Category: Classroom Moments

Happy New Year!

Jéri

*insert fireworks, resolutions, and champagne* In the education world, our year runs from August to June (May for some lucky folk in the South), so now is the time of year when we start thinking about the goals that we have for ourselves, our students, and our staff. We are wondering about how we will make changes based on last year’s experience and what we want to do again because it had such a great impact. We are wondering about our students and their families. We are wondering about the new staff members in the building or the old staff members if we’re new. We are wondering if there will be enough time to get our room set up the way we want before students arrive while balancing professional development sessions and meetings. 

I used to wonder about all of those things, but as I enter my second year out of the classroom I’m wondering about how can I make sure that the work I do with educators is purposeful, uplifting, and restorative. I didn’t just pick those words because they helped me to spell my favorite color. I didn’t pick them at all, in fact. They came to me in a dream and I knew that they were meant to be the guiding force behind the work that I do. I want my work with teachers to leave an impression upon them that changes the way they think about themselves and the students, teachers, families, and people that they work with. I don’t take the privilege to have an impact on people lightly and that’s my hope for educators. 

For everyone working in education that will read this, I challenge you this school year to not only wonder about traditional things we often wonder about, but to unpack the impact you are having on the space around you. Analyze the type of learner you are and how that influences how you teach. Think about the cultural baggage you carry with you everyday and how that comes across in your outwardly expressions. Wonder about the professional and personal goals you have set for yourself and make actionable plans to reach your goals. This is what I do with educators and I know it can change the way that they think and act in ways that have a transformative impact. Try it and see.

Thanks for stoping by to get a dash of color!

“Bad” Kids

Jéri

One of my pet peeves is to hear adults call children”bad”. It really drives me nuts. I wrote this on 10 September 2010 during my first few weeks of teaching and nearly seven and half years later I still feel the same way.

Teacher: *sigh* he’s sooooooooooo bad!

Me: He seems to be making some bad choices, but I don’t believe there is a such thing as a “bad” child.

*silence*

Teacher: Yeah okay. Tell me if you feel like that after your first month of teaching.

This is a conversation I’ve had more than once since starting my first year of full time teaching. It’s often followed by a pat on the back and some comment about how sweet first year teachers are. Yes, this is my first year of teaching but it isnt my first year in education. I have tutored DC youth at every grade level, worked as a manager for 14-19 year olds for 2 summers, and ran the afterschool program at an all boys pre-school to 3rd grade school. Through all of that my belief has stayed the same–there is no such thing as a bad child.

Children need structure and consistency. When either is lacking or non-existent it is impossible for them to learn how to make good decisions. I teach 20 bubbly, inquisitive, affectionate, loving, inspiring 4 year olds every day. Do they sometimes challenge me? Yes. Is it my responsibility to provide for them a structured, consistent, and safe environment for them to learn? Absolutely. If I don’t provide this will there be mayhem. Undoubtedly.

William Glasser’s Choice Theory says that humans have five basic needs, though the degree varies to how much we need each area. The five needs are:

to survive

to belong

to have power

to have freedom

to have fun

These same needs are necessary in my classroom to keep everyone on task. Any off task behavior can be related to one of these needs not being met. For example, I have a particular student with a very strict father and directs everything in my student’s life. This student lacks the need to have power and to have freedom. For a 4 year old this is possible. My kids appreciate being able to choose whether or not they will have an apple or a pear for snack. They also love being able to pick which center they get to play in for the morning. With this particular student I have seen him so happy to be able to pick which type of juice to have with snack and I have seen him so defeated when his dad forced him to color his self-portrait on brown construction paper and not white paper with a brown crayon.

Glasser goes on to say, “Students are capable of understanding what is generally regarded as acceptable school behavior and can choose to behave in acceptable ways.” However, in order to make good choices, students must see the results of these choices as desirable. If bad behavior gets them what they want then they will make bad choices. This is where the teacher can be influential in helping students become aware that they choose their own actions. The teacher forces them to acknowledge their behavior and to make value judgments about it. The teacher refuses to accept excuses for bad behavior. Instead the teacher always directs the student’s attention to alternative, more acceptable, behavior. The essence of discipline then, lies in helping students make good choices.

I am super happy that I don’t generally have any behavior issues in my classroom, but it is definitely a problem in my school. It’s such an issue that we have had several staff meetings on school-wide discipline plan, behavior logs, and conduct cards. The teachers that seems to be struggling are ones that make excuses or brush students’ choices off with things like, “Well, so and so comes from a tough family so what do you expect.”  Sue Atkins once said, “Keep on telling me what I am, and that’s what I’ll become.”

Labeling a child, whether it be negative or positive, can be damaging.

Ask Them What They Want To DO…

Jéri

I originally wrote the following piece when I was teaching Kindergarten in Abu Dhabi. The answers and the moment really resonated with me. I allowed my thinking about children to evolve further. My students reminded me of Mari Copney (also known as Little Miss Flint) and her advocacy work around the water crisis in Flint, MI. She was just 8 years old when she first wrote to President Obama asking him to meet with her.  She is amazing. Mari and my students and other young people like them give me hope that this next generation of educators, changemakers, and advocates is going to be something fierce!

I teach 5 year olds, as many of you know. With that, often comes the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” You’ll get the usual answers of doctor, teacher, firefighter….princess. Those answers are great, but not typically thought provoking or moving.

Today I changed the question.

During my morning meeting time, my students always have an opportunity to share. Sometimes we share in partners or whole group. Sometimes I’m asking what flavor of ice cream they like and sometimes I’m wondering how they’ll change the world with the superpower they want. Today I asked, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” I went on to say, “I don’t meant what do you want to be, but what do you want to do. When I was younger I knew that I wanted to help kids, but I didn’t know that I wanted to be a teacher for a long time.” I gave them some time to think and after a few moments nearly every student was raising their hands. I want to share a few of the answers–

“I want to explore.”

“I want to make sure all of the homeless people have homes to live in.”

“I want to take care of sick babies.”

“I want to give poor people money.”

“I want to help children learn.”

“I want to teach kids how to swim.”

“I want to protect my country like my dad.”

I was so amazed, impressed, and proud of them. Many of the answers spoke to a problem that these 5 year old children have identified and want to solve. How would our world be different if we really asked children what they think?