Community Games

 Plans for games about good communities are underway.

 The children are working to develop games that can be played in class to

remind us of the type of strong community we would like to be.

 I am very interested in seeing these games develop.

What will they feel is important?

 How will this work help them to further process their ideas?

Whirlydoodle

 

One dark and windy morning this week, the children were able to see the lights on the Whirlydoodle windmill for the first time. During morning carpool the excitement was palpable. Children, who have since passed on to fourth grade, were also able to observe on the way to their classroom. It was a very exciting morning! Our ideas about energy are not dead and gone. They remain very alive in our windmill collection we have chosen to leave up.

Appreciation

We started a tradition today. Each Friday we will begin our day with sharing an "appreciation" for one of our class members. We are trying to think beyond our immediate friendships to people we might not usually get a chance to compliment. We are looking for acts during the week that help our class to be a better community. My intention for this tradition is to help us notice the kind things that happen in class. I also think that it is a time that we see our ideas and values in action in the small acts of each day.

"I appreciate you because you gave me lost of good feedback on my ideas."

"He always helps clean up."

"He apologized after he the soccer ball he kicked hit me in the face."

"You are great at listening at circle. You raise your and and listen quietly when others are talking."

"I appreciate that he apologized to the whole class after his silly day on Wednesday."

"I like how he always makes peace and doesn't want to fight."

"I appreciate that he always gives people comments and that helps other people give other people comments and it makes our class a better place to be."

"She contributes helpful ideas to our class."

"You help our community stay on topic."

"You do a great job at paying attention and for that I say thank you!"

Forest Fridays

Young scientists make observations that help define earth.
They observe a toad as if it is the fist time they have seen one.

Recess in the forest allows plenty of time to play in the stream.

We spend Friday afternoon in the forest. We go directly after lunch for recess and then stay for some work. Recently we used the time to think about metaphors for community.

A good community is like....

• ants
• bees
• dolphins
• trees
• rain
• water
• the whole world fits together in a community
• leaves
• human body

As I looked over their analogies I noticed the majority of their answers were something found in nature. It was not surprising. We had done our thinking in the woods, after all. But I also couldn't ignore how an understanding of the natural world brings insight. It reminded me of the value of time in the wild to touch and smell and feel all of the experiences we can then connect to other ideas.

"Rain is like a community because each drop is like the little individual. We all come together to form streams and rivers. When water drops are together they can accomplish a lot of important jobs like cleaning things, watering plants and for drinking. The group of water drops can do a lot of good."

Educating the Heart

Of all of the things education brings to children, which is the most important? What one thing can we give them that will prepare them best for a successful, productive, happy life?

I've been thinking a lot about these questions as we begin a new school year as a way to help me center my work. Mary, Anna and I traveled to Portland, Oregon this summer to attend a conference at Opal School. I noticed their dedicated, almost obsessive, focus on community. They took it a lot further than I ever had. In fact, I thought maybe they took it too far. It was in everything! Science and community, history and community, community, community, community. Did it leave enough room for the "important" stuff?

In the past I've viewed work on "how we treat each other in class" as a way to oil the classroom machine. Sure, I thought we should all be nice and caring but it was a foundation so that things would run smoothly so that we would have time for all of the "real" curriculum and so that we could all exist in the same space day in and day out.

The overarching theme for our school (preschool-8th grade) this year is Relationship. This decision has caused me to think the topic over more carefully. The more I processed what I saw at Opal and the more I talked it all over with Anna and Mary, the more I decided to explore.

For the past three weeks of school our literacy and project work has centered around the exploration of community. How do we want to feel in our class? How do we act when we are together? What role does the individual play in a group?

I sat down to watch a movie tonight. One had recently caught my eye on Netflix.  It was called Happy.

http://www.thehappymovie.com/ "Happy takes viewers on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real-life stories and scientific interviews, the film explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion. "

What the science of happiness says is that we need to be teaching children care and compassion. Happiness is linked to close connections to friends and family and compassion towards others. One of the things scientists have discovered is most effective in improving one's happiness is to practice acts of kindness. The act of kindness releases a chemical called dopamine, the happy chemical, into the brain. The dopamine released in one's brain as a result of kindness is as strong as a mood altering drug like cocaine! It was interesting to be reminded that we have a great deal of control over our own happiness.

The findings are not necessarily shocking. It seems rather intuitive. This type of wisdom has been around for a long time. I just wondered if it has been around so long that we overlook it. Do we forget just how powerful it can be? And if it is so key to happiness, where does it exist in education? Does it belong in education? Is happiness in life a goal of education?  Do happier children learn better?

Can we really disconnect the brain and the heart?

I am curious to see where this year takes us. What changes will I see in the children? How will this year compare to years past? What impact will I see as a result of so much focus on relationship and community?

I have a feeling that at the end of this year I will be a changed teacher. In the end, will I feel like we spent too much time on the topic of relationship? I have a feeling that the opposite will be true; the more we explore the ideas of community, the more complex and valuable we will come to find this work. Our attention will feel insufficient for a topic so powerful.

Who am I?

Who are you?
You are a small piece of the community, but a very important piece.
What strengths do you bring?
What talents will you contribute?

"Why do your eyes look like that?"
"Because I am quiet but I am always watching."
 

"My mask has a cloud dragon putting out fire with rain.
It is from the Japanese ledgend.
 It means I am a peace maker."

"Girls can be tough."