This past year in education has brought about a tremendous amounts of new experiences and with that some unexpected outcomes. We have been welcomed into our students homes and have welcomed them into ours. And with that new intimacy comes pets. Over the years of teaching I have heard countless stories of my students furry, fluffy, scaly or leathery family member. I have ohhed and awed over their pictures. On the rare occasion I have met the new puppy at end of the day pick up. Now these animals have become more integral parts of the school environment. What I did not expect from this new experience is the level that birds would become a part of my regular school chatting. Birds sitting on students heads through a lesson, birds being the center of a short story, very detailed directions on how to care for birds, a in depth explanation on different species of small birds to keep as house pets, a student showing off their chicken that has been brought in due to the cold, and more. Although the vast amount of bird related teaching experiences have been unexpected, they have been welcomed. The deeper connections made with our students as well as a connector between our cornucopia of teaching environments has been heartwarming. It has brought a much needed sense of levity in our educational worlds that continues to help us accentuate the positives. Just recently we have had a woodpecker visit our house by pecking on our back wall. It sounds like someone in our backyard knocking on a window. Even though I know we need to direct that woodpecker to a different location, every time our little neighbor knocks it reminds me of the fact that this year in teaching there are birds, birds everywhere.
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