We had a visit from our Fall 2023 Rockford University PE student teachers and their professor on Thursday so they could gain an understanding about what makes Spectrum different from most schools. These visits always start with a little tour of our tiny enterprise, and questions and answers before they visit classrooms.
This day was gratifying for a couple reasons. One was the sense of reunion. The RU students and our students welcomed and greeted each other as valuable relationships. They knew each others’ names. This gave me a solid feeling that this particular partnership with RU is well worth the sometimes cold, rainy hikes over to their facility.
The second was the commentary I heard RU students saying to each other. “I would have loved school if it had been like this.” “I wish my teachers would have done that with me.” “Wow, these kids get really involved with this stuff.” “These kids are so lucky.”
We forget in the hustle and bustle sometimes, and the extraordinary effort it takes to get children to focus at this time of year, how the steady effort of making school meaningful and engaging really is special. Our relationships matter, and we are succeeding at what we care about most: moving the needle, however slightly, at helping kids love and take responsibility for learning.
We press on.
Dr. Mary Beth Cunat
Principal – Spectrum Progressive School of Rockford
