“Teaching would just be the perfect thing for you, really,” Mom and Dad always said. Mom and Dad were both teachers, and I knew they always had this way of knowing or simply sensing what to bring out in kids — this discovering of talents in others, and the encouraging of it. Mom and Dad were right: teaching was meant for me, and I love every moment of it. And, what’s more, at ACS, I feel I have been able to use, develop, and fully enjoy my talents to inspire and help young learners discover, nurture, and revel in what God has blessed them with.

Ideas and Joy Galore!

I believe what my parents saw in me was my love for using my imagination, my excitement paired with using my imagination, and the design and development of ideas that often follows imagination. There’s really a lot that I can get excited about and find joy in. I can usually “see” a finished product, and love imagining it first. I love carpentry work and building, ranging from furniture that I build in my free time to the home which I built for our family several summers ago. Imagining what something looks like is half the fun! And, when something turns out the way you had imagined it, there’s so much joy to be found!

At ACS Elementary, I love seeing that same joy in students when they are using their imagination through project-based learning. There’s wonder, excitement, and motivation to move forward in learning.

Whimsical Art and Christmas Carols

Some time ago, we looked closely at the elements found in the artwork by Friedensreich Hundertwasser. His art is whimsical, full of colour, and not bound by straight lines and perfect shapes. I encouraged the students to imagine what they would draw using this approach that seems to encourage freedom. The results were amazing and there were many “wow!” moments as students celebrated their creations. We felt motivated! We imagined along with Hundertwasser for several more art projects that month.

Similarly, Joyful Sounds choir has been instrumental in granting students and myself the opportunity to explore, grow, and find joy by using imagination. Music tells a story and evokes emotions. Helping students to imagine the scenes, details, or stories found in music (e.g. the Christmas carol, Do You Hear What I Hear?) makes singing and playing so much more fulfilling and often sounding more beautiful as a result.

I feel inspired to help young learners use God’s gift of imagination and help them see in their mind’s eye what an adventure story looks like. There is delight in using the imagination to create wonderful pieces of art, coming up with amazing thematic projects, and imagining what they can design and shape into a reality.