Monthly Archives: June 2012

There were some wonderfully thoughtful comments on my last post, both from parents and creative educators. It made me think that maybe my crazy ideas weren’t ALL that crazy after all.

However, since things aren’t likely to change soon I thought I’d highlight one of the upsides of educating in a big group.

There’s obviously more to education than academics. Just this morning I was telling one of the teachers that I think there’s a real need for a breakfast club at our school. No, the families are definitely not hard pressed for money for breakfast, but often the children are virtually unsupervised in the morning (a powerless nanny provides whatever they ask for) and as one young chap told me this week, he got his driver to stop at the variety store to pick up an ice cream and snickers bar for breakfast. In a country that claims the highest diabetes rate in the world, nutrition would be an excellent element to add to their curriculum. That was a side note/rant.

What I’ve really been thinking about though, is what they learn about getting along with each other and the challenge of getting tasks done when their are interruptions. Those are two life skills that they may as well start learning now! When the class is interrupted by behaviour issues, or the material has to be explained again for someone who doesn’t understand, it is a lesson in self discipline for everyone else. To remain focused when there’s an interruption is something I’m STILL learning! And to get back to work after the disruption – oh ya – I need to strengthen that skill.

I love to watch the other children when one or two are being rambunctious or disciplined. Some of them have excellent skills as far as remaining still and waiting patiently for the teacher to continue and not losing their place in the lesson, so to speak. Many of them also remain kind and don’t seem to judge those who are trying to steal the focus. These are the ones I think are going to be great. Focus is such an important skill. Kindness when it’s a challenge is a great discipline.

And if those around us learn to hold steady, be patient, be kind and don’t judge those who need a little extra help, well, isn’t that good news for all of us? At one point or another won’t we be the recipients of that good will? We all need to be shown a little patience sometimes.

I’m very aware that by writing about these things the majority of my friends (yes, there are a huge percentage of my friends who are teachers) are reading and saying ‘ya, what else is new’. But I’m going to keep writing…because you didn’t and it’s what I’m thinking about these days.

Over the last several months, while doing pleasantly mindless jobs in the classroom, I have been trying to revamp the whole school system. It’s an involuntary reflex. I can’t help it. Try as I might though, I have nothing profound to add. I keep trying to create some elabourate system.

We all know that children (people) learn and develop at different paces, what I didn’t realize is how terribly frustrating it is for the children on both ends of the spectrum. It effects their behaviour so immediately. Starting about 2 months ago the super bright kids started to act out. They could not sit still and listen. It’s as if their limbs had minds of their own and even if they wanted to behave (and I think most of them genuinely do) they could not. Their limbs disengaged from their brain and reached out and poked someone, or threw something or scribbled on a neighbour’s paper. Likewise at this point, those still struggling with things that others are mastering are getting noticeably left behind. In many cases (not all) their struggles lack the aggression of the bright ones. They’re deflated. Their aggression often turns inward and their views of themselves take a sad turn. I hate seeing this.

This is why my mind keeps trying to develop a different way. But of course there isn’t a way, at least not a way that can process classrooms full of children in bulk. Maybe it’s done somewhere. If it is I guarantee, it’s expensive (and if you’re going to argue homeschooling with me here…yes, I’m a fan, but no, it’s not cheap, especially if you add to the curriculum costs your chosen, but put aside, career and include the loss of that salary as an expense, which you’d pretty much have to do).

I have this vision of a fluid system, where kids can move up when their ready, so those mastering kindergarten in March can move on then and sink their teeth into something new and challenging. There would be kids moving in and out all the time so it wouldn’t be as obvious to the ones who don’t move on until November of the following year…if you follow my thoughts. I’m picturing something like the walkways in an airport that move everyone in the same direction but some step onto the fast track while others walk the normal pace and still others linger on at particular intervals until they can confidently move on.

Curriculum developers everywhere just spontaneously combusted. Or more likely said a collective “Pfft, ya right” and rolled their eyes. I know, I know. Just wishing out loud. My hat is off to teachers who know this dilemma well and who deal with it year after year. You are incredible to me. I have a new appreciation for the task at your hand.

Let me brag about our little dollies though, BOTH the quickly developing and the struggling.

I have reviewed the what-you-should-know-by-the-end-of-kindergarten material for Ontario and I think it’s pretty amazing that our group is keeping up, some of them mastering these skills and many more. Amazing to me because it is their second language. Not only second language, but keep in mind that their mother tongue is Arabic which is a different alphabet written from the right side of the page to the left. There are absolutely NO similarities between the two languages! To me, that makes even the most struggling students bright little stars. I wish there was some way of convincing them of that.

There are so many life lessons here don’t you think?

1) Respect those who struggle – in many ways they’re smarter than you are and know things that you’re just not grasping yet.

2) Be kind to yourself when you struggle – your comparisons likely aren’t fair or accurate.

3) If your behaviour is off track maybe you’re just bored – don’t push those around you and make life difficult for them, push yourself, give yourself a challenge, find new mountains to climb – preferably ones that are exhilarating to you!

4) Insert your thoughts in the comment section – what else can we learn from this?

With these skills being developed day after day and year after year, they’re all going to be masters of 2 languages and influenced by many more cultures as they benefit from being taught by teachers of many nationalities. What global citizens they’ll be!

Here are the little cherubs all dressed up and singing with such joy and enthusiasm at their year end concert. (Which is also a good 5th life lesson….when in doubt, when frustrated or bored, sing and dance).

One of the most inspiring and loving teachers at the school encouraged me with this one day:

When the bell rings, it doesn’t matter what happened in the morning at home, what’s happening with anyone else in the school or what you’re going to be doing after school….when the bell rings you are the teacher, the only teacher these children have so act like it. You are now an actor. Whether you feel like it or not, play the part of a good teacher.

Be there.

Be with them.

Listen to what they’re saying.

Give them your full attention.

For the rest of the day they are all that matter.

Loving them, being kind to them and teaching them is all that matters.

It’s good advice for all of life.

When someone is in front of you, be present with them. (This just in….I’m currently semi-ignoring my husband to write this post).

As I’ve striven to put this wisdom into practice I’ve learned that this is not just good for the children, it’s really good for me!

Focusing on the present and what is going on right in front of me frees me from all the other things that worry and distract me.  Anything that is vying for my attention is deliberately put on hold. I have a pass from fretting about it, at least for the time being.  Focusing on them becomes a little like centering meditation.

What a gift!

Thank you to my colleague and friend who highlighted this for me. You have taught me, and changed me for the better.

Children haven’t learned to cover up their humanity yet. It’s really quite refreshing. If they’re upset with you, you know it. If a wave of love comes over them, they reach out and hug you. Their faces reflect disappointment and sadness and anger and pleasure and pride and hate. You don’t need to guess what they’re thinking. They haven’t learned the rules of society yet. The ones we learn later that keep us protected and then conversely keep us isolated from each other.

About a six weeks ago our class dynamics had devolved into a series of power struggles between teacher(s) and students that were very draining and that no one in particular ever won. At this very timely juncture, a colleague of ours did a workshop on the power of positive reinforcement. We were inspired. Well, at least, we were so tired of what we were doing that we were willing to try anything. The theory, in a nutshell, went like this; ignore bad behaviour and acknowledge/reward good behaviour.

We started right away the next day. Instead of saying (ad nauseum) “sit down”, “be quiet”, “too much noise”, “sit down”, “sit down”, “SIT DOWN!!”….we began to say “thank you Mohammed for sitting quietly”, “thank you Jassim for sitting quietly”, “Raghd, you are also sitting quietly, thank you”.  I was astonished at the results. Literally, mouth-open-stunned-in-disbelief astonishment. They got it immediately. The talkers looked up, saw what was happening and quickly sat down, cross legged on the floor with their hands in their laps (the prescribed kindergarten method of ‘sitting properly’) and stared quietly at the teacher waiting for their theoretical  pat on the head.

I will admit, this was hard work at first. It also wasn’t magic every single time BUT it was way more effective (which made the occasional raised voice ‘QUIET’ way more effective) and it was way more pleasant.

Focusing on the positive is better for every one. The energy is better, not just for the receiver but also for the giver. I watch them as a group sometimes when the teacher is doling out praises. I watch as their eager eyes wait and hope that the affirmation fairy will visit them. When it does, it’s bliss. They’re not old enough to know to hide that yet. When it doesn’t the disappointment is palpable.

Aside from the fact that they show all of their emotions on their face – like living breathing nerve endings – are they any different than any of us?

In your family, in your company, among the teachers at school, the grocery clerk or the bank teller, are we any different? Don’t we all just want to be acknowledged for the effort we’re putting in? Doesn’t a little “you’re doing a really good job” go a lot further than “you’re not hitting the mark, you need to do better”?  Even if the message needs to be that the mark is not being met, isn’t it more productive to say “I know you can do it!” “Keep trying! I think with a little more time, or effort, or xyz…you’ll get there” ?

Good companies and good management know this. If you want to attract good people and keep them, there’s one sure fire way to make it happen…give credit where credit is due (and make sure it’s verbal), keep the energy flow positive, give people a reason to do good work (and money isn’t usually enough to cut it in the long term) and make sure you notice them and their strengths.

We’ve gotten good at hiding the fact that we need encouragement and to be noticed. It’s not very dignified. It’s kind of childish. If you want to know the truth about yourself and your fellow mammals, just visit a kindergarten class. They wear their humanity on their faces – and they are you, and they are me.

I haven’t talked a lot about my new job. It’s not even that new anymore. In February I began helping out in the kindergarten class at Dave’s school. I’m an assistant. I’m covering a maternity leave – no, this is not a career change. My contract is until the end of June and then I’m back to square one and looking for work again.

I’ve never been a big ‘kid person’. I was the youngest in my family – I blame that. I babysat my niece and nephews but that’s it really. Having my own children changed me to a degree of course but I’m not the kind that is naturally given to playing or making crafts etc. I often lack imagination for whatever fairytale kids are living in at the moment.

I will freely admit here that this job has changed me. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I do and I didn’t expect these lovely little creatures to wrap themselves around my heart the way they have. You just never know when life is going to deliver something life changing to your door.

I think I expected way more chaos. I expected…I can’t even remember what I expected. I do know that I braced myself for the job. I didn’t leap into it with joy. After several months of being off work I did welcome the routine and the community.  But for the actual work I braced myself, mentally preparing myself for a mixture of boredom and chaos.

Neither were to be found.

I’m told that the chaos part happens in September when the graduates of junior kindergarten arrive to senior kindergarten and more is expected of them.  Just going back to school without their beloved JK teacher and with new routines is difficult.

But I’ve arrived well into the year and what I see are lovely shining faces with bright sparkling eyes arriving at school ready to learn…and yes, some days, ready to get into trouble and cause mischief.  Even in that, they are figuring out the world around them, how to get along in it, how to get what they want and what they need and how much they can achieve.

I really wish I could show you pictures – they are absolutely adorable.

I’ve learned a lot of things from them and because my job is steady, but not particularly taxing mentally, I spend a lot of my days thinking.

Thinking things like this….

Is there anything more lovely than a brand new box of sharpened pencil crayons? I can’t tell you how happy I was replacing the ones that were used down to 2 and 3 inches of their life. I wondered what creations these young bundles of energy would make with the new colours.

In many ways their fresh little lives are a lot like a new box of pencil crayons. They have so much potential, so much life in them. They haven’t made any serious mistakes yet. They have yet to create so many different things! The making is all in front of them. The potential is all sharpened and ready to be unleashed.

I feel so privileged to have been along side them for this brief period of time, welcoming them to school, calling out their potential, encouraging them, bringing them into line, sending them back to the drawing board to do a better job, pointing the way to their potential.

I’ll tell you some of my other thoughts in posts to come. I’ll keep them short. Promise.