Philosophizing About the Whole School Thing with Columbus School 6th Graders and @FairfieldU Undergraduates

For the last three years, CWP-Fairfield has been collaborating with brilliant K-8 educators from Columbus School, offering professional development and service-learning opportunities for many. This, the 3rd year, continues the tradition of bringing youth to campus to attend a college class and to partake in philosophical meandering as the undergraduates writing their educational creeds and think critically about becoming K-12 educators.

We've read Greene, Rizga, Woodson, Dewey, and many others through out course books. Finally, today, this semester of Fairfield educational philosophers get to work one-on-one with a team of stellar 6th graders who have Harbor Me in their possession - a wonderful book about young people finding their purpose and their voices.

The day begins at 10 a.m. and I will come home around 8 p.m. after the annual Poetry for Peace celebration occurs in the Oak Room later this evening. It's a true pleasure and honor to be involved with so many community outreach programs on campus as a result of my CWP directorship.

On another note, welcome to the world, Manny. My colleague stopped by after giving birth to her 4th son and introduced us to this wonderful human being. It put an absolute smile on my face and I know as long as such youth are entering the world, I will find ways to promote K-12 education to be prepared for them. He's only two-weeks old, but he's born into a family of love, passion for knowledge, and the pursuit of best practices.

By the time Manny will be college-ready I can finally say, I'll be looking actively at retirement. 18 years from now. I should be around 65 by then, and with all these years as an educator, I hope I will be leaving the field with open arms for such a blossoming genius.

It goes by so fast.