2024 Word of the Year: FLOW

The stream that flows by my house.

I actually don't choose a word of the year. It's more like my word of the year chooses me. I then go about my year and realize all of the ways my Word shows up for me. Last year it was the word Freedom. I was feeling like my life was happening to me rather than being in control. In December 2022, that word Freedom showed itself to me in a variety of ways. It was like, "OK, OK! I get it! Freedom!" That's how my word came to be.

2023 gave me a new vision for the word Freedom. Freedom wasn't found in anything outside of myself. It was found inside. In the way I thought, in the way I reacted, in the way I experienced life. It was a year of being free from others opinions, others expectations, others beliefs. I felt free from the constraints I believe were put on me. But, like Glinda told Dorothy at the end of the Wizard of Oz, "You've always had the power, my Dear. You just had to learn it for yourself." 

I am thankful for a year of lessons on true Freedom.

As 2023 approached its close, I was keenly aware of a few words that kept popping up over and over. Wonder, Awe, were two of them. But there was one word that really stuck out the most. FLOW. It seemed everywhere I turned, every book I read, every video I watched, the word flow appeared to me. As I said before, it isn't I who choose the word, but it is the word that chooses me. And Flow has chosen itself to be my word of the year.

I don't know what it will bring, I have ideas, but who knows? It's all very personal anyway, right? I just know that there will be lessons along the way. Many, many years ago, I wrote in a little journal I had something along the lines of, "I will live in a small house with a stream running beside it." About 25 years ago, we moved into just such a home. Small, but perfect for our family, with a small stream that runs beside it. This year, I intend to see what lessons this little stream can teach me about flow. 

There is a book I love to read to my students when we are learning about patterns, called, "Flow, Spin, Grow: Looking for patterns in nature". This year, as I was reading it to my students this quote stood out, "Wherever there is flow, there is branching." From rivers, to the blood pumping in our bodies, to the roots and branches of a tree, flow is there. Life has flow, it meanders and moves. It branches into new growth. But, like a stream, it is never the same thing twice. Water flows from stream to river to ocean. No river is the same from one moment to the next, just like one life isn't the same. There is always movement.

So, here's to 2024 and Flow. To the lessons I can learn, and the wisdom of the stream.

Dinosaurs! Self-Regulation Part 3

This post is the third in a series around self-regulation. I started off by talking about the importance of long, uninterrupted play time in kindergarten that gets our minds and our bodies ready to sit and listen (for a developmentally appropriate amount of time, btw). Then I wrote on how the environment we create as adults (calm, serene, low-stress) adds to the way our students can self-regulate. Now I want to speak on a specific type of play- dramatic play. In this post I will be focusing on dinosaurs, because that's where we are in my class. 

My observation is around dinosaurs and the type of play that is involved when we pretend we are large, carnivorous creatures. I hesitate to say "violent" because I don't think that's the attitude I want to cultivate in reading this. Perhaps aggressive is a better word; aggressive in a controlled way. I have a particular student (although he is not alone) whose first instinct when upset is to lash out and hit. All through September-December we worked on this, looking for ways we could react that didn't involve hurting others, and it was getting better. But, then we had two weeks off, and some behaviours returned. 

Before our winter break I noticed that some of us were interested in dinosaurs, so over the holidays I went out and bought some toy dinosaurs and set them out, along with some books I have. I didn't want to dictate what we would do with them, I didn't want a "unit" or a "study", I just wanted to give them another dimension of dramatic play. What I noticed was this: the more we interacted with each other as dinosaurs, both carnivores and herbivores, the less our aggression came through in other aspects of the day. Giving my students a place to put that type of aggression helps them self-regulate their own feelings of powerlessness (because I believe that's why we start off by hitting in the first place- we feel powerless in a situation and the only thing we can do is lash out). It allows them to feel that power, it allows them to "fight it out" in a safe environment. The more they have been able to use these dinosaurs, the less aggressive their play has become as a whole, and the more complex their play has become- from sorting and stacking, to building structures for the dinosaurs to climb on. And the aggressive behaviour outside of this play also continues to decline. 

Does this demonstrate the power of play in our lives? It most certainly does! Play isn't just a break, it isn't something an adult can manipulate in order to get an outcome they want. Play is what a human mammal needs to make sense of the world around them. Play is what we need to develop certain neural pathways in our brains. It is through play that we put into reality what our brain knows. As the teacher I have certain responsibilities to my students and their parents, but I can't make them learn. I believe it is my job to set up the environment in such a way that through their play they are able to master the skills they will need in life. Every day my students amaze me with what they can do. It is never easy to quantify this, to use it for comments on a report card- but it is always exactly what they need in order to be where they are and move forward. 

This is the stuff that makes teaching kindergarten so important. This is the stuff that matters. 

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

Reading, Again and Again

We are slowly making our way through Lucy Calkins' Readers Workshop book, "We are Readers". I have been trying to get my students to understand the idea that readers re-read books, and that reading a book is more than just flipping the pages after a quick glance. They haven't been buying this concept. So, as an object lesson on the importance of this, I had the students to draw a map of the back playground where we've been playing this week, making sure we put in as much detail as we could remember. Then told them we were going to go out to see how well our maps matched up to the playground.

Before we went outside to check our maps we discussed them as a whole class. The one piece of equipment we all remembered, and it was the first thing everyone said, was, "The big slide!" This is a big climber fort with a really long slide. It takes up half of the play area- impossible to miss.

We then took our maps and went outside to compare what we'd drawn with what was actually there:

When we got there, some of us discovered that we actually remember a lot about the playground, some discovered that they missed a lot on the playground, but what we all learned was no matter how much we remembered, there was something we missed. And that is the point of reading, and re-reading texts, because we don't always get the full picture the first time through.

This activity, while focused mainly on the idea of reading and re-reading combined  mapping, visualization, movement, creative development,  reading, and writing into one activity, plus, the kids were able to get up and get outside. But, the best part was coming back inside to deconstruct what we'd learned. The students really grasped the main idea- we may think we've seen it all, but there is always more to see and learn. 

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. 

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

Time: Two Hours of Play

The original post was dated Jan 13. It is now Jan 30 and here is an update:

Ever since we started playing for 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day, this is what I've noticed:

1- The play is deeper, more thought provoking
2- They play is less frantic- they know they have time. They know they will have a beginning, a middle and an end that will be satisfying for them.
3- They are quieter when they play
4- (with the exception of 3 or 4) They are choosing a wider variety of activities. They are choosing literacy games and math games. 
5- The art that is created has more depth. It isn't just markers on paper anymore, they have added other media (the art shelf has been stacked with a variety of materials, they are just now getting to them)
6- When it is time for direct instruction, the sit and listen longer
7- I have to do less direct instruction

Now, I know there are other benefits that I am not listing here, and I know some of these behaviours could be seen as where the students are developmentally, but from everything I have observed, there has been no negative consequences to the prolonged play time. Which, of course, does not surprise me. When I meet with a student or two in a small group or one on one, they are more focussed on what we are doing, because they have confidence that they will be able to get back to their other play without missing too much time. This has only been a positive experience for us all.


I did something crazy yesterday. I let my students play for two hours. It was the best two hours we've had in a long time, and guess what? We'll be doing that from now on. Two hours of uninterrupted play time every day. Two hours to theorize, experiment, build, problem solve, create, learn, teach.

It started with a phone call. One of my friends at our provincial department of education phoned just before our Christmas break wondering if I'd be interested in being a part of a small group of kindergarten teachers who are being tasked with finding a way to return kindergarten to being more child-centred. Our province touts its kindergarten program as being play based with integrated curriculum, but as time has passed it's becoming more and more like a subject based program: first we have literacy, then we have math, then we have writers workshop... etc. I know many kindergarten teachers are feeling this push, and we are finding it harder and harder to push back. That phone call got me thinking about my own practice in the classroom, and I realized that while I talk about trusting students, and letting them play, more and more lately I have not been putting what I preach into practice. That phone call was a wake up call for me as well.

Over our break, I had to ask myself some tough questions. If I say we need to trust students to manage their own learning, am I doing that? Sometimes. If I say children need time to play in order to work through their learning, am I allowing the proper amount of time to do that? Again, sometimes.

Because I could not answer a definite yes, I knew it was time to re-think my practice.
-What will I do while they play that long?
-What if someone comes in and asks what's going on?
-What if they come in and want to know why I'm doing what I'm doing?

Here's what happened:

While the children were playing I was able to sit with a group and play a rousing game of letter go-fish. One of those students needs extra work in letter recognition, and I was able to sit with him, in a stress free environment, and have some fun while working on the letters.

I have another student who comes in every single day stressed out because he is anxious about Writers Workshop. No matter how many times I tell him that I don't expect him to have everything perfect, that I will help him, he still stresses over it. He spent a long time with a buddy building "a car building" in the block area. Then he went to the art area because he wanted to make a picture for his mom. I asked him if his mom ever asked what he did during the day, and he said yes. I suggested that he draw a picture of his structure so he could show her what he did. He thought that was a good idea but wasn't sure how to do that. I was able to model how I would draw the picture, then he was able to take that risk and do it himself. Because we had this time, I suggested he write down at the bottom what it was, and I was able to talk him through that. No stress, no tears, no anxiety. It was a big breakthrough for this guy.

 

Then, another guy, who struggles with some fine motor issues, was watching us and he decided to draw a "crabby patty" he had made in the kitchen area.

All of this would have been impossible if we didn't have the time. If we only had a half an hour of free choice time. Because we had such an extended time to play, children were able to play in more than one area, were able to begin a task and complete it. They were able to spend their time talking out ideas and problem solve with their peers. 

After our play time, it was recess, then we had snack and our specialty class. When the students came back to class, we all sat down as a group and we talked about our big play time. I asked them if they enjoyed it (of course they did) and if they'd like to do that every day (of course they do). So I put up on the board a list of things we "have to do" every day, things we "should do" every day, and things we "want to do" every day. Then I put up a simple time schedule and we filled in the blanks. As a group we were able to see how we can still fit in everything we "have to do" and "should do" and even the things we "want to do" and still have a big play time. 

We still have Writers Workshop and Guided Reading and Math. We still have large group instruction, but we don't have to spend time teaching things we already know. I can introduce the concepts, then they have the opportunity to work on these in their own time and space (and if they don't 'chose' to do it on their own, there is still time to 'encourage' them while still allowing them lots of time to play). Those of us who might need a little extra help can get that now during our large block of play time. We can play games and even have some one on one time. So many times I feel like I don't get a chance to sit down and play with the kids, get to know them. 

I am constantly asking, what happens if we trust children? What happens if we truly value play, value it enough to allow our students to actually play? Because when we trust children, we give them the tools they need to become self-motivated, we give them the responsibility for their learning. We help them find the gift that already resides in them. Children are capable, but too often we take that away from them. Let's give it back.