Dinosaurs

I have to admit, I feel a bit dinosaurish myself this evening--long days make me want to growl and stomp, often in search of food. :)  Kids have this epic fascination with dinosaurs. One of my favorite activities this week was creating a volcano. We haven't done actual explosion yet (I'm going to go put vinegar where I'll remember it tomorrow). There was much more, I realized, as is common among people who begin to broach a subject of interest, to learn and it peaks my interest even more in this project approach. I have the idea of it lurking in my head, but I just don't know how to get it rolling. I just need to do some serious experimentation.

These are dinosaur eggs--sand, water, coffee grounds, salt, and flour that I hid something in and then hardened. I hid them around the room and then let the kids use tweezers (they were still pretty soft), to excavate.  

Camping

Singing around the campfire with Mr. Michael, a parent volunteer

 For the last few weeks of May there were a few kids who kept playing camping--they'd pack they're bags, load up the stroller and go set up camp in the play house. They would make fires and make s'mores (skewers with cotton balls on the end), take showers in the shower house, and go fishing. So we decided to take the play a bit further. We went on a field trip to a state park where we were able to go hiking, fishing (for real!), and make s'mores over a fire. Yumminess for all our senses!

Feeding the fish bread while waiting for a fishing pole to be baited

This is why we love fishing

Music group around the campfire with Ms. Jamie

Practicing writing

Superman warming himself at the fire

Hiking at Green Brier State Park

Swirling

I opened this blog with the intent to reflect on practice, particularly when it comes to guiding children in the social emotional development of their lives. I also want it to be a place where parents can come and peek into the window of our preschool days. I'm going to have to pop back and forth from sharing the fun activities we do and doing some reflection, which can get a little real and messy. Bear with me...

Wow, it's huge--this issue of social and emotional development. I wish I could just pop out wisdom with confidence and wit.  Mostly I just have all these questions swirling around in my head...

When do a child's violent actions (such as hitting, kicking, biting, choking, screaming, pushing) turn from social mistakes to intentional "mean-ness?"  
 It is so easy for adults to look at children's violent actions as being mean. Recently in life though, I've been presented with the idea that children are mostly just making mistakes. However, is there a point when they (preschoolers) make a conscious decision to do some they know will harm another? If so...
What should the consequences of social mistakes be?  What should the consequences of intentional "mean-ness" be? 
Time-outs? Redirection. Having something you want taken away from you? I try to make sure that consequences are natural ones....if you're hitting another child with a paper towel tube, the paper towel tube is removed. That's not always very easy though. Should we physically remove a resisting child from a situation?

Should "good" behavior be rewarded with tangible incentives (stickers, lollipops, etc.)?  How do such rewards affect a child's inner motivation? 
Traditionally, we've used sticker charts and rewards to get children to do what we want them to? And a lot of the time it works. Does that justify its use? What is the child's motivation to truly learn then? I would rather have children seek learning opportunities because they find it wonderful. Children wonder and marvel more than any adult I know. Is it really that difficult for me to just find things that they can find interesting enough to seek out?

How early in life should a child be expected to be a part of a group learning time? a.k.a. circle time.
Some early childhood professionals for whom I have the utmost respect suggest that circle times are should not be mandatory. This wrinkles the brow of many, many a preschool teacher. How will they learn to sit still for school? They'll miss so much. We have to be consistent. Most of us preschool teachers--me included--have a fetish for a circle of criss-cross applesauce-hands-in-your-lap-mouths shut! little boys and girls.   Then we can show them the glory of the world, of Eric Carle, dinosaur fossils, and how to recite a poem about shapes.  But, but, but....are they really ready, willing and able? Are we crushing a curiosity to explore? Is there harm in the desire to take a toy off the shelf and delve into a world of imagination? When do kids HAVE to listen to adults? Well, for sure when their safety is in danger. And will they not be able to do that if we've not been able to get them to sit and listen at circle time. How is my own curriculum and planning affecting their compliance?  
That's the question I'm going leave with this evening. 

Stroller-fixing, World-fixing

1. Child A donned a favorite superman cape and golden sparkly hat and set off pushing a stroller rapidly around the room. What great feats the were about to happen, we will never know.

2. Child B came from behind and tore the cape from Child A's shoulders.

3. Child A exploded into a whirlwind of frustration and anger. Words could not be formed, only a shriek. Then the stroller was lifted from the ground and banged onto the floor. The front wheel popped off. 

I watched it happen. Do I reprimand the breaking the stroller? What of Child B, running to the other side of the classroom...now being chased by Child A, who grabbed the cape and started yanking with great might?

4. I intervened.  "Child A, use your words to tell Child B that you are angry. That you would like the cape back."   He did so.

5. Child B bolted with the cape. 

6. I followed. Child B stomped off and started to quietly cry.

7. "Child B, you made Child A very sad." A short dialogue ensued, and eventually, somehow, Child B willingly took the cape to Child A.

8. Child B and I walked by the broken stroller. I explained about three times the events. You took the cape, Child A got angry and broke the stroller. Now we do not have a stroller.

9. I suggested to Child B that we fix the stroller. He got the toolbox and set to work. Soon, two other children joined him.

A happy, cooperative ending to a high stress situation... 

I find myself able to approach these sorts of situations, which are rather frequent in any place more than one child abides, with more calm these days.  It's not my job to make it right as quickly as possible. But I do need to give them some tools to deal with what happens, with those monsters that tear out when someone removes your super-hero powers from your shoulders. Or what to do with the monster that makes you want to grab it in the first place and then lingers behind, changing form when you see that you've actually made someone very, very upset.

I mean, how many adults have an appropriate reaction when someone comes and yanks away our "power"--real and imagined?  We kick and scream every time. It's just that most of us can keep it inside. We've learned to control ourselves. Kids are more real that way. And frankly, I think it's okay to keep the "real" part of it.  Emotions are real and so are problems...why not figure out ways to help kids deal with these?