Manifestations

I began teaching children's literature to college students in 1997. As the years have passed, I became convinced about how important it is for teachers and parents to read children's and adolescent literature. Whether you are teaching 5 year-olds or 15 year-olds, I don't think there is any better way to remind yourself how children function than by reading literature featuring young characters. Each time I read a new children's novel I feel a deeper connection to kids. I believe that good teachers read children's literature.
I just finished reading the current Newbery Medal winner, Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. Abilene Tucker, the main character, is sent by her father to the town of Manifest for the summer. True to it's name, the town and citizens reveal to Abilene their unusual history and how her father fits into their existence. The town folk also have a few things manifested to them as Abilene searches through the history of the town. I think the manifestation that came to me during reading is how children interpret what they are told using what background knowledge they have acquired. It reminded me again that when you tell a child something, your interpretation of those instructions may not be the same translation in the child's head. Children can create an entirely different experience out of the simplest suggestion.
You learn a lot about children by reading. Check out Moon Over Manifest and see what is manifested to you.

Air to Breathe

It has been a cold and snowy winter so far here in Utah. The older I get, the more I dislike cold weather. The other day when it was 7 degrees overnight, I went out the next morning to break a hole in the ice of our pond. We keep a pump going, but I like to make sure there is an oxygen outlet for the fish and turtles deep in the water. It always amazes me how they survive the cold winter, but they seem to adjust fine as long as there is oxygen.

I have had the opportunity to work with at-risk children routinely throughout the years and I have always viewed school much like that oxygen outlet. For some children, school can be a safe environment in an unsafe and unstable world. The classroom can provide support for a child who does not always feel supported in life. School can also provide challenges and opportunities to think that may not be encouraged outside the classroom. When a teacher creates an inviting and supportive classroom, it can be a haven for a child until the harsh winter begins to subside. Good teachers make sure there is a hole in the pond when it is 7 degrees by:

-Maintaining a strong positive relationship with the child

-Providing comfortable and effective routines that help the child feel secure

-Routinely reinforce social and emotional skills that help children grow friendships and feel part of the group

-Giving extra support to children who seem to struggle with compliance and obedience.

I wish that every child felt love, acceptance and support in every aspect of his/her life. Unfortunately, that is not the norm for many children. Until that time, we all must continue to break a hole in the ice for the children who surround us. Especially when the outside world is lurking with icy fingers and a temperature of 7 degrees.

Making Music

During the holidays, I had the opportunity to be in California with all six of my grandchildren. After a rousing Wii music game, three of my granddaughters picked up the ukulele and some costumes, then proceeded to serenade the rest of us. One of the adults present called out, "That sounds just awful." Maybe it did, but the effort impressed me. Here were three girls who were not afraid to take a chance and exhibited great planning strategies. We know how critical it is to teach children thinking skills and to take a chance. Sir Ken Robinson, an expert on creativity, says, "If they don't know, they will have a go." Children are natural risk takers, but adults often shut down their comfort level for taking risks. This has great impact on thinking skills and creativity. To encourage taking risks and developing thinking skills, adults should:

1. Allow the "awful music," realizing that the process the child developed is what should be encouraged, not shut down. Don't worry about the product.

2. Look for toys and materials that need a process of development. Instead of a coloring book (no thinking there), provide construction paper, scissors and glue (endless process). The end product doesn't really matter.

3. Encourage an atmosphere of taking risks. Recently, a child I know filled the sink with water and started floating her shoe in the water. I applaud her mother who did not get upset and yell, "What are you doing?" She simply asked calmly, "So, what are you doing with your shoe." Her daughter said, "Seeing if my shoe can float." "What did you find out?" asked her mom. After a great discussion they cleaned the mess and dried the shoe.

4. Do projects together. Routinely do projects with the child and allow him to suggest many of the procedures. Even if you know it may not 'work.' Trial and error is great for thinking. A wonderful resource book for doing projects is, "The Complete Book of Activities, Games, Stories, etc." by Pam Schiller and Jackie Silberg.

My granddaughters can serenade me anytime. It was music to my ears as I was thrilled they created a band. The right notes can come later!

Survival in School

In my classroom management course at the university, we learn how children must have their basic needs satisfied prior to establishing an attitude where learning can be nourished and supported. When we think of basic needs, we usually think of food, water, shelter, safety, etc. However, there are basic needs in the classroom, as well. Those basic needs include: security, association, belonging, dignity, hope, power, enjoyment and competence. Teachers need to routinely ask themselves, "Do my students feel safe? Can they associate with others comfortably and do I make them feel like they belong to the group? Do I treat them with respect? When they are here, do they feel hope associated with learning new things? Do they help make decisions so they feel a measure of power in my class? Do they enjoy being in our classroom and do they feel success on a regular basis."
Sometimes we educators are so consumed with teaching the appropriate skills that we forget there needs to be a fertile ground for those new sprouts of knowledge to grow. If the child feels uncomfortable about any part of the school day, he may not be learning at his capacity. In fact, he most assuredly is not. I hope those of us who work with children will take this holiday break to rejuvenate ourselves and be committed to creating the optimal learning environment. One where the children have basic needs met while expanding with new skills and knowledge.

Helping Children Become Thinkers

Several people reading my last post asked me to elaborate on encouraging curiosity in young children. Using my years in the classroom, I would like to suggest the following list of opportunities to help children develop thinking skills:

1. Present open-ended activities. Instead of having the child do a self- portrait by giving her a page with the outline of a body, give her several colors of construction paper, scissors and glue to create a picture of herself. The possibilities are endless.

2. Ask the child for his opinion. When issues occur in the classroom, instead of issuing commands, turn the discussion to the children. "Friends, we are having trouble remembering to clean the art center when we are finished. Do you have any suggestions for what we can do about this problem."

3. Conduct a daily share time activity. When I was teaching, I gave the children an opportunity to verbally share any information item they would like to that day (no show and tell items, just verbal sharing). I did insist that the children listen to the speaker (listening skills practice) and encouraged anyone to share. It was not a requirement, but an opportunity. It only took 3-4 minutes and was a great beginning to the school day.

4. Let the children be the teacher. Children learn many more things from their peers than they do from adults. I found the value of using other children as teachers early on in my teaching career. I routinely partnered my students so that they could share with each other during an activity. The thinking and discussion were so valuable that I looked for other opportunities to allow children to 'teach' each other.

5. Help children understand the 'why.' Discuss with children why they are learning what you are teaching in the classroom. "Girls and boys, why do you think it is important for us to learn the letters of the alphabet?" A routine why discussion will help children develop the thinking skills of reasoning and understanding the foundation of learning.

Helping a child develop thinking skills will open up the world to him, much like opening the shell of a clam.

Curiosity

Our cat, Esme, likes to sit by the glass door and watch what is happening outside. I'm sure she is naturally curious because she spends her life indoors. In some ways, watching the outside is like television for the cat. Esme is very curious about everything that happens indoors and outdoors. Young children are very similar. A child's curiosity about the world is natural as he tries to understand and learn about his surroundings. As I have been watching student teaching candidates this semester, I have been observing how some teachers encourage curiosity and interest, but many others do not encourage or even like that basic instinct in children.

As a classroom teacher I always wanted to turn my students on to learning about the world and what they can do with new information. Unfortunately, most public school settings today are so structured around test scores that the child can only sit and wait for the information to be dumped in his head. Dumping knowledge has little possibility of sticking and making a difference in the child's life.

That brings me back to Esme and her interest in the world around her. I leave the wooden door open (even when it's cold) so that she has the opportunity to look at the world through the glass storm door and satisfy that basic curiosity. Watching safely behind the glass will make sure that curiosity will not kill this cat! Allowing children to be curious and ask questions will not kill the desire to learn, but encourage the interest to grow and continue.

Connecting the Dots

I am attending the annual NAEYC Conference in Anaheim. I always enjoy this conference because it is wonderful to see such a large group of people come together to learn what are the best practices when working with young children. One of my favorite stories is The Dot by Peter Reynolds. Vashti, the young girl in the story, learns how a simple dot can lead you on a creative and exciting journey. I feel the same way when I attend conferences. I have been attending workshops and trainings for over 30 years and you might think that I have heard everything by now. It is just the opposite. I think I am just beginning to really 'get it' about working with young children. I made a goal early on that I would make a strong effort to learn at least one new thing at every conference that would make me a better teacher. That goal has helped me develop better teaching skills as an early childhood educator and now as an adult educator teaching students to work with young children.
One example of this happened to me years ago when my school district sent me to a math workshop at Boise State University. Most of the workshops were labeled K-3 and did not have much content for me as a kindergarten teacher. However, I did learn to make little journal books at that conference. I used those books continually in my teaching from that point on and they became a major tool for teaching children to think and be creative. For me that long 3-day workshops was work every minute and dollar spent. It made me a better teacher by teaching me about a very useful tool. Those of you attending conferences and workshops should make a goal to find something that will profoundly improve your teaching and learning.

7 Connecting Habits of a Lead Teacher

In our classroom management course this week we were talking about setting up classrooms that avoid punishment (punitive discipline). I had the opportunity to review the works of one of my favorite researchers, William Glasser. He was a great educational thinker and often stated that we will not improve schools unless we provide curriculum that is attractive to students, use nonpunitive discipline and emphasize quality in all aspects of teaching and learning. The portions of his research that had the most impact on me over the years are his standards for separating 'boss' teachers from 'lead' teachers.
Boss teachers rely on what Glasser calls the 7 Deadly Habits: criticizing, blaming, complaining, nagging, threatening, punishing, and rewarding students to control them. I think we are all familiar with teachers that fall into this category.
Rather than falling into the rut of being a 'boss' teacher, Glasser suggests that we become, 'lead' teachers. A lead teacher relies on the 7 Connecting Habits: caring, listening, supporting, contributing, encouraging, trusting, and befriending. The most successful classrooms are the ones led by lead teachers.
I have told my student teachers that if they start using one of the deadly habits, combat the temptation with one of the connecting habits. Our goal is to be lead teachers and provide a nurturing atmosphere for the students.

Fall Colors

I'm always jealous of people who live in climates that are more mild during the winter (I don't enjoy cold much any more). However, one of the things I love about our climate is the wonderful colors that we see during the autumn. Since we are surrounded by mountains, it is a lovely site to see. We live at the base of a mountain and it is amazing to watch it change daily. I remember all of the fall activities that I did in the classroom using those leaves.

• Gluing leaves on pictures to represent the autumn


• Placing larger leaves under thin paper and doing leaf rubbings with the side of a peeled crayon


• Having the children replicate the colors of the leaves by color mixing


• Laminating leaves for use in the science center


• Looking at the leaves under a magnifying glass or microscope


• Leaf glitter (finely crumbled leaves glued on projects)

I remember when another teacher told me about leaf glitter. I laughed thinking it was a weak idea. Then I watched what happened when I crumbled leaves and allowed the children to use the crumbs just like they would use glitter. They were thrilled and we had to continually make more! Who knew such a simple idea would be such a hit. The biggest plus was that it was so much easier to clean up than regular glitter.

Those of you who are surrounded by the colors of autumn and work with young children, make the most of this time of year. For those of you who live where leaves don't do much changing, I'm sorry. You can give me a rough time during the winter when you are having a picnic.

Männer helfen Jungs, „cool“ zu sein

[Augsburger Allgemeine, 1-10-2010]

Bobingen In dem Projekt „Coole Jungs“ an der Laurentius-Volksschule Bobingen lernen Buben, was es wirklich heißt, „cool“ zu sein: gute Gespräche, fairer Kampf. Dafür gibt es viel Lob von Trainer Mike Wilson und Lehrer Peter Schütt. Das macht selbstbewusst. Und Selbstbewusstsein ist cool. Das Projekt der St. Gregor-Jugendhilfe zur Jungenpädagogik wird fortgesetzt.

Die Überlegung dahinter: Kleine Jungen wollen Aufmerksamkeit, große Jungen wollen cool sein. Beide setzen auf Strategien wie Durchsetzungsvermögen, Leistung und Selbstständigkeit. Das ist „cool“ und bringt Aufmerksamkeit. Wo diese Strategien nicht greifen, bedient sich mancher Junge einer anderen: Probleme machen. Denn Problemverursacher bekommen Aufmerksamkeit - wenn auch negative. Sozialpädagogin Rosemarie Langhammer von der St. Gregor-Jugendhilfe stellt fest: „Jungs fallen durch Störungen, Aggressivität und beharrliches Übertreten von Regeln überdurchschnittlich häufiger auf als Mädchen.“

Als Jugendsozialarbeiterin hat sie das Gewaltpräventions-Projekt „Du und ich“ in der Laurentius-Volksschule in Bobingen eingeführt, bei dem es um Verhaltensregeln und deren Einhaltung im Schulgebäude und während der Pausen ging. Dabei war ein Ergebnis, dass es mit Jungen mehr Schwierigkeiten gibt. „Die sind immer gut drauf, sie sind Clowns oder einfach ,nur cool‘“, so Rosemarie Langhammer. Diese Erkenntnis wurde von der Schulleiterin Waltraud Goers, dem Grundschullehrer Peter Schütt und der Sozialpädagogin Rosemarie Langhammer sehr ernst genommen.

Buben werden meist von Frauen erzogen

Deshalb wurde ein zwölfwöchiges Projekt aus dem Bereich der Jungenpädagogik durchgeführt, zunächst finanziert durch das Amt für Jugend und Familie (Landratsamt). So konnte Peter Schütt erstmals gemeinsam mit dem in Jungenpädagogik besonders erfahrenen Sozialpädagogen Michael „Mike“ Wilson das Projekt „Coole Jungs“ anbieten: Einmal wöchentlich für 90 Minuten konnten zehn Jungen an einer Jungengruppe teilnehmen.

Und weil sie damit so gute Erfahrungen gemacht haben, wird die Laurentius-Schule mit Peter Schütt „Coole Jungs“ ab 8. Oktober in Eigenregie fortsetzen, punktuell unterstützt von Wilson.

„Jungs machen Probleme, weil sie Probleme haben“, sagt Mike Wilson, „vor allem mit ihrem Selbstbild.“ Die Entwicklung von Männlichkeit, also die männliche Rollenaneignung, sei schwierig, weil der kleine Junge fast nur mit Frauen - Mütter, Erzieherinnen, Grundschullehrerinnen - zu tun hat. So erfolge die Rollenaneignung per Negation: „Männlich ist, was nicht weiblich ist“.

In dem Projekt an der Laurentius-Volksschule Bobingen lernen Jungs, was es wirklich heißen soll, „cool“ zu sein. In der Gesprächsrunde dürfen Probleme benannt und Kritik geäußert werden. Dabei muss man höflich und fair bleiben. „Der Angesprochene darf zu Wort kommen und seine Sicht darstellen“, erklärt Peter Schütt.