This article was written by Heather Sutton, an English Language Learner (ELL) teacher at Douglas Elementary in the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, North Carolina. Heather works with students in classrooms across the school, and she wrote this piece in the spring of 2018 after visiting a kindergarten class during its Positivity Project (P2) lesson.
I am an ELL (English Language Learner) teacher and I sometimes go into classrooms to work with students. I would like to share with you an experience I had when I went into Ms. Saleh’s kindergarten class. When I enter, they are usually engaged in the Positivity Project (P2) lesson of the day which may be a discussion, viewing a video, or listening to a story. Every time I walk in, I am amazed by Ms. Saleh’s enthusiasm and her captivated students.
Ms. Saleh introduces and approaches each P2 lesson in a way that encourages all to participate; she provides time to allow her students to share their thoughts and to make connections to their own life experiences.
A few weeks ago, something just stood out in my mind. During a discussion, Ms. Saleh asked her students, ‘What is another character strength this person is showing?’ and the responses were incredibly intuitive! Kindergarten students were raising their hands and using the words “Integrity,” “Perseverance,” and “Gratitude.” I raised my hand and told Ms. Saleh and her students that I was super impressed with their vocabulary and knowledge of the character strengths.
Ms. Saleh’s students use these words with such tenacity and it seems so natural to them, which makes my heart smile. If these character strengths are in their vernacular as kindergartners and they continue at this Partner School through fifth grade then attend a P2 middle and high school — just imagine how their knowledge will deepen and experiences building positive relationships will flourish.
I am grateful that my school has partnered with The Positivity Project, and I am excited to watch this student population, in the years to come, exhibit the mindset that #OtherPeopleMatter.
Heather Sutton
Heather is an ELL teacher at Douglas Elementary in Raleigh, NC. She enjoys helping her students learn and/or become more proficient with the English language, and she loves learning from her students about their different cultures.
