learn how to knit, crochet and sew as they make items for donation. Adult volunteers help students and teach them the skills. This year, I had two teachers include their classes in the project and we connected via Google Hangout with my sister, who shared her experience as a NICU and CICU mom, as well as the latest research on the rare disease ACD (Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia).

We have extended our project to include art and toy notebooks, leg warmers and lovie blankets. The video is a recap of our first donation, but we are working on our 2nd donation to St. Louis Children's Hospital and 4th donation day at DeVos Children's Hospital.