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Each day during March, I am participating in the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC). All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day for thirty-one days. My slices will be primarily about teaching preschoolers. Check out the Two Writing Teachers website for lots more reflections on teaching. Thanks especially to Stacey, Tara, Anna, Beth, Dana, and Betsy for hosting this writing challenge.
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I am really not sure what happened.
I blame fluctuations in the barometric pressure, as our outdoor recess was drowned out unexpectedly by pouring rain while the outside temperature rose to nearly 70, after many chilly days of winter coats.
I am really not sure what happened.
No one got along.
We had a long, tortuous morning together,
Centers full of acrimony, an indoor recess with the large blue foam blocks that hurt my ears and made my heart sad...and we returned to our classroom for read-aloud.
"Before I begin reading, I want to see a show of hands for those who had something sad or unkind happen to them today...let's share what happened, one at a time."
And I recorded their list - and added a few of my own, asking certain children to speak up and share their sad story.
Oh, it was ugly!
He knocked my tower down!
She said I couldn't play with her!
He drew on my clothes!
She took my necklaces from me!
He said mean things!
She grabbed the blocks I was cleaning up!
He said I don't know how to draw!
She wouldn't give me any Magna Tiles!
He took the dice!
She said I was not her friend anymore!
He screamed in my face!
She hit me!
When it seemed as if we were beginning to hear the same sad stories over and over, I called a halt to the list and said -
"I think we are all having many of the same sad problems, today. I am very sad, because none of these things - these behaviors - are in the Big Cats' tradition. Here, in the Big Cats, we are kind and gentle with one another.
Let's look again at each of these things and see if we can find a kinder thing to do in its place, something we wish we had happened..."
One by one, we realized we should -
- ask if we can knock something over.
- say kind things.
- draw with markers on paper.
- gentle with other people's things.
- be kind and gentle with one another
- say "May I have that when you are done?"
- be kind and gentle with one another
- share toys with one another
- be kind and gentle with our voices
- be kind and gentle with our bodies
- be kind and gentle with one another.
Really, that is the only rule we need to remember -
We are kind and gentle with one another.
It took a long time to have this heartfelt, emotional discussion. Much to the children's surprise I said that we had run out of time for a read-aloud before lunch...instead, we'd go right to lunch and make this a special "do over" time by talking at our tables about -
what kind and gentle things happened today?
what kind and gentle things would we do tomorrow?
In this way, we began to turn our day around.
You are never too young to learn about kindness. I hope it carried over into the next day too.
ReplyDeleteDays like this leave me exhausted. I love your open discussion, and the list. I should have done that on Thursday!
ReplyDeleteDays like this leave me exhausted. I love your open discussion, and the list. I should have done that on Thursday!
ReplyDelete