Extra-Curricular Activity: Attending the Musical Production of Footloose on March 8th from 7 to

9:30
This experience was so amazing. I did not have any of my students in the musical but to
see all of that amazing work the students put into it come to life on stage was so inspiring. The
whole community showed up and they had so much life in their performance. Some of the
students were calling out to get tickets for a raffle for some gift cards which would help fund the
school in some way for the arts. The effort to make this show happen plus all of the signs they
made for concessions being sold and the signs for the raffle, these kids really cared. I have a new
understanding of how much these students and families support their community here at Rocky. I
found seats in the back and next to this group who had done a previous showing of Footloose
that the students had gone to while they were preparing for their show. This connection made the
experience all the more inspiring because of all the parts of the musical that seemed that they
were influenced by theirs because of some of the reactions that group had during some scenes.
The act of going to these sorts of extra-curricular activities and seeing students in their
more creative seems like a really important part of being a teacher in the community because this
shows to students that you are there to support them in not just their school work, there is this
understanding you can learn about them, and it gets more involvement with the community
which helps connect all of the avenues of support the student has on common ground about a fun
activity. From this event I learned that being a teacher is about supporting students inside the
classroom as well as in the community to help grow that network of adults who can help and
engage that student in learning skills that will help them through life.

Curriculum Meeting: I was able to spend some time at the Special Listening Session on April 16 th
at Poudre High School.
This session was really engaging and an emotional time with all the heightened feelings
about the schools possibly being closed. Most of the people that were there were for the schools
that were on the list of schools who were being considered to close. I also was in a town where
schools were being threatened with being closed because of budget cuts and a dwindling number
of students which brought up a lot of feelings for me. Just like in my hometown, this community
came to support and make sure the decision for which school would be closed had all of the
information. This is such a big time for the parents of students who are very rooted in the
community of their school district and have found the culture to be very welcome to voice their
support.
This was such an amazing experience to see because we see how invested the community
is in the education of their students in a safe environment. This is so important to see as a teacher
and community member because then you have a better understanding of where the board and
community lie on issues and or policies which can set the tone for experience with either side. As
teachers we have to listen to the board and make sure to voice how students and the community
will be affected when it is important and needed, which can be found through interactions.
Although I did not go to a department or staff meeting this would be a great place to find support
and watching and listening in on those now can help build confidence in how supportive that
group can be and to trust in their advice since they have experience and you have new
knowledge that can help no matter how small. The biggest thing I have learned from this for
being a teacher is that getting involved with the community and the staff you work with helps
build connections which scaffolds that umbrella of support that all teachers need when working
in this tough but amazing job.