Fixing mistakes

When the High Holy days begin in early September,  it could be looked at as a lot of missing days of school. 

I see it as an opportunity to introduce the children to the core values of The Gan. 

At The Gan we model and encourage kindness, respect, and compassion.

We have been talking about sweet, kind acts of friendship.

This week our attention was on fixing mistakes, whether that was spilling water or speaking from anger.  

As we began our transition from Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), we explored Teshuvah: regretting a mistake, and deciding to fix it and do better next time.

We read the story Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride.

Engineer Ari is very proud to drive the train from Jaffa to Jerusalem.

However, Ari begins to brag causing his friends to become upset and angry.

As he journeys, he realizes he made his friends feel bad and wonders what he can do to fix it, to be a better friend.
Morah Katie: What can Engineer Ari do? He isn't feeling so happy anymore.

Judah: He can say he is sorry to his friends.

Augie: He could just not say rude things next time but now he can say nice things.

Abe: He can be nice and remember to say good-bye to his friends next time.

After listening to the story, I invited friends to think of a mistake and to draw how they could fix it .

Ari: Engineer Ari is going to invite his sad friends to a puppet show.

Olivia: Sadie had the parachute. I wanted it so I grabbed it. Sadie got mad.

I asked if I could share and she let me.

Evelyn: He looks sad. I look happy. I was wild and fell into him. 

He asked me not to so I sat nicely.

Our puppets came to circle. 
They had been having some problems and asked the preschoolers for help being better friends.

Billy (Morah Katie): Sally bumped into me and she made me spill my paints!  Now paint is everywhere.

Augie: You guys can clean it together.

Abram: And then you can paint a picture together.

Sally(Morah Katie): Well, Billy took all the food toys I was playing with so I couldn't pretend to make breakfast.

Ari: Billy can just say "may I please share with you" next time.

Billy/Sally (Morah Katie): Ok, we will give those thing a try and be better friends.

Preschoolers are learning to navigate friendships and social expectations as well as their own feelings and bodies.

It is heartwarming to hear young voices say they are sorry, and to ask what they can do to help fix the problem.