Who We Are: Students Reflect on Personal Values and Beliefs, Part 3

Alissa Helgesen

Alissa Helgesen

Middle Elementary students recently finished up their unit on Beliefs and Values under the transdisciplinary theme of Who We Are. The central idea was: Belief and value systems offer explanations about the world around us.  The students focused on beliefs and values and how they impact our choices and decisions. In addition, they explored what we value as individuals, families and as a school community. To conclude the unit, students created Values Billboards, which combined a written description of a value that is significant in their life and why it's important to them along with a complementary picture. Below are several Billboards along with a corresponding audio reading of each statement.

Maxwell on Inquiry

Maxwell.pngInquiring is important to me. Inquiring means that you value communication, social skills and confidence to ask your questions. Then you can answer your curiosity and be knowledgeable. If you didn’t inquire you probably wouldn’t know what to do unless someone told you. I would also not be organized because you might not know what chores to do. We are given the power to inquire and learn from our inquiring.

My value guides me through my learning. If I do not understand something I can ask a question to somebody. For example, I inquired to my dad about my math homework and since then I can do that type of math.


Karin on Determination

Karin_on_Determination.pngI value determination. Determination means you are committing to something and you want to finish it. You are working hard and thinking. I value determination because it is important to work hard and have determination when you can not figure something out. For example, when you have a project and you want to finish, and you need help or you are stuck, you will be able to keep going and try to finish because you are committed to doing it and have determination in yourself. Determination influences me because a few weeks ago, when I was having trouble with a hard math problem, I didn’t give up. I finished because I had a lot of determination in myself. Another reason why determination influences me because when I see somebody fall or drop something, I want to be kind to them and help them and be kind and caring and help them clean up. I am determined to be kind.

View Part 1 and Part 2 of the series.

Alissa Helgesen

Alissa Helgesen

Alissa Helgesen is passionate about inquiry-based math and science education, which is why being the Lower School Math and Science coordinator is a perfect fit for her. Alissa believes in empowering students to be risk-takers in their learning and to value their thought process as much as their products. When she is not at Whitby, she can be found torturing her three children with math problems and science experiments.