Don't You Just Love A Good Book?

The first three days of this week have been... days. You know the type- no one listens, there is always someone getting hit, or hitting, and only about 4 students actually want to be there. They were days that had me questioning every life decision I had ever made. And then today happened, and it almost made up for those other three days. Almost. Funny thing is (and it isn't so funny), my class knew this, too. They knew it wasn't very fun in KD on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. It's almost like they got together after they left school Wednesday, and decided they were actually going to try to have a good day today. 

Today had some real highlights- we've started a new routine of "outdoor learning" on 2 two days of our six day cycle, and we found the perfect spot on our school campus to do it; we found out a big project we are excited to do was given the green light; we had some awesome play this morning, and even took some time in the middle of our Writers Playshop to get up and dance (because when the song Heave Away comes on the playlist, what else can you do?).

Today was night and day compared to the rest of the week. At the end of the day, I found myself with about five extra minutes, so I grabbed a Leo Lionni book to read. 

I love Leo Lionni books. They always have a message, though we may not always understand it, and the books always produce some excellent conversations. Today we read: It's Mine. It is the story of three frogs who live on an island who argue, fight, and quarrel. There is a toad who comes over from the other side of the island to tell them to settle down- of course they don't listen... Then, one day, a storm comes up and the island is flooded. The frogs must all work together to survive, and, in doing so, they learn a lesson. 

Whenever I read a Leo Lionni book, I try to leave the discussion to the students. I don't like to add my

own thoughts because the books produce such deep conversations on their own. 

I read the book, then I put it down, ready for the end of the day routine. Before I could start that though, many of my students decided they had some words to say. And they all said some of the same things, "Those frogs sounded a lot like our class!" I had to agree, of course, because they did! From the quarrelling and fighting to finally working together. 

I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring. With this class, it's anyone's guess. This much I do know- I will leave the book "It's Mine" out someplace where they will see it. It will be a quiet reminder to them that even though we may quarrel and fight, we do have our moments of cooperation and togetherness too. 

Don't you just love a good book?

All is calm. All is bright. Hygge in the classroom. Self-Regulation part 2

Authors Note: Last week I wrote about play and self-regulation. It seems I have a bit of a theme these days, because, in a sense, this week's post is also about self-regulation, and as I think about next weeks post... same thing! So, if you'd like to read last week's post, you can find it here: Play and Self-Regulation Now, on to this week:

In the course of a school year, particularly if you live in a northern climate, the months of January, February, and March drag on. Three months, but they can sometimes seem like the longest three months of the year. It's cold outside and the weather can be dreary and unpredictable. Every winter has its own pattern. This winter, our weather pattern seems to be: snow, rain, freeze, ice, snow, rain, freeze, ice, repeat. 

In order to combat this type of seasonal unbalance, we try to make our inside calm. In our homes, this might manifest in comfy blankets and spaces, candle light, warm drinks, quiet music and sounds. We can do this in the classroom too. Embracing the Hygge way in the classroom leads to a sense of well-being for all, and another way to promote self-regulation in Kindergarten.

Because of Covid, our school has a "staggered entry"- which means, as the children get to school they come straight into the classroom. Other years they played on the playground until the school day began. This created students rushing to get into the school, pushing, shoving, chaos. When this year began, and we discussed this "new" idea, my concern was, what to do with them? I started out having play time. As soon as they came in, they would sign in (a way to practice writing their names), then they would go play- with the over-head fluorescent lights blazing away. As winter approached, this method wasn't really working for anyone- it was loud, it was hectic, and it was overwhelming for many. I thought about this and decided to switched our schedule around a bit- come in, sign in, and sit at the tables doing quiet activities like play dough, drawing, writing, reading, until everyone gets here, then do a morning meeting before our play time. 

Now when the children come in, the lights are dimmed. I have a plethora of Christmas/fairy lights, as well as some stand up lamps around the room to give it a soft, warm glow. I play environmental music, or some kind of calming "happy" music. The children can talk, of course, they can move around and visit each other (masks on), it isn't an "everyone sit down and be quiet" time. It's just a calm, quiet way to centre ourselves before we start our day. So many of us ride the bus- which can be so hectic and crazy, then they come into a hallway where kids may be running up and down, yelling, etc (we are a hallway of 6 classrooms of 5 and 6 year olds after all)- that it helps to have this little down time to acclimate to being back in the classroom.

After we all arrive, we have a morning meeting. We sing songs, talk about the day, incorporate a little math workshop, then move into our play time. I keep the lights low for play time, as well, and I play the calming music in the background. We try to keep the atmosphere as cozy as possible. Sometimes I'll even put up a fireplace video or a video of a stream in winter, etc. on the board.

Does all of this work? It does. In the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, we often say "environment is the third teacher". This is a perfect example of that- if the environment is calm, it creates a general feeling of calm. And calmness allows us time to think, plan, create, problem solve, talk, and discuss. What I have found is even those days when we are a bit more...extra... than others, we still have room to breath. This idea of Hygge- creating a calming, cozy atmosphere- is possible in the Kindergarten classroom. 

There are many things that Covid has taught us as educators. We were not trained to teach in a pandemic, we were not trained to teach students to wear masks and social distance as much as possible. But there have been some benefits of Covid- I call them my Covid Linings. Embracing a Hygge classroom is just one of those Covid Linings. I've toyed with it, I've experimented with it in the past, but this year has given me permission to just go with it. I think this will be the way from here on out.

Next Week: Self-Regulation part 3: Dinosaurs!

This website really helped me define what I mean by Hygge: Hygge House

Once Upon A Time

 Once upon a time there was...

a girl

a dinosaur

a butterfly

a friend

A Story.

And the story lives in each of us, and it is just waiting to be told. And once the story is out there, it grows. It starts as a singular idea, then, as it is written down, it is dissected and improved. It begins to solidify, until, finally, we watch it bloom. We start off small, but over time we add to our story and it grows. Our friends share in our story, and their own additions make it bigger, better, different. 

We are the story. We are the teller. We are the storytellers.

Sometimes we just need to be made aware...

 

We've been in kindergarten for a month. We have settled into a routine and the newness is starting to wear off. Now is when we need to put into practice the lessons of kindness and caring, that we've been talking about since day 1. We've been singing the songs about peace in our fingers and love in our hearts. We've been reading the books about being a good friend. We've been watching videos with catchy tunes about being kids who are kind. But now is when we are learning to take what we know and put it into practice. 

We know what the expectations are, about being respectful, responsible, and really fun to be with. When asked, we can tell you that we want to treat others the way we want to be treated. But when push comes to shove (quite literally), all of what we "know" doesn't matter. Because our first instinct, in many ways, is to strike out. That is where my class of 17 is these days. So, after a Monday of too many tears, we decided we needed something more than just songs and words.

We have been talking about being "Everyday Heroes" (link at the bottom). We want to be that. We want to be kind, I am convinced of that. But it isn't always easy in the heat of the moment. Plus, I am convinced we don't always realize how many times we strike out at others. So, today we had a different approach.

I've been using the See...Think...Wonder approach to learning, so I thought I might try it today when talking about our hands. We all spent some time looking at our hands, really looking at them. Then I asked them what they saw. It was so interesting to hear their answers: skin, scratches, lines, freckles. They really did notice their hands. Then I asked them what they thought about their hands, and again, I was not disappointed with their answers: germs, dirt, nails, they wiggle. Then I asked them what they wondered, and we came up with wondering what our hands can do. I put all of this on to a visual to hang up. I made sure to emphasize that nothing our hands can do are "bad", but that some things are better choices than others, because, honestly, there are times when pinching, hitting, and making a fist are good things. 

I had two friends today, in particular, that both really struggled with being hands on and hitting when they were frustrated. Because I am a firm believer that in kindergarten much of the things we may consider "discipline problems" are less a problem and more of a lack of realization of how many times we actually do something, I pulled the two into the hall individually, and we talked one on one about our hands and the good things they can do. Then we spoke of some of the harmful things they had been doing that morning, and I told them that I had a special certificate I wanted to give them if they can make it through the day without hitting anyone else. In order to keep track of this, I traced their hand on pieces of paper and set them aside, with a pencil. I told them that if they can make it through the day without needing to put a mark on their paper, they would get a "Helping Hands" certificate (kind of bribery, I know, but work with me here. I am not putting too much emphasis on the certificate, per se., but I knew this would be something they would think was pretty cool).

As suspected neither one made it too far into the morning without having to put a mark on their paper. But, instead of it being a day like Monday, where the hitting was at a level 3 def con, this was the only instance of hands on- for the entire class. Both were quite upset with themselves, and you could see the determination in their faces to find new ways to compromise and work together. Tomorrow will be another day, with a "clean hand" and a chance at that "fancy" Everyday Hero Helping Hands Certificate! 

Today was a success in a few ways. It got us, as a whole class, to really look at our hands in a different, more specific way. It made two boys more aware of their own actions. It sparked a conversation about what kindness really means, and it helped us assimilate what we know into how we behave. Sometimes we don't realize how often we need to be spoken to, especially when we are five and brand new to school. Sometimes, instead of a lecture, we just need to find ways to be made aware of how often it happens. 

Every Day Hero- Aloe Black

Looking Through Rose Coloured Glasses

Sir Ken Robinson gave the most popular TedTalk of all time, Do Schools Kill Creativity In it, he explains that, yes, schools do kill creativity. It's an amazing talk, one I whole heartedly endorse, one I refer to frequently. His talk was very thought provoking. We lost Sir Robinson this past summer due to cancer. 

Today, on my walk, I was listening (again) to Michelle Obama read her book Becoming. In chapter 4 she talks about her childhood, her neighborhood and her school. Her experiences growing up mirror mine in many ways- the gathering of family, playing in the neighborhood, walking to a school not far away from home. I don't know if it's the death of an educational figure, listening to the book, the end of my summer, or Covid19- chances are all of these are the culprit- but apparently this last full week of my summer break has me in a melancholy mood. I'm starting to sound like my great aunt and uncle, "Back in my day, schools were better. Music was better."

I was a child, I know, so my memory is perhaps not 100% accurate, and I know the 70s were not a perfect time. I know vast portions of our society did not have the advantages I did. I do not want to return to that time, per se, but I think back to schools, to my educational opportunities, and I can't help but think we've lost something along the way.

The 70s were a time of neighborhood schools, people knew who lived next door, kids could be out from sun up to sun down. I walked alone to the gas station on the corner to buy a bottle of pop and a candy bar for .50, or my friends and I would ride our bikes a few blocks in the other direction to the "Little Store" where we bought penny candy. There was a local park with swings, a sprinkler that went all summer long, metal slides and climber. It was nothing for me to walk the six blocks to it alone. We had freedoms that we took for granted. Younger generations will never know what the streetlight coming on means to us. The same goes for school.

When I was in the fourth grade, my classroom was in the area surrounding the library. It was called "the pod" and there was an open classroom concept. We had dividing walls between each class, but they were open to the library. As a student, I don't remember being distracted by what was going on in the other classes or the library. I don't remember it being too loud. But I do remember the freedom we felt to get up, move around, work in groups. We went from having individual desks to tables. Group work was the norm. It was like the kindergarten idea, only for older children. 

Speaking of kindergarten, it was a true child's garden. We played, we made crafts, we had a short rest time and snack time. It was a half day, play based classroom and the favored "centre" to play in was a wooden climber in the middle of the classroom. Yes, a wooden climber where we could climb up, do flips over, walk across the ladder. When we made choices where we would play, we chose a colored string- the color for the climbing center was black, btw. I still remember this almost 50 years later.

Three quarters of the way through 4th grade, my family moved and I started a new school. A different set-up than the open classroom concept, but definitely the same teaching attitude. I think it was when I was in the 5th grade (but it could have been the end of 4th) that we took part in a city-wide program called "Free to be- you and me" based on the Marlo Thomas album and television special (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_to_Be..._You_and_Me). We all piled into school busses for a week (maybe two) of full on arts education, with a strong side over of old school feminism. Pretty sure that wouldn't go over very well in todays climate. It truly makes me sad to think of how good I had it growing up and comparing it to now. We can't go back in time, but do you think, in some ways, education can?

We are currently in "uncharted territory" (I hate that term, but it is fitting in the context of modern education in the time of Covid19). Some of us are teaching virtually, some are teaching face to face, some are in a hybrid model. Those of us teaching face to face are learning to balance what is best for the physical health of our students and their mental/developmental health. Because of, or in spite of this, we have a chance to reset the trajectory of education. I have my masters in 21st century learning. Most people automatically think "technology", and that is a part, but it is so much more than that. Technology

is more like a tool for 21st century learning, it is not the driving force of it. What it is, is encapsulated by what is known as the 4C's of 21 Century Learning:

Critical Thinking

Communication

Collaboration

Creativity

Whether we are teaching face to face or virtually, we can include all four of these into our lessons. Now is the time to step up and truly think about each of these in relation to our lessons. 

Are we teaching our students to think critically? This is hugely important right now- as too many of us seem to have lost that ability. We must teach students to sift through all of the information that is available to them. In this age of information, we are inundated with so much. Add to that the algorithms that Google and other search engines utilize, which narrows our search to "similar" links, and we find ourselves in an echo chamber. We need to teach students to critically think about what they have read, and figure out ways to find opposing voices. 

Are we teaching our students to communicate appropriately? Another lost art in this current age. The computer is just one way we can do this, but that is only one "language" of many (see https://reggioemilia2015.weebly.com/the-100-languages.html) In a conversation about children in this time, Carla Rinaldi also includes technology as one of the languages (https://youtu.be/EKqXLbBvR00). There is a common "meme" I have seen floating around social media: "Social Media has made too many of you comfortable disrespecting people and not getting punched in the mouth for it..."(https://images.app.goo.gl/B7bQimqLumsaQpTAA). While I don't advocate physical violence, the sentiment is true. We live in an age where people hide behind keyboards and say whatever comes into their minds, without consequence. We need to teach our students how to communicate, and that includes listening to others points of view, and with empathy. 

Are we giving our students time to collaborate? As educators, we present material to our students, but it is through collaboration with each other that it begins to make concrete sense to them. Even when working virtually, students can be given the freedom to discuss and explain, they can still collaborate. The toughest thing for many to do is to let go and trust the learning that happens between students. But that is where the meat and potatoes happens. We must be available to help correct any misgivings, but we also need to remember to step back and allow them to work that out for themselves.

Are we allowing for creativity in our students? Are we giving them time to create, musically, artistically, writing? We can't merely spout off "the facts" and expect a well rounded individual (sorry conservative friends, but education is more than the filling of a pail). We need the arts to help us make sense of the facts. And, as a side note, math, science, and art are inextricably linked.

We cannot go back to the 70s nor should we want to. But the 4 C's are the perfect vehicle to bring education into the 21st century. Teachers need the freedom to incorporate this into their lessons. Scripts are great in order to illustrate how a lesson could go, but if it doesn't come from the heart of the teacher, then they are merely going to be clanging gongs. And, who listens to a clanging gong?

I am too old to have children in school today, but someday I hope to have grandchildren in schools. I want for them, what I had. I want kindergarten to be a truly play based experience, I want their teachers to have the freedom to introduce them to things and ideas I cannot. I want them to be critical thinkers, because a critical thinker is a person who is free from the shackles of other peoples opinions, a critical thinker can sift through the bias  and get to the source. I want them to be able to communicate to others in a variety of ways, and in such a way as to communicate respectfully and with confidence. 

In order to teach for the future, perhaps there are things from the past we can utilize. We desperately need to figure out a way to teach in a way that does not kill creativity, but one that finds what each child needs and helps them to capitalize on that.

Call me idealistic, and tell me I have on rose colored glasses, but I think we can do this. We can be 21st Century teachers, and we can change the course of education for the better! We owe it to the next generation. 

Telling a Story: 5 People, 3 Angles

Today’s exercise was fun. We first read the book “Joan Proctor: Dragon Doctor” which is the story of Joan Proctor, the first female curator of the Reptile House at the London Zoo. This non-fiction story is written is such an attractive way, using clever turns of phrase and alliterations. I quickly fell in love with this book and cannot wait to use it in my classroom this coming year. Among other things, it’s a great way to introduce what being a scientist is about (observing, taking careful notes, illustrating, etc), but there is so much more that can be used for writing instruction, and just plain enjoyment of reading.

After reading the book, Kate gave us a challenge: Think of five fascinating people, and then imagine three different angles for telling their story. I have to admit, thinking of five people was the hardest part. Once I got started on the angles for the stories, the ideas seemed to fly! I chose five people that I find fascinating right now. Tomorrow I am sure I would think of others. Here are my five people, and the three different angles I could use to tell their stories:

Five people whose lives I find interesting and three angles to tell their story:
   
    1. Langston Hughes (American poet)
-Take a poem of Hughes’s and fashion his life story around the verses
-Using the rhythmic parameters of a jazz song, write a story about his involvement in the Harlem Renaissance
-Hughes came from the Midwest but lived all over the world. Write about his life from the perspective of the Midwesterner wanting to explore the world (I have personal feelings about this, lol)
   
     2. Sylvia Ashton-Warner (New Zealand educator)
-From the perspective of a Maori child
-From the perspective of a Maori parent
-From the perspective of  a modern educator in New Zealand
   
     3. Megan Rapinoe (American soccer star)
-Beginning with her brothers incarceration and weaving his story in with her story
-From the perspective of playing soccer. Like a How-to book only weaving her story around it
-Using “This is the house that Jack built” as a foundation, tell her story (This is the shoe that kicked the shot that won the world-cup for the fourth time…)
   
     4. Andrew Carnegie (American industrialist and philanthropist) 
-A picture book using a model of a Carnegie library
-A story of his work with Booker T. Washington
-A book about the winners of the Carnegie Hero Fund
     
     5. Oprah Winfrey (modern celebrity and philanthropist) 
- A story about her dogs
- A story about best friends with Oprah and Gayle as subject matters
- From the perspective of “What I Know For Sure” tell her story

Sometimes the hardest part of writing is coming up with the subject matter, the second hardest is thinking of the angle. As teachers, using these types of mentor texts is an excellent way to model writing that goes beyond "what I did last night". It gives us a chance to show our students that we can tell someone else's story too. And we can do it in a way that is original, and one that brings the reader into the story organically.
What about you? Can you think of five people that fascinate you, and three different angles to tell their story?

Of Power Points and White Boards

I've just begun working on my Masters in Education (I thought I was "bored"), and have been enjoying my most recent course, an introduction to research methods. This week we had an assignment due, and as I read the requirements, and balanced them out with my other responsibilities, I thought to myself, "Yeah. OK. I can do this, no problem." But then... but then! On Monday we received our weekly update from the professor. In the message he "casually" mentions that we should put our assignment on a Power Point and upload it to the group discussion site. I began to panic. "A Power Point?!?!? There is nothing in this assignment that tells us we have to do a Power Point!!!" You might know, I teach Kindergarten. I don't "do" Power Point. I probably use it two or three times a year- Meet the Teacher Night, maybe Welcome to Kindergarten, and I have one for a 3-D shape unit. So now, my stress level for this assignment went from 0-80 in about sixty seconds. I stewed on this for a few days.

That was Monday. Fast forward to Wednesday and a Professional Development session. Sandra Herbst (Educator and Superintendent from Manitoba) was in our province to present to all of the teachers, K-12 (they divided it up by 'families of schools', so not every teacher on one day, but there were about 600 on my day). She was showing a video of a high school math class where the students were working on a problem in groups using mini-white boards and markers. After showing the video, she spent about five minutes discussing how revolutionary this was for this particular teacher to use white boards in the class, and many of the intermediate and senior high teachers in the room were amazed by this "new technology". Meanwhile, my kindergarten colleagues and I were looking at each other in amusement. You see, we use mini-white boards in our classrooms all of the time (which Sandra Herbst did comment on- "all of the primary teachers in here are looking at the older grades and laughing right about now, because they've been using these for years).

That was Wednesday. Fast forward to Thursday in the staff room. I was talking to another colleague who was telling me about her husband (a high school teachers) using Power Point all of the time, like he could do it in his sleep. And that's when my epiphany happened. My instructor teaches high school and University. He probably uses Power Point every day, so much so that he could do it in his sleep. So him asking for us to put our presentations on Power Point was, for him (I assume), a very simple, regular thing to do. Just like, for me, using a mini-white board with my students is a very simple, regular thing to do.

That's when I realized: Mini-White boards are to high school teachers what power points are to kindergarten teachers.

Lesson learned? Perhaps I could use Power Point more often?

But the moral of this story is: We may say the same words, but we don't always speak the same language. It's important to remember that when we talk to each other.

And for my Power Point? I used pictures of me holding up a white board with questions on it- because that's how I roll

A Perfect Example of a Perfect Society

 I know that 5 year olds are not the perfect example of a perfect society. Of course I know that they can be selfish, self-centred, egotistical, demanding, silly, and hugely inappropriate. I know this! But, there are times when I look at my class of 5 year olds, and I see how they interact, and  I wonder when exactly we lost it. When did we lose the simple, straight-forward, in your face innocence. And I wonder why we lost it, and if it is possible to get it back. There are certain behaviours that these children exhibit every day that, in their world, is common and ordinary. But in our adult world, it is almost a miracle.

In kindergarten we are colour blind in the best way. That doesn't mean we don't notice that others look different than we do. It means we honestly and really don't care that they look differently than we do. Children know that others look different than they do. Children are notorious for pointing out differences. But what makes this different in 5 year olds than in adults is huge. A child is merely making an observation. They don't care that you are different, they are just interested that you are different. And a child doesn't get offended that you noticed they were different. It is adults who project their own feelings on to this issue. Kids are just curious.

In kindergarten we practice forgiveness every day. I hit you, you hit me, we tell the teacher, we get over it, we go off and play together. My class this year is the perfect example of this. It is almost maddening as a teacher because conflicts happen every day, multiple times a day But, do they stay away from each other? Nope. Do they just go and play with other children? Nope. Why? Because whatever happened, whatever was said, whatever was done is in the past. They have moved on. In kindergarten, every day is a new day. Every moment is fresh and uncluttered with grudges.

In kindergarten we honestly have a lack of materialism. (Note: this is not a lack of entitlement, but a lack of caring what other people have or do not have). I teach in a community that is probably one of the wealthiest in the region that I live, but we do have many families who do not have as much access to material goods as others. Kindergarten is the great equalizer. By the end of the day we are all a bit more sweaty, a bit more dirty, our clothes are a bit more stained, but we honestly don't care. It is irrelevant to us that one is wearing designer clothes and one is wearing the latest Walmart fashion. We don't care what kind of car you drive. We don't care about your lunch box or backpack. We don't even care if you come to school in the same clothes you wore yesterday (or everyday). Are you going to have a fun time out on the playground? That is what we care about.

Kindergarten is the ultimate in community/civic mindedness. When it is clean up time we clean up. Why? Because we can't move on to the next part of our day if the room is still messy. And no one really wants to be the whole class is late to gym, music, or the bus. In kindergarten we are individuals, and we do make our own choices. But, over-all, we are a team, a group, a community. We work together because if we don't, we fall together. It is all for one and one for all! If some of us talk in the hallway, we don't get our class mentioned on the announcements. It's that simple (and yes, getting mentioned on the announcements is a Big Deal). We know the pride of working together to make our class community the best one in the school.

Kindergarten isn't perfect. We can be loud, and we can be defiant. We can want to do what we want, when we want. I know this. But there are moments in each day when what is possible is reality. When we can see perfection in a moment. When that one child, who loves to be the centre of attention, stops what she is doing and helps another child who is hurt. When that child who struggles to sit still during group time can become so involved in what he is writing that he spends an hour making sure it is perfect. When those two children, who can't seem to get along, suddenly put their past behind them and build the best ramp and smile at each other in the most sincere way.

No, kindergarten isn't perfect. But it has its moments.

Kinderchat Challenge # 6

Well, if you scroll down, you will notice that I skipped a week in the Kinderchat Kinderblog challenge. That is because I am on vacation and was unable to meet the challenge ;(.  We were to take pictures of items around our house that represent us. I tried going through the pictures on my computer to see if I could meet the challenge, but there really wasn't anything there that "spoke" to me. Oh well, I will pick it up with this weeks challenge:

What are my "tricks of the trade" to get through those days that are more stressful than others? I really only have one "trick". I refuse to fight the power. So, on those days when I am not at my best, or the children are off, we spend a lot of time in "child directed activities". And by that I mean PLAY! My classroom is set up in centres. You can see the various centres below. There is math, science, language arts, blocks (can't see them, but I promise they are there!), sand, art, library, and dramatic play.

I make sure there are a variety of activities available in each area, some old, some new. I want children to be challenged, but not overwhelmed. So, on those days when things are just not quite 'there' we spend a lot less time listening to Mrs. Marshall teach to the whole class. We spend more time in small groups, working and playing together.