by Nadia Rangel, Teaching Artist at Langford Elementary
The students at Langford Elementary are wonderful! They discussed and participated in activities that focused on being accepting of one another, and building self-esteem. Within a couple of weeks they had created a classroom community that they were proud of.
One of our projects included discussing different personality characteristics associated with various animals, and choosing one we felt most represented ourselves to turn into a mask. We had everything from an energetic, talented, and loyal bear to a friendly and sensitive rabbit. From this exercise the students:
- Discovered similarities and differences they had with one another.
- Discussed how they would prefer to be part of a diverse community.
- Enjoyed being able to learn while making something fun that they could show off to their friends and family.
By the end of the year the students had worked on numerous activities. They were constantly making connections between their lives in school and at home with topics we had discussed in class. Early on in the year I discovered their love for writing. By the end of the semester they went home with a journal full of pages where they had been able to express their feelings on their home and school communities, as well as topics on bullying, and friendship.
The students at Langford Elementary are a wonderful group, and were a blast to work with. They found ways to inspire each other, and wound up becoming a very strong group of individuals.
Nadia Rangel is a Theatre Action Project (TAP) After-School K-2 teaching artist at Langford Elementary.
P.S. My favorite summer camp memory was getting to work on new projects and be creative.
