Every Voice Matters: by Ashley Caldwell, ReGen Bond Hill

Ashley is a founding teacher at ReGeneration Bond Hill. She currently teaches 3rd-grade scholars.

ReGeneration Schools’ “college for all” focus deeply resonates with me. I was the first person in my family to graduate from college. When I was the age of my scholars’, I dreamed of moving to Cincinnati and finding a career that I loved there. My college degree helped open those doors for me. 

My third-grade scholars at ReGeneration Bond Hill constantly meet and exceed the high bar we set for them. Every day, we ask scholars to work through challenging math problems and reflect on the books they’ve read. We also give them time for fun. Right now, they are enjoying playing with Boomwhackers in music class and playing dodgeball on the playground during PE.

Preparing for college goes beyond academics. I tell my scholars that “every voice matters.” Our scholars learn valuable character strengths by speaking up in class, listening to others, and learning how to be part of a true school community. 

As a teacher, I work hard to make my classroom a space where scholars gain confidence in expressing themselves. We do “turn and talks” where scholars practice presenting to a partner before speaking to the entire class. We teach students hand signs that they can use to show non-verbally that they agree with someone or want to expand on what someone is saying.

The scholars are not the only ones who receive feedback at school. As a ReGeneration Schools teacher, I’m constantly giving and receiving feedback from my colleagues. We observe each other’s teaching and share what’s working. When my scholars see this, I tell them that I’m learning and growing, too, which they can see from my actions.

On my classroom desk, I have a photo of me on my college graduation day. I encourage my scholars to picture themselves in my place when they see the picture of me receiving my diploma. Making every voice count means preparing every scholar to succeed in college and beyond. I’m so proud to be part of the team doing that at ReGeneration Schools.