Friday, January 31, 2020

The Very Hungry Caterpillar can help be Very Calm

Breathing and mindfulness exercises help children in many ways.
They help a child pause and be present.
We read Calm with the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Morah Katie: What do the circles remind you of?
Eli: Breathing.
Evan: Being calm.
Morah Katie: Why does it say "calm your monkey mind?"
Kenya:They jump on the bed.
Shoshi: Monkeys sometimes look angry.
Evan: They swing on things.
Moshe: They dance around and swing to get bananas.
Morah Katie: Why are there flowers on the “breathe” page?
Kenya:We can look at them.
Shoshi: We can smell flowers.
Morah Katie: The cobwebs, sometimes our minds can get cluttered.
Kenya: The spider is busy.
Evan: You can count 1 to 10 in your mind.
Morah Katie: Clouds, how are clouds like thoughts? 
Kenya: They go in the sky. 
Shoshi: They don't stay in the same place. They move.
Moshe: Because they go down.
Evan: Thoughts can floats in your mind.
Eli: Clouds go down if they need too.
As I read this book, each child took slow, deep breaths. They spotted familiar characters from Eric Carle books they know well. Watching their happy and peaceful faces, it looked like they were greeting good friends.


Being mindful assists in the development of a lengthened attention span, the ability to follow directions.
When we are singing our "Flutterby butterfly" song with our felt story items, our friends are calmed by the soothing song, yet engaged while waiting for their turn to participate with their felt item.
Mindfulness helps develop the flexibility to adapt to changing situations, as well as the regulation of emotions, and engagement in positive and cooperative behaviors.
Hugo needed help with craft tape.
Hugo: Please help me Evie.
Evie: Ok, I'll help you. You have to find the end. See here it is.
Hugo: OK! (finds it) I did it Evie!
Evie: Oh good job Hugo!
Hugo watched Evie cut the tape. He then went to get scissors. He cut his tape the way Evie was cutting hers.

When we are aware of our own feelings, we see others’ feelings more clearly.
To recognize shared feelings in others, we need to recognize shared attributes in others.
Morah Katie: Looking at our school family, how are we all similar, the same?
Moshe: We have hair.
Evan: We wear different clothes.
Morah Katie: We ALL wear clothes, the clothes are different.
Evie: We wear something to school.
Moshe: We have eyes.
Evan: We  wear shoes.
Moshe: Cheeks and mouths.
Morah Katie: We do. What do we use our mouths for?
Evan: Eating.
Kenya: Eating fruit.
Moshe: To talk and to whistle.
Morah Katie: People who can whistle are talented.  We do all talk.  How do we talk? OR hope to be talking when we are feeling our best?
Kenya: Calm.
Evan: With our hearts.
Evie: We have lips. We eat and talk.
Zoey: We both have hands and hair. I'm helping Evie.
Brexton: I have two ears and Moshe has two ears.  Two eyes to look at something special.
Moshe: We both have arms to stretch. And cheeks.
Evan: We both have hair. 
Gwen: We have eye brows and brains and a head.
Evan: We have eyes to look at the world and hands to help..
Shoshi: We have eyes and teeth.
Kenya: We have hair. 
Morah Katie: You have smiles.  How do smiles help you feel when you are grumpy? 
Kenya: Better, laughing.

It is easier to include others when our own minds and hearts are calm. 
 






Friday, January 24, 2020

A flock of ducks

This week we are looking closely at 10 Rubber Ducks and The Very Lonely Firefly
We could have spent the entire week just on counting and learning directions with 10 Rubber Ducks.

Likewise, we could have studied different sources of light, or all about fireflies and why they glow with The Very Lonely Firefly.

However, I was diverted from writing on my original topic.
Both books end in a similar way.
Morah Katie: What do both of the books have in common?
Evan: At the end both find families.
The Very Loney Firefly is following lights, looking for fireflies.
Kenya: It was in the sky.
Evan: It just kept flying to lights.
Eli: It was trying to find the others but didn't and couldn't go to them.
Zoey: He didn't know where his home was.
Moshe: He was just in the sky the whole time.
Morah Katie: He was alone. What do you think he felt like to not be with the other fireflies, his family and friends?
Zoey: Sad.
Evan: Sad and lonely.
Moshe: Scary.
Morah Katie: When the firefly found the other fireflies, how did it feel?
Evan: Happy.
Moshe: Not scared because he it was with the group.
Zoey: He found his home.
Kenya: The sparkles didn't go away.
Eli: He thought he was alone but the others maybe were looking for him too,
Evie: SO happy.
In 10 Rubber Ducks, 10 rubber ducks begin an adventure together and due to a storm at sea they are dispersed. They go in different directions each on their own adventure.
Morah Katie: How was the 10th duck feeling when it was out in the ocean, just water and sky?
Evie: Sad.
Gwen: Sad, cause he lost his friends.
Moshe: Sad.
Morah Katie: After he discovers the mama duck and the ducklings, how do you think he felt?
Zoey: Happy and those ducks are real and they can float up and down.
Morah Katie: When the rubber duck first meets the real ducks, he is off to the side.  Where is the rubber duck as the sun sets?
Moshe: It's with the ducks, in the middle.
Morah Katie: The ducks have included him. Where are they going?
Evan: Back to the nest.
Morah Katie: What does it feel like to be included?
Evan: Happy.  I've been left out a lot. Sometimes when I am alone I'm happy.
Morah Katie: When I choose to be alone I can be happy.
Evan: Yeah but left out, feels like I'm sad.   

Connection develops in many way.
It can form with morning songs and rituals.
Connection is also created by feeling needed.
When our friends help they see they are important and valuable to our school family.
Evan: Kenya you can tell Hugo you don't want him to touch your doll.
Kenya: Hugo, I don't want you to touch my baby.
Hugo: Ok. 
Evan helped his younger friends, and strengthened the connections between them.
When they are invited to play, connections between friends are being formed.
Compliments between friends build connection.  Evie got up from her table to tell Brexton his painting was "beautiful."
Being included when they are feeling sad or lonely, helps a child feel acknowledged and affirms connections between friends.  Evan and Eli noticed that Evie was alone.  They asked if she wanted to join them.
Another moment of inclusion on the play ground sounded like:
Evan: Zoey, I said we would be friends always, I am just playing with all my friends right now. You can play too. 
Zoey: Oh ok. We are friends.
They all began running together.

It is clear we have a very connected school family. When our friend Hugo stumbled, our friends at the table all immediately began to wish Hugo well: Let's wish him well/1, 2, 3, We wish you well /3, 2, 1, we wish you well Hugo.
Connection develops between teachers and children when we accept the child who they are in the moment, and take steps to let him know that.
Morah Eden is giving Hugo her undivided attention. She is physically demonstrating through her actions she cares for him. Making eye contact and being face to face shows him he is valuable.
We smile. A smile is a small yet significant way to express we love our friends.