For those of you that have never read a Magic School Bus book or even
seen one of the cartoon remakes of the book, it stars Ms. Frizzle, a quirky and eccentric teacher who’s fashion is based on the topic that she teaches for the day. If she was teaching a lesson about underwater creatures, she would wear a dress covered in fish and coral and earrings that looked like starfish. But what was amazing about Ms. Frizzle is that she could put all of her class on to a school bus and transform the bus into a submarine so that they could all experience the underwater life in person.
I knew that there had to be a way to make that magical transformation
to give my students better access to what they could learn. And while I have always tried to emulate the fashion of Ms. Frizzle, I found my constant in the symbolism of butterflies. One of the certainties of life is that things will change. The butterfly stages of metamorphosis not only illustrate this change but are consistent metaphors. Each butterfly reference becomes a teachable moment that I model in my speech, actions, reactions and interactions. Butterflies are symbols of transformation, of evolution, of appetite, of recreation, of beauty, of hope. And I embodied those and many other qualities every time I wore my butterfly
dresses and jewelry, I felt like Ms. Frizzle exploring the world alongside my students and allowing myself to be quirky enough to make them comfortable with themselves.
There are many more teachers out there like me who find some unique way to stand out from the crowd. Some may call them cringy while others may call them cool. The bottom line is that these amazing educators allow themselves to be vulnerable in front of a very judgmental audience day after day. These classroom guardians create sanctuaries for their students to be themselves, relax and interact with their peers respectfully. These educational superheroes continue to search for new ways to engage students in learning.
Now is the time to find and learn from those educators.! We are in a global
crisis where the education of our children is becoming collateral damage in a war against the pandemic of COVID-19. And while so many people are donning their masks and gloves to protect themselves from a virus, who is out there protecting today's youth from ignorance, loneliness, apathy and illiteracy? We are navigating a new solar system inside the internet and need a new way to teach and learn. This is why I have sought out educators from different grade levels and in different cities around the country to share their challenges and triumphs. I will be interviewing these dynamic teachers, counselors, administrators and school staff to discuss how they make meaning out of the chaos and find hope in the the horror.
Subscribe to Chrysalis Camera on YouTube to see episodes of my podcast "INSIDE THE CHRYSALIS". As new videos are released you will get to know more of these heroes that inspire the leaders of tomorrow and what they are doing to make this difficult transition to remote learning. These quirky teachers understand that we must continue to advocate for the most relevant education of our children by any means necessary
. They DARE to REFLECT on EDUCATION AT the MOMENT (D.R.E.A.M.)
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