Interest by definition is the state of wanting to know or learn about something or someone. Here at Yankeetown we have developed, and are harnessing, the skill of interest in every individual we touch. We call interest a skill because 1) it drives an individual’s motivation to learn and be involved, and 2) it requires effortful thinking and actions. Developing, and now harnessing this skill is such an accomplishment because without it, a campus cannot come to life and educate for tomorrow, it becomes stagnant and educates to get by. Here we look and prepare for the future; interest, is a requirement.
Our students are demonstrating interest in the classroom; Sandy Watson (First Grade teacher) has reported her students citing page numbers when they make an inference about a character in their weekly story. Chuck Gatton (6-8 Social Studies and Physical Education teacher) boasts about his seventh grader’s requiring textual evidence, or “meat”, of each other as they debate the reasons for the founding of the American Colonies. Mechelle Harmon (4-5 Math and Science teacher) praises students as they use, document, and reteach to peers multiple strategies to solve and explain a mathematical word problem. These instances of interest do not occur over night, without effort, or go unnoticed. These instances are the behaviors that will drive our students to academic excellence.
Our parents and community are also demonstrating interest. September 30th was deemed by Governor Rick Scott as Dad Take Your Child To School Day. Yankeetown celebrated that event with a “Snacks With My Superhero” where more than 40 male role models came to the school, during work hours, to read, AR test, and spend that crucial, quality time with their kid(s) in an educational setting. This instance of interest is not isolated nor is it without purposeful effort to be involved. That kind of a turnout speaks volumes to the interest our community has devoted to our campus and our cause.
Our teachers and staff have interest as well. Every day there are cars parked in our parking lots long before and long after contract hours. On September 23rd, teachers spent 2 ½ hours delving into what rigorous instruction in the classroom looks like and how to plan for that. They now continue to push themselves by learning and developing implementation strategies for technological advances such as Google Drive, Google Education, and Google Classroom - all with purposeful effort and all because of that interest and the understanding of our need to educate for tomorrow.
Yankeetown School is something to be interested in. All should want to know, or learn, about something or someone on our campus. All should be interested in being a part of our campus life and preparation for tomorrow.