What’s In Your Scrap Box?
By Errica Dotson-Hooper, Manager of the Teaching and Learning Center, HCDE
As I reflect upon my childhood, one of my fondest memories was spending quality time with my great grandmother.
I can still remember spending countless hours at her knee, watching intently as she sewed together patchwork quilts. I would be amazed at how she would take pieces of a dress, a curtain, and fabric scraps from other projects to make a beautiful, intricately designed bedcovering. Every square held significance and she was very intentional about placement. Pulling from a large cardboard box and a repurposed cookie canister, she would joyfully share the story of each piece of fabric — the color, the texture, and the weight.
Often, it felt like show-and-tell because from what I saw, with my childlike understanding, it looked like a waste — scraps whose purpose had been long since served.
But clearly, Big Mama saw what I could not, finding creative and innovative ways to design something that would keep her family warm on cold nights and provide comfort when it was needed most.
It would take weeks to complete a quilt. Sometimes, after days of consistent work, Big Mama would stop, make changes, and then she’d start again. If the thread colors didn’t match or her stitching wasn’t as tight as she liked it, she would pull it apart and start again. She remained focused and steady, singing hymns and offering sage advice while she was pulling the thread through each piece. It was truly a sight to behold.
Once the masterpiece was complete, she’d lay out the quit and show me the finished product. Her glee would spill over to me and I would celebrate with her, marveling at her vision and how it came together while feeling so very proud at what her hands had created.
Building Your Own Scrap Box
I believe that this year, educators have been given a box of fabric scraps, with little direction and no drawn-out pattern — only a mandate to get it done.
It is up to us to boldly design our own vision for how we will bring purpose and intention to the work we are now been tasked to complete.
This requires us to think deeply about each piece we have been handed and about how we use it to fulfill the need that is before us. This work may require us to pull our plans apart and start again many times over.
However, we cannot lose heart.
We must remain fixed and focused on the end goal — to provide children with the tools and skills that they need to understand what’s before them.
Whether it is math or history, step by step, explain the significance and intention of each concept and how it is applicable to their lives. Therein lies the joy. That’s where the growth happens.
When we give from within, we offer students our best from within. They will remember the commitment, the effort, and the care. That is what will keep them as they matriculate to the next grade level while navigating the perils of this global pandemic.
Then in the end, Educators, we will have a beautiful pattern for educating students in new ways that will forever change our practice, our purpose, and our passion. It all lies in the vision that you create.
So, if you find yourself, feeling discouraged or overwhelmed, take another look in the box and create a new vision so that you will soon see your masterpiece.
Errica Dotson-Hooper is the Manager of Teaching & Learning for Harris County Department of Education. A native of Los Angeles, California, she is a graduate of Howard University (BA), Stephen F. Austin State University (MEd) and Dallas Theological Seminary (CGS-Christian Education). The Teach for America alum (Houston ’02) has worked in education for over 17 years in a variety of capacities serving staff and students in HISD, CEP, KIPP New Orleans and KIPP Houston. She is also the host of The Wellness Space Podcast. She is a loving wife and a mother to a 5-year-old daughter.
Follow the conversation #WhyITeach
To be reminded why your work is so very important and for more stories and advice, visit our collection of teacher perspectives at The Art of Teaching.
You can view the McGraw Hill Privacy Policy here: http://www.mheducation.com/privacy.html. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author, and do not reflect the values or positioning of McGraw Hill or its sales.
Stay Connected and Inspired
Sign up to receive information on emerging trends and topics that are shaping the landscape of PreK-12 education today and hear from educators across the country as they discuss their strategies and experiences in shaping students’ lives.
