In the early days of my placement I prioritized getting to know these kids and let them know that I was excited to see them everyday. As mentioned in Jody Carrington’s Kids These Days, I wanted to see these students light up, which I did by lighting up myself when they'd enter the space or intentionally noticing and affirming students’ strengths. I was aiming to help them feel seen, valued, and connected within the classroom community. This didn't stop at the door of my assigned classrooms, I interacted with students in the halls and spreading across the K-6 grades to immerse myself in the community and support students even if I was never directly in their classroom.

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I also found it important to show an interest in their interests in junior high. Asking students about their plans for the weekend and following up on Monday became a regular routine. I learned about their personal interests and was able to include aspects of their identity in our subjects and thus making them feel like a part of classroom rather than a piece rotating in and out.

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A highlight of my placement was when I volunteered to chaperone the grade 7-8 dance. Not only did this allow me to meet students that I would not have interacted with otherwise, but it also allowed me to celebrate and cheer them on in something other than math or science. I watched students teaching each other how to dance using skills that they had learned in 4H, and it brought tears to my eyes! One specific event was when a student took charge to teach the whole group of attendees how to two-step and he used a phrase that I use to confirm understaffing, "deal-io? deal-io!", it was really special to see him using something I say to teach his peers something new.