When?

This is the latest in a series of blogs by a partnering cohort teacher.
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By Jaclyn Kiedaisch

When? When is there time to do the things that really matter? Do you ever feel like you do not know where to draw the line between what is mandated and what is really important? Why is there a line? Shouldn’t these two goals be one and the same? 

One afternoon, one of my students asked if he could play with the building tubes when we walked outside for our second recess. After I answered yes, he proceeded to tell me that he and another group of boys wanted to build a bench using these tubes for their classmates who might need a “safe place” like the one in our classroom. He continued to tell me that kids who might be upset, might be treated unkindly, or might need a friend to play with could sit on this bench to let others know they needed a friend. Our students saw a need, were empathetic and acted to create a realistic solution. He wanted to call it the “Buddy Bench”. I was proud. Isn’t this fluency?  As we continued having a conversation, this student discovered that the building tubes may not be substantial enough to hold students or withstand the weather. As his teacher, I knew I had to help him bring this vision to life. We started brainstorming different community resources that may be able to help us. I was so excited that my student, labeled ODD and BD, was thinking of a way to solve a need for himself and others. Then…teaching happened. Field trips, birthdays, assemblies, drills, tests, report cards, meetings, book studies, etc. They all happened. The buddy bench? It did not. It has barely been mentioned since that day on the playground. 

When? When is there time to do the things that really matter? Do you ever feel like you do not know where to draw the line between what is mandated and what is really important? Why is there a line? Shouldn’t these two goals be one and the same? 


Jaclyn Kiedaisch graduated from West Virginia University in 2014 with a Master’s in Elementary Education and a specialization in Early Childhood Education. Jaclyn began her career as a teacher at Steenrod Elementary School in first grade. She attended Steenrod herself as a student and always wanted to return to teach. Currently, Jaclyn is a member of Cohort 3 of The Data and Technology Fluency Project with West Liberty University and the CREATE Lab (situated in Carnegie Mellon University).