DON'T FORGET, KIDS NEED GRIT
Updated: Apr 3, 2020
Everyone who knows Miss Mimi – Mimi Lewis – knows she always tells it like it is. And we love that!
As our kindergarten teacher, Mimi lays the foundation for our students to learn, grow and develop as they progress from grade to grade.
The younger the child the more high-touch the teaching, so Seabury’s forced transition to distance learning “totally challenges me as a kindergarten teacher,”
Mimi says.
“There’s not very much kids this age can do without some supervision and very little of the learning is familar to them because they are so new to school,” she explains.
“I find teaching remotely is like writing lesson plans for substitute teachers. You end up seeing only the finished product because you’re not there. I miss the actual teaching, adjusting, re-teaching and successes.”
While it’s important for parents to support their child’s distance learning, it’s also important to avoid being too helpful, Mimi says.
“It’s so tempting to give kids the answer when they ask for it, but that’s not the way people learn,” she says. “Letting a child struggle is hard for parents, but grit is so important to the learning process – especially for gifted kids for whom so many things come easy.”
Working out of her home office, Mimi keeps her class connected via a video conferencing app. “The kids are very excited about our Zoom meetings and love to talk to each other,” she says.
Throughout this journey, Head of School Sandi Wollum, Assistant Head of School Tiffany Price and all of the teachers and staff have had each other’s backs, says Mimi – from six feet away (or more) of course. “Someone always has a possible solution when I’m in a pickle,” Mimi says.
MIMI'S TOP CLICK
Generation Genius "This site is filled with science videos and lessons for kids. With scientists working so hard to solve this worldwide health crisis, now is a great time to raise awareness about why science is so important.”
WHAT MIMI’S WATCHING
“At our house we’ve been viewing the whole Harry Potter series in order. Great fun and a wonderful distraction to look forward to every evening. I think we’ll binge James Bond next.”