4th Grade Project Based Learning-Health and Wellness (Project Leader)
My Changing Identity as a Leader for Justice 
Upon entering the PLI, I was able to participate in a PBL project however, it was the tools that I acquired by being in the program that allowed me to organize an inclusive PBL with a general education teacher and two special education teachers. I learned that I had to be attentive to instruction in the PBL and adult learning. I had to use the planning meetings to address inclusion strategies so that the general education students could work alongside the students with disabilities and differentiation could occur. 
What Contributed to My Growth as a Leader?
My growth as a leader occured when I chose to listen to student voice.The idea of student voices being incorporated into school practice emerged when I was working with general education 4th grade students along with a group of students ranging from K-5th with Intellectual Disabilities in a PBL rotation. I partnered each student with a heterogeneous buddy and made the general education student accountable for the learning and understanding of their (special needs) buddy. As the period progressed the general education students began voicing that this was the “best day ever”. When I asked one student to explain what she was thinking she said because “this is love”. Another student started shouting, “I just taught him how to cut with scissors! He couldn’t do it and now look. I just held his hand in the right position and now he’s cutting!” The students with disabilities had smiles that marked happiness, belonging, and confidence. I heard another student tell his buddy as he was showing him how to write words in a graphic organizer tell his buddy, “You can do it.” At the end of the session that student looked up at me and said proudly, “I can do it!” as he showed me the book that he had made with his buddy’s help and support.
Later that day a representative group of seven of the general education students came to my class during lunch to voice their request. “We know that our teacher might say no because she thinks we just want to get out of class but we want to be able to see our buddy everyday and work with them in their class.” Another student expressed that she felt connected to the buddy and felt that helping the student was very important. I listened to their requests and told them that I would do everything to support their peer buddy request which includes helping them come up with a proposal and presenting it to their teacher. 
I worked with the students at lunch for a week showing them examples of proposals that I had written for my grade level team in order to get the principal’s approval on a project, and they used those proposals as a model as they designed proposals of their own. The students arranged a meeting with their teacher and the special day class teacher. They showed both teachers their buddy efforts documented in photos and presented the proposals. To their excitement both teachers agreed to allow them to begin planning the buddy project. 
Students conducted a Health and Wellness Fair and the buddy group created reflective questions that teachers and students could ask them during a panel session which would allow them to speak in detail about the learning that occured for them and their buddy. 
What are my next steps in my curriculum leadership journey?
By listening to student voice, students were able to take initiative for their own learning. Just as important, students taught teachers about differentiation and inclusive practices. At the panel presentation, the buddies spoke of the new learning that they incurred as a result of working with their buddy. They also spoke about how they knew their buddy was learning as well as the special bond that developed between them. After seeing the evidence that both general education students and special education students benefit from inclusion, the teachers of the students would like to continue having the students work together next year as an inclusive practice. For years, I have tried to create an ongoing inclusive program at my school as an RSP teacher and was not successful, however the students were able to start one up in less than a month. All in all, my next step with this PBL project is to continue to include student voice in the planning.
CPSEL Standards
This project addressed the following California Professional Standard for educational Leaders: 5.2
For specific standards and how they have been addressed through the project click on the link below.
CPSELs Health and Wellness PBL.docx
