Finding Our Flow And Focusing On Goals

Year 4, Session 7, Week 4

This week our heroes focused on finding “flow” and holding each other accountable to ensure they were getting the most out of their core skills’ time. We had great discussions about distraction monsters, multi-tasking, and the quality of work produced. The learners are working hard to meet all of their badge plan goals by the end of the year.

Six children sit on a classroom rug giving thumbs up in a learner-driven classroom

A guide kneels beside a smiling boy holding a muddy planter outdoors under a canopy

Two boys give thumbs up at a table with paper strips, scissors, and a tablet during core skills work

A boy with headphones works on a laptop inside a cardboard study booth while another child sits nearby

A young child sits at a desk with a divider, writing during core skills time

A young hero wearing headphones works on a laptop at a small table in the learning studio

Young child smiles while writing on a worksheet at a small table during core skills time

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As part of the Growing Curiosity quest this week, the ES heroes began taking turns as quest leaders. They facilitated socratic discussions and challenges that they planned ahead of time. Kain led a baking activity where the learners made a chocolate cake completely by themselves! Charlie picked drawing as the focus of his quest and has planned several mini challenges that aim to improve everyone’s art skills. One of the challenges required a hero to describe a picture for someone else to draw. They compared the pictures afterwards to see who was the closest. Then there was a chicken drawing competition where the winners earned prizes!

Four heroes mix ingredients at a classroom table during a cooking quest

A girl pours ingredients into a bowl at a table in the classroom

A young hero mixes ingredients in a blue bowl at a classroom table

Boy in a red shirt stirs a bowl of dry ingredients at a classroom table

Two girls stir chocolate cake batter in a bowl at a classroom table

Three children stir chocolate cake batter together at a classroom table

Two learners pour chocolate batter into a pan while another watches in a classroom kitchen

Three children decorate a chocolate cake on a classroom table

Two children at a table compare clay pieces during an art challenge

Four heroes smile and give thumbs-up beside a cake and sprinkles at a drawing challenge table

Two learners sit in a hallway, one writing on a clipboard while the other watches in a drawing challenge

Hand holds a clipboard with a pencil sketch beside a small dog drawing taped to a black board

A learner writes on a clipboard while seated by a staff-only door as another child watches

Papers clipped to a blue clipboard show pencil drawings of a jet and a rocket on a dark surface

Two learners sit talking beside a staff-only door and cubbies

A hand holds a clipboard with a child’s sketch beneath a line drawing reference on the wall

Girl on a beanbag sketches on a clipboard while watching a laptop on the rug

Three children's crayon drawings of chickens displayed on a table

Two girls smile in a classroom holding gift certificates and a water bottle

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The Montessori studio baked strawberry brownies this week which is a recipe brought to us by our ES hero Aubri! The learners made a strawberry flavored batter, and created an icing from powdered sugar and milk. They cut up fresh strawberries to put on top and enjoyed this treat during snack time. It was delicious!

A learner cracks an egg into a blue bowl while another child steadies it at a baking table

Children at a table in the Montessori studio mix and shape strawberry brownie treats

Three children mix strawberry brownie batter in a bowl at a table in the Montessori studio

A young learner stirs yellow batter in a bowl at a table during a Montessori baking activity

Learners mix strawberry brownie batter and top treats with fresh strawberries in the Montessori studio

Learners mix strawberry brownie batter in bowls during snack time in the Montessori studio

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In art several learners finished their solar system painting from last week. Those who completed last week’s project began working on a new mixed media painting of kites!

Young learner colors a solar system worksheet at a table with crayons and a watercolor palette

A young hero paints a bright picture at a table beside a watercolor tray in the classroom

A smiling learner sits at a table beside a solar system painting with paint cups and other artwork nearby

Two learners draw at a table in art class with papers and markers

Two learners paint blue mixed-media artwork at a table during art class

Three learners paint solar system art at a table with crayons, watercolors and paper

Learner painting of a solar system with a large orange sun and several colorful planets on a dark background

Learners’ solar system painting with the sun and labeled planets on a dark background

Learner-made solar system painting with a bright sun and colorful planets on a dark background

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Our focus in Writer’s Workshop this week was peer critiques and revision. We read “How I Learned Geography” by Uri Shulevitz and analyzed the author’s use of word choice and illustrations. Using the warm and cool feedback they gave the author, and each other, they then revised their creative fiction stories. After putting the final touches on their books next week, they will share them at an exhibition on May 16th.