This I Believe

NPR is my companion on my drive home from work; one feature that has always piqued my interest is their famed “This I Believe” segment but I have always struggled to formulate what I would say if I were to write my own.  This summer I have learned what I believe in – I believe in community.  I believe in public libraries, public parks, community pools and bike paths. 

Crafting at the public library

 I believe that every child benefits from stepping into a library and feeling the cool, quiet envelope them, smelling dry paper and hearing pages turn.  Good libraries can transform the most reluctant student into a reader.  There are no assigned books or required page counts when you go to a library.  You can choose what you want to read; who you want to become and what adventures you want to take.  Today M and I went to our public library and joined approximately a dozen other children and families making African masks.  They all listened as the instructor told them about why people made masks, what they could represent and how to make them.

The instructor had masks on display and the children were invited to inspect them to gain inspiration of their own.  At each table there was a limited amount of glue, scissors, crayons, and markers; all other materials had to be gathered from a table in front of the room.  I teach future Elementary school teachers and one of their repeated concerns is about “chaos” in their classrooms.  These materials were not evenly divided and the children were required to come to the front and choose their own items to decorate their masks – the table was not staffed by a grownup yet chaos did not ensue.  The participants ranged in age from approximately two to ten years old and not once did an older child grab a container of glue away from a younger one or push their way to the front of the supply line.  The room was animated with talk and discussion but no one yelled and no one argued.  Children naturally waited their turn for help from the instructor and shared supplies with each other. 

The finished products

At the end of the hour all of the children eagerly lined up to have their picture taken with their creations then most of them helped to clean up the dropped paper clippings and strands of raffia that covered the floor.  They all thanked the instructor on their way out the door.  I believe in the power of craft hours at public libraries in helping children to learn and practice pro-social behavior.  No one was being graded and no one would be tested on the quality of his or her mask; there was no pressure to perform only encouragement to be creative and have fun.

Running the Gauntlet

I believe in community pools.  I believe that when two dozen children form an impromptu “gauntlet” at the bottom of a water slide, cheering, clapping and pounding on the edge to encourage a bigger splash that someone who has felt like an outsider before could experience what it is like to be included.  The smiles and laughter that arose from those children was so contagious that the entire pool emptied and joined them.  Older children helped the little ones out of the “landing zone” and they encouraged each other to “go big”.  No one planned this event, there were no crafted learning outcomes or standards to achieve but those children learned about supporting each other, and what it felt like to be brave and do something that might seem a little scary at any other time.  I stood at the bottom of the slide and watched M ascend the long stairway with confidence and pride.  She gave the lifeguard a huge double thumbs up as she ducked into the tunnel and plunged down the slide to her awaiting fans (at least that’s what I think it felt like to her and the other brave sliders).  When everyone cheered as she reached the bottom she beamed as if she was on fire; everyone who ran that gauntlet seemed to emit the same feelings of happiness, pride and belonging.  I believe in community pools where people can come together, laugh, relax and connect.

I believe that everyone benefits when children feel accepted and supported.  I believe it is important for teenagers to help younger children and to have places to go in the evening.  I believe that parents need places to go to connect with other parents to learn that they are not alone in the challenges they face.  I believe that children who grow-up with a sense of belonging are more likely to make positive choices for their futures.  I believe that money spent supporting community resources will pay off in dividends unseen and unfathomed yet very real and potentially life changing.  I believe in community.