"Identity day is a day where you bring in a few items to school that showcase your passion. Then the school splits up into 2 groups. The 1st group stays while the second group walks around and learns about your passion! It is really, really fun!"
-Addison, Grade 6
-Addison, Grade 6
November 21, 2018 was my first experience with Identity Day. I have read about versions of this sort of special sharing day online and I have always wanted to see it in action, so I was thrilled when I got to Brookside Elementary (I just started as a grade 4-7 classroom STEAM teacher in the SAIL program and vice principal there in September, 2018) and learned that Identity Day was an annual event at my new school.
In the quote above, Addison has summarized nicely how we do Identity Day at Brookside Elementary. Basically we divide up the school into an A group and a B group and then group B gets to explore group A's identity day projects in a gallery walk format and then after an hour we switched and group A got to explore group B's projects*. What your Identity Day project looked like was primarily up to each student. We asked them to bring in an artifact or two that represented who they are/what they were passionate about. Some students also created posters to go along with their artifacts, some created special displays, some rehearsed mini-speeches to go along with their artifacts, etc.
In the quote above, Addison has summarized nicely how we do Identity Day at Brookside Elementary. Basically we divide up the school into an A group and a B group and then group B gets to explore group A's identity day projects in a gallery walk format and then after an hour we switched and group A got to explore group B's projects*. What your Identity Day project looked like was primarily up to each student. We asked them to bring in an artifact or two that represented who they are/what they were passionate about. Some students also created posters to go along with their artifacts, some created special displays, some rehearsed mini-speeches to go along with their artifacts, etc.
I really enjoyed learning about all of the students at Brookside. It was a wonderful way for me, as a new staff member, to learn all about the many interesting and varied passions that makes Brookside students who they are.
One project that really stood out was by a grade 7 student. Her passion was self-love and helping others develop a positive self-image, and as her artifact she brought a mirror attached to a poster and a pile of positive mantra statements on little pieces of paper. As students visited her station, she had them pick a mantra and then read it to themselves while looking at their reflection in the mirror. The caption above the mirror reads: "Look into the mirror. Think about a feature you appreciate about yourself." Are you feeling what I was feeling? So. Amazing.
There were so many great projects that I cannot list them all, but I did learn that we sure do have a talented bunch of students at our school: artists, musicians, athletes, scientists, book enthusiasts, lego enthusiasts, singers, engineers, and more!
I am so thrilled that I was able to join a school that values each and every student and allows them the space and the time to share who they are with all of their schoolmate. It was such a special day.
I would love to hear about how other schools roll out Identity Day. Or do you something similar to celebrate your students? Please comment! I would love to learn from you.
One project that really stood out was by a grade 7 student. Her passion was self-love and helping others develop a positive self-image, and as her artifact she brought a mirror attached to a poster and a pile of positive mantra statements on little pieces of paper. As students visited her station, she had them pick a mantra and then read it to themselves while looking at their reflection in the mirror. The caption above the mirror reads: "Look into the mirror. Think about a feature you appreciate about yourself." Are you feeling what I was feeling? So. Amazing.
There were so many great projects that I cannot list them all, but I did learn that we sure do have a talented bunch of students at our school: artists, musicians, athletes, scientists, book enthusiasts, lego enthusiasts, singers, engineers, and more!
I am so thrilled that I was able to join a school that values each and every student and allows them the space and the time to share who they are with all of their schoolmate. It was such a special day.
I would love to hear about how other schools roll out Identity Day. Or do you something similar to celebrate your students? Please comment! I would love to learn from you.
*It was a little more structured than that, of course. Classes explored other classes on a timed rotation. We rang the bell every 10 minutes so your class knew that it was time to go to the next class and explore another set of projects. Teachers had the rotation schedule and map ahead of time so everyone knew where they were going. Parents were given the schedule ahead of time so that they could join us during the exploration times as well.
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