A couple of ways to know you’ve succeeded as an educator—the students still want to learn after summer break starts, and they take what you’ve taught them and make it their own.
That’s what happened with Ashely Reser’s Lotions, Potions and Slime! class, which was one of the courses offered through this year’s Summer Enrichment Academy (SEA). After a week of experimenting, they ended the chemistry-inspired learning opportunity by making slime.
“We made up our own recipe,” third-grader Meadow Predmore said. Besides the shaving foam the project called for, Meadow and her friend Avah Berry added other ingredients like black paint, sequins and glitter to the sticky substance.
Reser, who teaches ESL at Bellefontaine elementary and intermediate schools, used the Nelson Mandela philosophy with her class: “I never lose. I either win or I learn.”
“They learned enough to make a slime that works,” Reser said. “If it didn’t come together the first time, they tried again.”
This year saw 302 students, grades second through eighth, from seven school districts plus four homeschooled students attending one of 22 classes. Options ranged from cooking and baking to crafts to science to a sportscaster camp offered by local radio station WPKO/WBLL.
SEA’s staff also included teachers, nurses, a tech assistant, various coordinators and a school resource officer. The classes — from June 5–9, were mostly hosted at Bellefontaine City Schools (high and middle) with one taking place at Homegrown Yoga.
“It doesn’t put pressure on students to perform at a certain level,” Donna (DJ) Howell, who taught the Snacks and Desserts Galore class, said. “The kids enrich each other’s experiences by providing different perspectives and helping each other learn.”