At the very beginning of the year we wrote rules for our classroom. The rules were very concrete: no taking, no hitting, no kicking, be kind. We all agreed that our classroom would be a nice place to be if everyone follows the rules.
PreK 4's want to learn how to play together. Their is a lot of negotiating and jostling that happens while they learn, and as teachers we insert ourselves into this process, helping children to find words to ask for what they want, reminding children of our agreed upon rules, and providing a basis of trust and caring for the children so that they can take risks, speak kindly to each other, and ultimately enjoy a free play time that builds both brain power and independence in learning.When a child forgets to use a kind, respectful tone with a peer, or their teachers, we'll say "try again." Sometimes, a child becomes overwhelmed or overactive in play and might need some space to calm down. We help the child in that case to make another choice, find a calming activity, or breathe with us. (here's a link to a "Just Breathe" video; www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YEZnrySrtQ). We also practice our breathing many times during our busy days, and the children are feeling the calming effects of breathing deeply.
We intervene when necessary, but our goal is to step back! The children already take pride in their cooperative play skills; "Look at this Michele! We built it together!"
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| our Parker Pals help us to learn caring and sharing! |
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| Erin is our student teacher on Wednesdays and Thursdays |
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| a busy block rug! |
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| getting to know you! Just One More Thought:
Science now backs up what so many parents instinctively know: a spirited round of rough-and-tumble play is good for kids, helping them build academic, emotional, and physical smarts. Here's why.
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Michele
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