Revealing Brilliance Celebration: Day Three

“When I think of brilliance I think of the silent drawing Jamie Hernandez has been doing in her art classes as part of the mini-unit on silence. Students come in and have silent drawing for the first three minutes of art class. When they come into class, their seats are already set up with their notepads and their notepads have one page for each class of the year. The silent drawing requires them to settle in, focus on their own work, and make adjustments to their work rather than abandon it if they don’t like what they’ve done. It’s teaching students perseverance and flexibility and connects the art room with the rest of the school.”
– Hannah Wiltshire, Elementary Division Director

“I see faculty revealing brilliance all the time. Teachers are constantly looking for a million different ways to help kids access information and exhibit their unique brilliance in class. It’s through the brilliance of our teachers that our kids’ brilliance can be revealed.”
– Courtney Jimenez, Middle Division Director

“The time our community really revealed brilliance was during the flood [In 2003 20 Bergen Street was flooded when a faucet was left running over Thanksgiving break. Almost everything had to be rebuilt]. We were in the elementary school, we came back from Thanksgiving break, there was this incredible obstacle in front of us, and on the spot we came up with a plan. We rallied the faculty, packed up the school, and moved the entire community to a new location. And the students continued to thrive and worked hard. They were good sports. Everyone showed an incredible ability to accept adversity and persevere.”
– Mark Doty, Upper Division Director

Revealing Brilliance Celebration: Day Three

Students continue to dig into the question, “What does “Revealing Brilliance at MMFS mean to you” in unique and fun ways. The ES is creating “brilliance booths” and holding talent shows, the MS is showing their MMFS pride with Spirit Week, and the US are using giant post-its to document moments of brilliance. Yesterday ES students in the Emily Room showcased their brilliance in a variety show and language-therapy students have created a “brilliance booth” which is decorated with all they ways they feel brilliant.

In case you missed them, check out Monday’s and Tuesday’s questions of the day. Thanks to all who shared their thoughts.

Today’s question is: Tell us about a time when you witnessed an MMFS faculty or staff member revealing brilliance.