Seeing Needs, Seizing Opportunities

       Third grade is such a monumental year.  There are so many standards to teach, so many new concepts the students learn, yet they do it every single year... and they do it well.  As important as these standards are for them to learn, there is so much more a teacher instills in their students.  We have the opportunity to instill hope, potential, and character into their lives.  I want to take every one of those opportunities and seize them.  
       It would only make sense for me to teach my students to do the same.  Having these frames displayed in my classroom and talking about them, gives my children the opportunity to see needs and seize opportunities.
       What's a need?  A need is anything they see that needs to be done that may not be their responsibility.  For example, stacking a chair that's not theirs, picking up a pencil that doesn't belong to them, offering to help pass out papers or hand out glue.  Anything that they aren't asked to do.  They see that need and seize the opportunity.  And just like that, they've built character.
       Building character becomes a habit.  We start to want to help others because it has a positive impact on us.  Once it becomes a habit, other people start to notice.  When other people start to notice, they want to be that way too and do what their friend is doing.  Then building character becomes contagious.  By this point, everyone is doing "it".
       My precious third graders have done just that.  They see needs and seize opportunities daily.  Little do they know that their character is contagious, and others are wanting to be like them.  Once character is built, it's hard to break.  We are building strong, foundational character that no matter what tries to shake it, it won't weather.