Tuesday SOL: What does compassion look like?

This is a Tuesday Slice of Life for Two Writing Teachers. 

Check out their website for many more reflections on teaching.


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Comfort object, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: A comfort object, transitional object, or security blanket is an item used to provide psychological comfort, especially in unusual or unique situations, or at bedtime for small children. Among toddlers, comfort objects may take the form of a blanket, a stuffed animal, or a favorite toy, and may be referred to by English-speaking toddlers as blankey and lovey.^[1]

What does compassion look like?

How do you teach children to care about one another?

How many tiny community-building steps pave the way to a loving and caring classroom?

He sobbed at the realization that his lovey was still at home, forgotten for the ride to school. There was no time to return home for it - it was time for his school day to begin and it was time for his parents to head to work. 

How can this be? How would he make it through the school day without his lovey? This is too painful! Oh, how he cried.

Classmates came running to him with replacement loveys, sweet little stuffed animals from our classroom basket...a small animal, an elephant, a large lion puppet. His crying paused, momentarily, with each offer. Yes, his classmates' caring offers were having a positive effect! Ah, but, he resumed crying. Nothing was as good as his own dear lovey, still at home.

Another suggestion - What if we draw a picture of his lovey? Would that help?

To work, to work, to work, 

these preschool artists went to work...

and he, the wounded one, 

quickly became engrossed and soothed by their pictures,

no longer crying, 

able to face the day,

simply enchanted.

As am I.

"I will draw him for you!"

"Here, I have him, too."

"This is a little one and a big one. There are two."

"I drew him and his whole family."

"See his wings? I made them."

"This is kissing ones. A whole family of kissing ones. For you."