Breaking the Rules

One of the things I quickly noticed at my new school was the lack of posted rules.  There were no lists of rules, guidelines, or expectations, either teacher generated or child generated, in any of the classrooms.  It was one of the things that I liked most about the school.  To me, the lack of posted rules shows a powerful respect for the children and the community they build with each other and the teachers.  This doesn't mean there is chaos and that everything goes; on the contrary, the classrooms are among the calmest and most productive I've ever seen.  Conflicts are thoughtfully dealt with as they arise and teachers spend a large amount of time building relationships with children.

And yet....

And yet I've begun to look beneath the surface and although there are no posted rules, there are unwritten rules that permeate our space.  Rules that I am starting to think the teachers don't always know why they have them.  Rules that have just been the "way things are" for so long that no body questions them.

                   And yet... I break so many of them all the time.

Children are told that they can't climb up the slides on the playground and yet the JK kids I teach in enrichment gleefully climb up the slides when with me.

Children are told that they can't bring the toys or materials on the climbing structures on the playground and yet those same JK kids bring the snow shovels to the very top while I watch.

Families are told that children shouldn't bring toys from home and yet many of my 2 year olds have small tokens that sneak out of their pockets or a security blanket tucked under their arms.

Families are told that they must drop their children off at the carpool line and yet my co-teacher and I have all of our 2 year old families walking their children all the way in to the classroom to say goodbye each day.

Teachers hover anxiously as the children jump on the trampoline and yet I sat back on Monday and watched the children jump dangerously and quite recklessly, sometimes landing on each other at their dismount.

Children are told to all walk the same direction, one at a time, over the little wooden bridge and yet I enjoy watching two 2 year olds meet in the middle, going opposite directions, and negotiate how to get down.

Children are told they shouldn't build with the blocks above their waist and yet I let my 2 year olds build with abandon and am their to provide cuddles if their epic towers crash on to them.

I enjoy breaking the rules.  I think it's sometimes how we learn the most.

The View from the Bus: #Kinderchat Blog Challenge, Day 15

It's Wordless Wednesday at the #Kinderchat Blog Challenge: "What's the view from your window?" 

This is the view from the bus window as I leave a staff meeting at the Children's Museum.

This Week in the Classroom: #Kinderchat Blog Challenge, Day 14

Today's #Kinderchat Blog Challenge asks us what is one thing we want to do with our class this week.

Well, I have three different groups per week, so I have three different things instead of one.

For my Monday studio group, I wanted to engage new students from the morning 3's group in their "beautiful alphabet" project that 3 of their classmates initiated in November.  ....And I did! 2 students who had never ventured into the studio space excitedly came in asking which letters were left to build.  Apparently all of the children in this class had been sharing their excitement over the "beautiful alphabet" and the idea that they are building something that will be a gift to their classroom.

For my Tuesday/Wednesday young 2's group, I want to help my two newest children and their families feel confident and ready to separate.  We've all been working to build trust, relationships, and comfort in the space and the children are ready.  The parents are ready too...everyone just needs a little extra love and support.

For my Thursday/Friday group of 2's, I am looking forward to seeing their reactions to the new dramatic play invitation.  My co-teacher and I worked with the other teaching team we share space with and re-imagined our dramatic play into a grocery store.  We have canvas bags from local stores, a conveyer belt and cash register, shopping carts, and items from around the children's homes.  I snuck in and saw the 2/3's group using the space today and they were so busy.  It was fantastic.

Movin' and Groovin' (in my slippers): #Kinderchat Blog Challenge, Days 12 and 13

Oops! I missed yesterday's blog challenge.  So here is a short bit for yesterdays and the a little list for today's #Kinderchat Challenge.

Yesterday's prompt asked what our "go to" piece of clothing was.  I would have to say that my slippers when the top spot at the moment.  I dislike socks and shoes and generally prefer to be barefoot.  Obviously that isn't possible at work or in the winter.  So I compromise by wearing slippers; I have a pair stashed at school, at the museum, and at home.

Okay! Here's my Monday List- 5 Songs that Make me Dance (and Sing):

1. Big Parade (and Hoy Hey) by The Lumineers

2. Wake Me Up by Aloe Blacc

3. Let Her Go by Passenger

4. I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons

5. King and Lionheart by Of Monsters and Men

#Kinderchat Blog Challenge, Days 10 and 11

I sort of spaced out on writing my #Kinderchat Blog Challenge post yesterday.  So this is a 2 in 1...yesterdays would have been fairly short anyway.

Day 10: If I won the lottery I would....
Honestly? I don't have any grand dreams about what I would do with a lottery windfall.  Rather, I would pay of all of my (many) dollars in student loans, put some aside so that I would actually have a savings, and then donate the rest to the volunteer organization I lead programs through.

Day 11: A book that always gets me teary...
Seeing as I cry at the drop of the hat this should be easy...but I also read a ton of books, which makes it hard to narrow it down.  I always cry when Beth dies in Little Women and when Professor Dumbledore (not to mention Dobby the Elf!) dies in the Harry Potter series; basically all of book 7 makes me cry.  Of course Where the Red Fern grows makes me sob along with Summer of the Monkeys.

Okay, short and sweet. I will try to make tomorrow's post have more substance.

Before the School Day Begins: #Kinderchat Blog Challenge, Day 9

Today's #Kinderchat Blog Challenge asks us to share our morning...before we go to school.

My typical school day starts early....alarm goes off at 5:30. (Yes, unfortunately you read that right.)

I'm out of the house by 6:30 so that I can walk the 15-20 minutes to the commuter train. On that train for 20 minutes.  Fortunately the train station is next to Starbucks.  Walk another 10 minutes to school.

At school by 7:30. Depending on the day I have a varying amount of set up to do.  Mondays mean setting up the studio for 2 or 3 classes and their particular projects or setting up the studio for a parent-child exploration day.  Tuesdays and Wednesdays mean getting the studio turned around so I can teach  small group of 2 year olds in it.  Thursdays and Fridays mean transforming the young 3's room into a space for my larger group of young 2s to have class.  There's a lot of running around and setting materials up in an inviting manner.

By 8:20 it's a quick trip to the coffee maker, a check in with either my co-teacher or the other teachers,  a check in with the office manage to see if any children are going to be out for the day, a "fight" for a turn to use the ONE grown up restroom (another teacher and I crack up because it's usually one of us waiting on the other) and then it's off to carpool line by 8:45 to greet the children and families.

 (This is why it takes so long to set up the room each day...)

Wordless Wednesday, A Favorite Part of the Classroom: #Kinderchat Blog Challenge, Day 8

It's Wordless Wednesday over at the #Kinderchat Blog Challenge.

Share a photo of your favorite place in your classroom:

(Part of the garden, my outdoor classroom)