Yesterday afternoon at school, I heard one of our younger students calling my name. "Annie! Annie come help! There's a really big spider here! Like, REALLY big!"

They weren't calling out in fear. They were excited--and educated. They knew it was a Wolf spider. They knew it might bite if they reached for it and startled it. They just wanted my help in getting the spider safely away from the cubby room boot trays and back outside where it could thrive.

The spider was a beauty. And every adult and every child within earshot came to admire and offer help.

Together we all found a stray paper cup from someone's recent project and ferried Miss Spider out to the hostas that line the front of the building.

And that's how you educate a child. You model the care you want to see in the world.

- Help them understand what belonging and respect can mean across age differences and even species differences: Be on an easy first-name basis with one another; get the pronouns right if you can. Understand spiders' place and importance in nature. Don't destroy something out of fear or ignorance. We are all kin.

- Share: Share your excitement and wonder, share the work of caring for each other and the world around us, share resources. "Isn't she gorgeous!" "Here, use my paper cup!" "I wonder how she got in here?!"

- Be worthy of trust and act responsibly: Ask for help when you need it, lend a hand when asked. Care for each other and yet still know your limits.
#School #education #storytelling