Seeing the signs

Loose materials collage; one way children
tell us what they are thinking

Children have the right to be listened to. Really listened to. Not just during a conflict, or when someone is hurt or upset, but all the time. As adults living in a world with children, we must read between the lines, consider the deeper meaning to what is said or shown us. We owe this attention to the youngest members of our world. This deep listening and contemplation is necessary for mutual connection and understanding.

Words are not always used; children utilize many ways to communicate with the other humans around them. While as adults we are used to spoken communication, children express themselves through many languages, not just the talking kind. Expressive movement, block construction, food science, clay sculpture, dramatic play, natural material collage- all are vehicles for expressing one's inner thoughts, feelings, and conflicts. By providing the space, time, and open-ended materials for this self-expression, we learn about the child as an individual with interests, proclivities, fears, ideas, and opinions.

Ila's forest for the snails and worms;
one of the knotty questions we
are noticing: what is a forest?

Behavior gives us a great deal of information, too. As teachers, we closely watch the engagement with the classroom materials, or the emergence of common threads during play and investigation. Big ideas surface over and over again, telling us there's a knotty question being explored. We ask ourselves, what is important to the children about this type of play? What are they trying to say through these materials and/or these actions? What materials or opportunities can we provide that will support further investigation or deeper engagement? What seems to be working in the classroom and what needs to be tweaked?

Since the beginning of our school year, we have included a "morning meeting" as part of our classroom routine. This early circle time provided us the opportunity to share information, to allow for children to show their work and share their thinking, and to explore some big ideas or questions that have surfaced in the work of the classroom. My co-teacher Lisa and I were feeling pretty strongly that this time was valuably used- after all, this time was perfect for co-constructing as a group and for planning the rest of our morning. We also saw the value in practicing a large group activity to prepare for the expectations of kindergarten, where our children will be going next year.

However, the morning meeting started to fall apart as the weeks progressed. Clearly our children were more interested in each other than in the topic of discussion. Lisa and I had to put on our thinking caps to address this challenge: we knew we were reflecting their own ideas back to them, so why the disinterest? Why all the giggling and side conversations? Why were children laying down on the carpet and telling us that circle was boring?



John made this card depicting
two people talking during
morning meeting.

So we brought a question to the children: how can we get your attention during morning meeting?
Many suggestions were generated, from sign-language, to clapping....and then Pierce proposed using cards, or signs, to throw on the carpet when someone notices someone else not paying attention. This idea put the onus on the children to monitor each other, not just the teachers. Everyone agreed. So we made cards for everyone to use during circle.

Problem solved? Well, not exactly. We tried the cards for a couple of days. They worked for a little while, but the distraction in circle continued. What was going on here?

Lisa and I put our heads together again. We could continue to bring this problem back to the children, or we could really listen to what was being demonstrated to us: morning meeting was the problem. Notice my earlier question did not really capture the essence of the issue. I should have asked, what feels hard about morning meeting? I suspect the answers would be pretty clear: we want to play and spend time with our friends. I have more clarity now, but in the moment my earlier question felt appropriate.



One of the cards Pierce created
for morning meeting.

So we let go of our morning meeting, in our minds only temporarily. And the engagement of small groups of children increased. We observed productive play, investigation, and connection.

Older 4s and 5s are really socially motivated people. There's a strong need to connect to one's friends. This connecting is the hard work of early childhood. It trumps anything put before it, like morning meeting. We realized that our students had no time to feel connected to each other: we were scheduling our morning meeting right after hand-washing, signing-in, and observational drawing. It's not a question of should we have a large group meeting, it's a question of when to have it. So now we are having one at the end of the morning, before dismissal. And there's a much better vibe!



Children playing ghostbusters first thing in the morning

Will we every have a morning meeting? We hope so- we'll try again in January.  But we'll be listening and taking feedback. As for the knotty questions that emerge, we can discuss them in small groups, or wait until the later circle. Our classroom work is still rich and provocative.










Reaching Out: How Young Children Connect

How do young children connect? How do relationships form? We observe that all children want to connect with each other, and they go about it in nuanced ways, using eye contact, body language and, of course, a smile, to forge new friendships. It is the second full week of school and we are already seeing these children reach out to one another with joy.                                                                         

Without using words, these children shared strawberries, delighting in their communal play.

Laughter is a great connector.

Acts of compassion, even those from pretend play, foster positive emotions and strengthen bonds. Here the children are helping each other out of the "mud."

These children mirrored each other's actions for several minutes, becoming more engaged with each motion.

Finding connections fosters a sense of security and increases self confidence.

INSPIRATION-CONTAGION

"I'm looking at the way you made it so I can make it"

Zoey to Berkley

Learning from each other is basic, and it is important for reasons that may not be immediately apparent.  Contagion, as we like to call it, is where one child's idea catches the eye of another, and sometimes another and another.  With it we see the development of new skills, the sharing of knowledge and the spontaneous growth and transformation of an original idea.  Adding one to another, sparks fly.  The creative process is made into visible steps as it is shared between children.  

But the part that is not so obvious is that an idea passed on to another child increases our shared experience and thereby our connection to each other. Before long there are common mythologies in the room, familiar props for play, and joint investigations into new concepts.  It creates a culture in the classroom that ties us together.  It is dynamic and continuously evolving.

It starts with a moment of noticing and being inspired by someone else's work.

"Can you help me draw what Cal drew?"  Kai

Bridges inspired by Berkley's trip to California:

True Valentines

At Sabot, we treat Valentines day as other holidays: the teachers do not plan activities around the holiday, but we do embrace what the children bring to us, and so card making and valentine greetings are quite often part of February for the oldest preschool classroom.

This past week happened to be “random acts of kindness week”.  I don’t know who gets to declare such things, but we thought we would share this idea with the children.

Part I

At circle the children told us some of their ideas of kindness:

     Give a present

     Make a valentine

     Give your mom some flowers

     Make cookies for someone

     Give someone a toy to play with

     Make a feel-better-card 

     Make a present

     Make a card for all your friends

     Go somewhere with your friend

     Make your mom a necklace

     Make something with your friend

     Make a bracelet for your mom

     You can give hugs

     Share

     Make cards and hide them for people to find

     Let someone play with the magna tiles if you are using them

     I could build a wooden house for my friends

     Use good manners when you eat

Part II

The children had homework to notice as much kindness as they could, in themselves or others.   Noticing kindness may not seem like a big deal, and you may wish that your child had done a nice thing instead of noticing one.  But noticing will build empathy and lead to doing.  Kindness is contagious.   noticing is required for gratitude, and gratitude is essential for happiness. 

They noticed the things that you parents do for them, and kindnesses between siblings.

Millie: “My dad sang my song to me and my mom read my book last night”

Part III

 What Robyn and I noticed:

Julianna to a teacher: “I don’t know who to play with.”

Brian, overhearing this: “I’ll play with you.”

Madeline let Dylan in front of her in the hand-washing line. (not being first is a BIG deal!)

Tavish gave up the cherished red stool at snack for Dylan who had never gotten a turn to sit there.

Caroline: “When Millie’s not here it makes my heart sad.”

Waiting for Millie

Caroline when Freddie was sad: “I can give him an act of true love, a hug.”

Miles: “Dylan gave me a kindness sign; he let my ship be in front of his.” (remember that Madeline had let Dylan be in front of him in line earlier)

Caroline: “We’re hiding, waiting for Millie.  I don’t want her to see the special valentine I’m making for her”

Miles: “can I help”  offering to help set up the clay

Kiri made a necklace for her mom

Noah to Indie: “Can I put something on your airplane?”

Indie:  “Yes, because you are my best friend.”

These are the true valentine gifts, the ones that happen everyday.  How fortunate we are.

CONNECTING THROUGH TIME AND SPACE

Our first week of school is always about connection with each other, space, and time. Although getting ready for any new school year at Sabot is a caring and thoughtful process, it is a time of transition. For the most part children old and new arrive happy and eager to begin their experience and exploration in the Meadow Room. As teachers we are also eager and excited about the unlimited possibilities of growth and learning for the children and ourselves.

The sense of community that evolves within a group is never a question, but usually it takes time. This year there is  already a keen sense of connection and belonging for the children with each other and with Nancy and me. This feeling is quite palpable and notable.  We both independently noticed this feeling in the first week of school.

Over the summer, Nancy and I moved our classroom from a downstairs/upstairs floor plan to the lovely classroom we have now; we are enjoying being together.

We wonder, did changing our space from a downstairs/upstairs classroom to one floor make the significant difference we are experiencing?

Did the change create a space that opened up and allowed a deeper sense of connection and belonging in, what feels like, a much shorter amount of time?

As we explore the school-wide Umbrella Project - Time - we are already off to an intriguing start.  We are revved about taking the journey with the children, in our new space, and being a part of the exciting twist and turns that will unfold.

Will the children's play reveal the elusive qualities of time? 
  

 

   

 

GETTING TO KNOW YOU - how our systems support the start of the year

At SSP, the first week in the preschool moves at a slower pace.  Monday is a work day when teachers get the systems ready for the children.  This includes putting the children's symbols up to designate hooks and cubbies for their belongings.  Everything is purposeful, and though it may seem merely practical,  the symbol is no small thing.  The message it carries is powerful -  "This is your space.  You belong here.  We have a place just for you".  A message of belonging that implies, on purpose, that each person is important and valued.  And how reassuring is that?

 

The other four days, the children split the week, half coming on two days, and half on the other two.  This allows children and teachers a chance to get to know each other, for new friends to find common ground, and for old friends to reunite in the classroom - or on the playground.  The children's journals facilitate this with an intimate look into each other's home life.  They are eager to share pictures of their experiences and the important people in their lives.



Holding hands with a friend from last year

Meeting old friends on the playground



Sharing journals



We give time to explore the classroom:

We visit the studio where the children will be working all year with Anna - exploring, collaborating, creating, and refining their ideas.

A cupcake machine

discovering materials

starting with a plan helps children organize their thoughts, even if they later
choose to make changes or abandon the idea all together

plan for a horse

And the teachers are already looking for common and individual interests among the children.  Music, dancing, drawing, tinkering, pretend play, birds and nature have already surfaced this week.  These observations guide us in thinking about our room and the provocations that we set for the children.

Every year we have an umbrella project which unites the entire school, preschool through 8th grade, around a common theme.  It provides an opportunity for the teachers across the grades to think together, and is a system that often becomes a bridge to cross-age interactions.  This year the umbrella project is 

 TIME. 

We hope you will be able to spend some of yours, with us.

We know that this slower week of phase-in can be daunting for parent's schedules, but it is  a vital part of the children's transition into new situations. 

Thank you for this gift of time.