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.

 

Building Community

Every year, what is most important to me is building classroom community.  I want my kiddos to feel safe and happy and eager to learn.   This takes time and serious intentions and many valuable tools.

This summer I've been re-reading many of my favorite texts in order to remain true to what I know works for kids.  These great texts include Love and Logic and The Responsive Classroom.  I added a text from the Responsive Classroom called The First Six Weeks of School.


I also have a background in Peacebuilders, which reminds me that students need a sense of belonging and purpose.  We do a community circle several times a week where we do Praises and Prides.  First, we begin by making sure students remember to see the golden nuggets in others, but also to know that it's okay to find golden nuggets in ourselves.  Our society often places a judgement upon us remembering to notice good things in ourselves saying that we ate full off ourselves our that we are bragging... I happen to think it's healthy to feel good about yourself. You can't give what you don't have.  Many times in our life experience we are left alone to encourage ourselves, and if we don't know how to do it, our only recourse might be to get negative attention. When students learn to fill their own bucket, they are less spot to expect it from everyone else. ( more on this later)

Looking back, if I could narrow my focus, I would stay with the Responsive Classroom book, specifically the book, The First Six Weeks. 

What I love about Responsive classroom is that there is constant, daily reinforcement and practice of basic common courtesies...namely, greeting each other.  We begin from day 1, acknowledging each other in the classroom, making eye contact, being genuine in our care for others.  For many, this comes easily, for others, with tougher experiences and perhaps some trust issues, this might take longer.  I promise, with due diligence that even the toughest come around because you prove to them multiple times that you will be there to support them and build them up.  Oftentimes as classroom teachers, we worry about how we will get all that curriculum in and teach all that we are responsible for.  However, it is these initial beginnings of helping our students to feel physically and emotionally safe that allow that learning to happen.  Without it, the information ends up being a "fly by" and sometimes they get it and sometimes they don't.   This book assists teachers map out these routines throughout the six weeks with plenty of opportunity to practice for success and mastery, leaving an easier path for learning.

If you only add one thing this year, add a morning meeting or a morning greeting.  Students stand taller and open up more, just having been greeted that morning.  Also, it allows for time to practice routines successfully and purposefully.  Remember the first weeks are vital for year-long success. When the kids feel safe and know you love them, there is community, and with community, all things are possible.

As the year goes on, I will talk about these topics more in depth.  For now, there are a few quick start ups on YouTube under Responsive Classroom.

Happy trails, and may your school year be blessed. 

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...

Introducing New Class Pets

I don't remember having very many class pets when I was growing up, but I always thought it was a cool idea.  Have you had class pets?  I've had a few, gerbils and hamsters and fish, but there is quite a bit of upkeep.  And when we were on tracks, we had to find a suitable zoo keeper.  Some unfortunate pets did not make it to the next track.  For me, it seemed like a lot of maintenance.

Introduce my sweet friend MaryBeth, who has a "stuffed" class pet named Leo.  Leo is a lion who sets the tone of the classroom.  Leo talks and Leo participates in class activities, and first graders are enthralled.  I loved this idea, and proceeded to introduce my own class pet, Stanley, a stuffed dog.  It didn't take long for the kids to fall in love with him.  He even is in many of our class books.  When we took pictures of each member of our class reading their favorite book, they insisted that Stanley get his own page.   So we took a picture of him reading a dog book. Stanley is part of our class meetings and anything to do with self esteem.

This went so well, I thought I'd introduce another class bear.  In came Benny Bear, and Benny brings us treats for our graphing jar and fun math manipulatives.  I'm not sure why I called him Benny, but I'd like to think an intuitive part of me thought of Benevolent.  :)

And lastly, I fell in love with this beauitful girl doll that a friend gave me for Christmas.  She reminded me of Elf on a shelf, and I named her Ellie.  Ellie came into the classroom when we were having a lot of trouble with our self-control.  She would whisper to me which kids were working so hard on self-control, and they got to write their names in a self control bubble.

The best part about these class pets are they don't require cages or clean ups or any kind of smells!

I hope you enjoy this idea.  If you have your own ideas, I'd love to see how you this in your classroom.  Together, I think we will really have some great tools in the classroom for management.