Building Community and Discussions with Stanley, Our Class Pet

Hello my friends,  I've introduced you to our class pets in this post.  However, I'd like to go a little deeper.  Since we've started school, I will invite you to take a look at how Stanley helps create such a positive atmosphere in our room.  He's an ordinary stuffed puppy.   He does absolutely nothing except look cute!  He is mess free....trouble free...bark free...and you know what else free...

I do not have any extraordinary skills in ventriloquism, but they adore my dear Stanley.  I use my "Stanley" voice, and that's about all the tricks I have to do.  The rest is left to the brilliant imaginations of a five year old. 

Here's an example of one of the things I do with Stanley.  In the Responsive Classroom, we teachers write a positive letter to our students every day letting them know what we are doing that day.  It's funny, but I was doing that with kindergarteners long before I knew what Responsive Classroom was...but I imagine that it's because it's a great practice and the kids enjoy it.  Each day I greet my students, announce the day, what we are doing and end it with a positive phrase like "You are awesome," for them to repeat to the group around them.  It then becomes our phrase of the day (but certainly not limited to the only positive phrase of the day.)   Then, I sign the letter, love, Mrs. Wallace and Stanley, and leave Stanley's paw print. 

Another thing we do is "Praises and Prides."  Our friends form an orange (which means form a  circle to see everyone's eyes, instead of grapes or rows to listen to a book.)  We each take turns & go around the circle holding Stanley.  The only one allowed to speak is the person holding Stanley.  Honestly, you would think six year olds would get tired, but somehow Stanley brings the magic of stamina to our room.  I love, love, love the respect this element brings to our classroom.  I look forward to it.  Each person has to think of one thing to compliment another student in our room and say one thing they've done well in our room.

Students don't automatically know how to compliment each other.  Usually I start this ritual with "praises" for each other.  This usually starts with physical attributes like "I like your dress or your hair," and then I train them through other things we do about noticing and complimenting each other on the inside.   Then we move to "prides," or compliments for ourselves.  This activity often makes our kids uncomfortable because they don't yet know the difference between boasting and being proud of  making a goal or accomplishing a difficult task.  I carefully introduce the difference, and with practice, they figure it out.

As the year goes on and we make our community discoveries, I will include more here.  For now, I hope that something sparks an idea for you.  Please feel free to share what works for your classroom community because I'm always on the look out for new ideas.  For now, CHEERS!  And have a great weekend.

 

Just Love Them

I've been teaching about 17 years, and I can say that I still love it.  The best part is the kids.
They think I'm teaching them, but honestly, they teach me more every day.  They  are honest;
they are real; and they let you know what they are thinking....Six year olds think I draw
well, and sing well, and are so in the moment.  What I love most is that they still know how to
love unconditionally.

Recently one of my students moved away, and it about tore my heart out.  She thought she might move, but then learned that they would try to work things out to stay the year.  I felt relief because she was well-loved by her classmates, and she felt safe and happy.  I noticed that she was really feeling confident and had taken rolls in the class as a leader, helping other kids and reading to them and with them and feeling a vital part of things.

When the day came, I didn't know it...we weren't prepared...we didn't get to say goodbye...and she didn't get to take anything with her but our love.  I was greatful for every moment of her vibrant spirit.  The lesson I learned that day was that my main job is "to just love them."

When I first started college, I remember a young girl who tried to tell me that her job was to teach those kids, and love wasn't a part of her job.  I was a young single mom at the time, and I remembered telling her that it was vital to me that all of my daughters got loving, kind teachers because I knew their teachers were going to spend more of their day with my kids than I would be able to spend with them.  I also knew that if kids knew that you cared about them, they could learn anything!

My students will learn...they will grow...they will become wonderful people...but most of all, they will know that wherever they go, they will always be a part of my heart and that they made a difference to our class.    My thinking leads me to believe if they felt they made a difference in my class, won't they feel capable of making a difference in the world? 

What a blessing...

Advice from a first grader

People smile when I say I'm working on how to live my life as a five or six year old; but honestly, I must say, as long as I've been teaching, their advice seems simple.  For example, if you were to ask them, they're an expert at everything!  Once when I was doing Shakespeare, I had the kids draw portraits of him and hung them in the hall.  Someone walked by and said, "How did they do that?"  I quickly replied, "because no one told them they couldn't."  How nice it would be if we all had that feeling of being able to know we had the ability to accomplish anything we wanted by taking that first step with no worry of how it would turn out.

Some other things I've learned from a first grader.
* get paint on everything! - These little ones paint with wild abandon, and while most moms cringe when they witness this, if you could see their little eyes when their in the zone, it's pure joy.

* spirit dance, anytime, anywhere (no music required) - I've seen these kiddos just enjoy the moment with no worries of who was where, just enjoying their spirit

* enjoy your friendships & being in the moment - once when I was on duty outside, a kid ran up to me and said, "Mrs. Wallace I want you to meet my friend."  I asked, "what's his name?"  The little boy, "shrugged his shoulders and looked at me as if I was weird for asking and said, "I don't know!" and ran off to play.  He encountered this friend while doing what he enjoyed most, play, and didn't bother with the details, he just enjoyed this new found friend right here, right now.

So there you have it, my first post on a few simple rules to live by; and as I read them over, I've noticed that there's a common theme, living and enjoying the moment... Their spirits are pure joy.

:)  En- joy - LIVE in JOY  my friends.  I can't wait to hear your adventures.

     Marie