#Socktober Reflection

I just realised that I never gave an update on how the class went with the #Socktober campaign.  In a word: brilliantly.

We collected bags and bags of socks, jocks and toiletries from our community. More than we imagined. More than we hoped! It was humbling and gratifying all at once.

The kids were able to see the power of the social media in a very tangible way: through social media we had one donation of 40 pair of kids' size jocks; and a representative from a local homelessness service offered to come and speak to us.

The incidental learning about social activism and social justice was personal and profound. I could not have designed such an overwhelmingly positive experience.

The afternoon we spent with Kelly Treloar from the homelessness service astounded me. We invited a couple of other classes to join us so we had a pretty packed house but Kelly engaged them all.  She opened all of our eyes about   the experiences of homelessness and then challenged our assumptions about homeless people. The questions she asked were matched by insightful reflections from our young people as they changed their attitudes in front of our very eyes.

We chose to donate our collection to Kelly's service because we learnt that many of her service's clients are families with young children.  Her genuine gratitude was something my students talked about for days after. It's something that still brings a smile to my face.



#Socktober was an amazing experience for my class for a multitude of reasons. I can't wait to do it again this year.  Will you join me?

This relates to the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers...
Standard 3 Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning.
Standard 4 Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments.
Standard 7 Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community.