Leaves & Branches, Trunk & Roots

The class of 2011 has been hard at work trying to understand the “puddle” that became a “lake”, a “big big lake”.

We have been asking questions each day, and as the children draw, they explain what they are thinking.  It is difficult to frame the question ‘just so’, but we try.   The result is very telling – you can see how the children are applying previous knowledge to their reasoning process.  As we repeat this experience, the children are becoming more and more adept at explaining what they mean, and why. On this day we asked:

What happens to the lake when it rains?

Ma – The small pond becomes a big pond.  It will be a big circle.  Then the mud is going to come and it’s gonna be grumpy its gonna say Roar Roar. The mud will come in our class because the whale will bite him. The mud will come and eat all of our papers.

Ba – The pond gets tired when it rains so much.

Dry – It goes big big big bigger. It goes bigger and then smaller.

Ha – So many water in pond.  Shark in there The clouds are coming and then the rain comes and then the sun is coming.  So many water in the pond!

LoB– The rain came and stepped on the big puddle. The rain came from the sky, it hit the lake.  The lines get bigger and bigger and bigger and faster and faster, a thunder storm comes, when it rains so much.  The wind-  it is blowing!

Nic – It’s getting bigger and bigger and humungous.  And if it gets bigger, we can’t go to our circle area.  We can’t eat outside snack!  Then we have to eat snack at school.  Maybe the truck can come and pull the lake away.

Sama – the puddles get bigger and bigger when it rains.  See the rainclouds?

Dryden – This big lake, the rain comes and there’s little and then a big one.  When the sun comes, the sun goes on the puddle.  The rain comes from the sky, it gets bigger.  Then it gets smaller because the rain goes back to the sky.

What happens to the lake when the sun comes out?

Sam – The very  big lake, we see from the bridge?  A very big lake.  There’s a lot of water.  There are two lakes!  The small lake is getting to the big lake.  The lake will get smaller.  I don’t know when.  I don’t know how.  It just gets smaller.

LoB – When the sun comes out, the lake grows, it grows and grows like the tree.

Sama– Rain comes down and it gets bigger.  Sun makes the water.  I’m going to add lines to decorate it and make it pretty.  Rain makes it bigger.

Ma – It dries out the water and then it eats grapes and then it gets tired and then the water goes to sleep

Ba – The sun comes out with the apples. The water is going home.  Yes, the water goes home up to the sky.

Ew – Gets hotter, like making a cake.

The tractor project got off to a slow start in the fall.  Plenty of painting, drawings and trips to the local tractor helped, but the group wasn’t functioning well together…until the play plans and the magic January date, when the children suddenly seem to grow in leaps and bounds.

We are now constructing the tractor.  As per last year’s rocket, the tractor needs to be out of metal.  (It’s the strongest.)  So, we did research and made a list of every part we need to make:

And then we discuss the tractor body:

-       it’s a rectangle…it should be as big as me –gr

-       just the size of the light table – da

-       yeah – et and gr

-       Big for 3 persons at a time – et

Next, we drew and discussed blueprints for the body:

-      Metal to the body – gr

-      We need these things so the wheels won’t go anywhere – davs

-      Heres the big engine – gr

-      There are stripes – davs

-      And a ladder for the people to climb down – davs

-     There should be a chimney – Na

-     Can a tractor carry things? – davs

-     I think ya – Et

-     These are two sheeps on the tractor – davs

What material are we going to use?

-    Paper – davs

-     No, metal because its so strong – gr

-      We should use metal – et

The children write up a generalized plan of what will be built next (they are worried something will be forgotten – it is amazing how quickly they have all taken to their play plans.) before actually constructing the body. The plan is numbered and quite orderly:

2.Wheels

- we need 2 wheels no four wheels – gr

four wheels – the back wheels are so big and the front wheels are so small – davs

3. Engine

4. Seat

we ned to sit and drive in it – gr

5. Headlights

we are going to have pink headlights –Jes

6. Grills and bumpers

I will make the grills. I would like to use metal – gr

7. Smoke

we need smoke in our tractor – davs

Today during cleanup time we had six children present. Out of the six children only one actively cleaned while the other five casually cleaned here and there while continuing on with their play. Cleanup lasted approximately 10 minutes and by the end of it the one child who actively cleaned exclaimed, “It’s so hard to clean up!” I told her I agreed that cleaning up was hard and that we should discuss cleanup at circle time. Once at circle time the child again said:

“You know Miss Jannel, cleanup time is hard work!” I asked her why it was hard work.

“Because I cleaning and cleaning and friends are playing and not cleaning”The child crosses her arms across her chest.

I ask her what the solution is? How can we make it so all the friends are cleaning and some are not playing. The other children get involved in the conversation here,

Ma- I not like cleanup because I want to play

Ka- If you’re not clean up then you don’t come to circle for snack

Miss Jannel- If someone doesn’t clean up they can’t come to circle and snack?

Ka- Yeah because we all clean up together

Be- If everyone in the classroom playing then everyone in the classroom cleaning

Ka- Or you can’t come to school anymore

Miss Jannel- If you don’t clean up you can’t come to school?

Ka- You stay home! Because school time is sharing and sharing clean up, you have to do it

Miss Jannel- Well I don’t want my friends to go home or miss circle and snack, I wonder what else can happen if someone doesn’t clean up?

Ka- I can tell them to clean up

Be- Yeah say to friends Clean up time!

Miss Jannel- And what happens if they don’t want to listen?

Be- Then no story at circle

Miss Jannel- So no story for anyone?

Be- No story for people but not for people who don’t clean up!

Ka- If you don’t listen and clean then you have to stay outside of circle and sit there

Be- Or can’t choose story

Miss Jannel- So we think that if you don’t help clean you should, sit outside of circle and not choose a story?

Be- Yeah no choose story

Ka- No choose story

The other children chime in and verbally agree, if you don’t help clean up you cannot choose a story at circle time.  Harsh punishment – especially when the four year olds faced with the same problem decided that if someone wasn’t cleaning up, they would need to work harder to remind that person to help.

At what point does life shift from punitive to shared responsibility?

The class of 2012 is embarking on our first library trip of 2010. The children are excited and talk about the different books they will borrow. On our way to the library, one of the children notices a Motorcycle with a sign in front of it.

Ed- What’s that say infront of the bike?

Miss Jannel- It says 900.00

Ed-The bike is 900.00?

Miss Jannel- I believe it is

Ed- I’m going to buy it!

Miss Jannel- Do you have 900.00?

Ed- Yup in my wallet, but it’s my purse at home

Miss Jannel- Will you come back and buy it?

Ed- Yeah I have enough money, I have a 900 bucks in my purse

Miss Jannel- Wow 900 bucks is a lot of money

Ed- Yeah it’s a lot but I can spend it on the bike, I really want the bike.

On our way back to the school we pass the spot where the motorcyle was.

Ed- Hey the bike is gone Miss Jannel, I guess someone else got their 900 bucks first. Next time I’ll have my wallet and then I can buy it.

Also known as the Tape Olympics.  (Hey – if you can’t afford to buy the tickets to the real thing?  Make your own.)

There has been a new entry to our tape off: click here for the Australian preschool team, which has clearly started off trying to take over the long distance explorations.

The tape-shapes continue in the two year old class, (although they were slowed slightly by the large scale potty training that began last week) and the teachers have noticed a consistent phenomenon with the tape shapes.  Once they have been completed, there are a few moments of running.  In a circle. Around the shape.  All in the same direction.

Does anyone else know why this might be?  Or why the children, without any real leader, all run in the same direction?

Once upon a time…..a time a long long time ago, there was a researcher.

This researcher wrote a program that has gone on to be known in Canada as the PATHS program.  It is about teaching empathy, care and self-control to primary classrooms, and is used in many of the classrooms in primary schools in Canada today.

I’m going to be somewhat honest and just come out and say it: I don’t like it.

Why, you might ask?  The turtle program is over simplified for children, teacher directed, and relies a lot on “good job!” exclamations throughout the day.

BUT.  The turtle unit does have some good stuff in it. And if you are as creative and willing to ‘try it out’, the way Miss Zahra is, well, there is some good adaptable work in the turtle unit.  We have introduced this to the three’s, and the children are very interested in it.  And after only 1 day, some of the children have moved from yelling “please stop” to doing the turtle: becoming a ball, taking a deep breath, and saying the problem out loud.  Then, they decide if they need help to solve to problem, or if they can think of a solution.

The week ahead will likely have many badly acted plays by the teachers (and hopefully, by the end of the week, the children) and many equally badly-written puppet shows, all about “stop drop and turtle”.  And the children love it.  The turtle name has already been chosen: Turby.  So, without further fanfare, I present, the first turtle story (adapted from the PATHS curriculum manual):

Once upon a time there was a turtle named Turby. Turby liked going to school, but sometimes school was very difficult for him! Turby loved playing with trains, but he didn’t like to share the engine and the blue train. If one of his friends was using the engine or the blue train, he would get very very upset. Sometimes, he would grab the train away from his friend. Sometimes he would hit his friend. Sometimes he would start to cry.

And it wasn’t just with the trains! He didn’t like waiting his turn to talk at group circle time and he didn’t like sharing the very best red tricycle.

Sometimes, when he was having a really bad day, he would feel upset and wouldn’t know what to do, and he would start crying and stomping his feet.

“Please stop!” Turby’s friends and teachers would say to Turby. But Turby couldn’t stop!

One day, Turby went for a walk in the forest. He was very sad and mad and frustrated, all at once! He didn’t want to go back to school if he was going to keep feeling this way. He sat down beside the big big lake, picked up a stick, and threw it into the water angrily. “Life isn’t fair!” he thought.

Sheeba the sheep was watching Turby from her tree house, and came up to him. “Turby, what’s wrong?” she asked. Sheeba was very kind, and wanted to help Turby solve his

problem if he needed help.

“I don’t want to go back to school ever again. It’s too difficult! I get so upset when I have to share and listen to other people!” said Turby sadly.

Sheeba smiled at Turby. Sheeba knew a secret that could help him. “I have a solution to your problem!” said Sheeba. “Do you know why you have a shell on your back?”

Turby didn’t know.

“It’s so that you can hide in your shell when you feel upset. When you feel mad or sad or frustrated, you can hide in your shell. Then, you can take a deep breath. After your deep breath you feel better, and you can tell yourself what the problem is. Once you know the problem, you can think of an answer, or you can tell someone else the problem and they can help you think of a solution!”

Turby thought this was a good idea, and decided to try it. The next day at school he really wanted the tricycle, but his friend Floppy the Frog was using it already! Turby wanted to grab the tricycle away, but then he remembered what Sheeba told him. Quickly, Turby hid in his shell. He took a deep breath.

“I want a turn on the tricycle but Floppy has the tricycle right now!” Turby told himself. He thought, and then decided: I can go tell Floppy that I want a turn when he is finished!”

Turby went to Floppy and said “Floppy, can I please have a turn on the tricycle when you are finished?” “Of course!” said Floppy. “I need five more minutes.”

It worked! Turby was so happy, and in five minutes, he was riding the tricycle! “From now on, I am going to turtle when I get upset.” said Turby. And he did.