Education thrives when rooted in core values. This glimpse into a first-grade classroom reveals how the principles of finding joy in challenge, leading with compassion, achieving with integrity, and advocating for self and others can guide meaningful learning experiences. It was an honor to see it firsthand in action!
This snapshot of a day in the life of Park first-grade learners illustrates how core values can transform everyday lessons into powerful, value-driven experiences. By fostering joy in challenges, leading with compassion, achieving with integrity, and advocating for one another, these educators and students exemplify the principles of meaningful and lasting education.
Finding Joy in Challenge
Gabby St. Pierre’s math lesson on making equations that equal ten exemplified how challenges can spark curiosity and joy. By encouraging students to notice patterns and explore combinations like 7 yellow buttons + 3 green buttons = 10 and vice versa, she transformed a seemingly simple exercise into an engaging exploration.
When a student exclaimed, “This is FUN!” it underscored the joy that comes from discovering solutions. Ms. St. Pierre celebrated uncertainty, telling the class, “I love that you don’t know the answer…yet. It means we get to do some wonderful thinking!” This statement invited learners to embrace the challenge and find joy in the journey toward understanding.
Leading with Compassion
Compassion is woven throughout these lessons, evident in the interactions between teachers and students. For instance, Ms. Dennis, during a literacy session, praised a student who took a risk, saying, “Thank you, Caroline, for not giving up and for taking a risk. That is what learners do!”
This acknowledgment not only validated the student’s effort but also fostered a supportive classroom culture where everyone felt encouraged to try, fail, and grow together. Compassionate leadership inspired both individual confidence and collective strength, as Ms. Dennis reminded her students, “We’re stronger together.”
Achieving with Integrity
Achievement in these classrooms was built on integrity—honoring effort, accountability, and honest learning. When a student solved a math problem but forgot to claim their work, Ms. St. Pierre prompted them to take ownership, reinforcing the value of recognizing and celebrating one’s contributions.
Similarly, literacy leaders like Ms. Morini emphasized precision and understanding over rote memorization. Through phonetic drills, the students learned the rules of language (e.g., when to use “K” versus “C”), ensuring that their learning was rooted in comprehension rather than shortcuts.
Advocating for Self and Others
Advocacy shone brightly as students were given tools to articulate their thinking and support their peers. Ms. St. Pierre encouraged learners to use manipulatives to show their thought processes, empowering them to take control of their learning journey.
Meanwhile, during literacy exercises, students collaborated on challenges like decoding “heart words” (irregular words) and diagraphs, cheering one another on as they navigated tricky concepts. Through group activities and individual contributions, these first-graders demonstrated the power of advocating for both self and others in a supportive environment
