10/15/2026
🌱 Growing and Thriving 🌱
The AJLA third grade teachers started with a question: "What does this plant need to grow and thrive?" Exciting botanical research and deep lessons on annotating non-fiction texts ensued, but true-to-form, our teachers had a bigger plan. As their students learned about consistent watering, just-right light conditions, and more, the third grade teachers invited students to make the connection between themselves and these potted plants. "What is it that you want to feel in this classroom? What do we need to do as a community to make sure that everyone feels that way?"- It turns out there's more similarities than not:
💧 Consistent watering= students want to BUILD COMMUNITY so they promise to check in on each other and lift each other up
☀️ Just-right light= students want to FEEL INCLUDED so they promise to invite everyone to play
🥀 Adjusting things if the plant wilts= students want to LEARN RESILIENCE so they promise to keep trying even when things are hard
These promises that students make to one another as a classroom community are part of our Class Charters. These are documents that students across our school write and then hold themselves accountable to all year long. The third graders researched plants, wrote their charters, and then ended their hard work by adopting a potted plant of their own to care for throughout the year. We are sure that they will show consistent and loving care to each of their plants just as they will show those same traits towards one another. This may be one of the most important lessons we can teach.
