Even When She Hollers
I hollered a bit too much today. I need to get the kids to realize that me ringing the quiet bell is just as serious as me yelling "QUIET! NOW! Listening! Learning! Position!" (And much less contradictory.)
I really knew I wasn't a good, positive teacher when we did our Book of the Month reading response. The book of the month is Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. It's an adorable story about a mother who sings her son the same little song as he grows up, until she is so old and sick she can't sing it anymore, at which point her son rocks her and sings it to her. It's very touching and really shows true familial love -- the mother loves the boy through his whole life, no matter how he acts. I challeneged my students to think of someone they really loved. Once they had a person (or, in some cases, a pet) in mind, I asked them to think of some things that person did that really made them mad or sad. And then I asked, "Even when ____ does that, do you still love them?" And of course, they did. First graders are really very loving little people. Then they filled out a sentence frame: I love _____ even when _____.
Their answers were thoughtful and I was pleased with the results. In the afternoon, we copied them onto small pieces of paper in neat handwriting and posted them on hearts on a bulletin board in the hall.
Some of the responses:
"I love my dog even when he makes footprints on my bed."
"I love my mom even when she doesn't make me breakfast."
"I love my uncle even when he gets stabbed."
"I love my sister even when she hits me."
"I love my sister even when she pulls my hair."
"I love my brother even when he peed in my bed."
"I love my grandma even when she whips me."
"I love my friends even when they call me names."
"I love my cousin, Mrs. B-- (yes, my assistant is the cousin of several of my students) even when she doesn't visit. I really really really really really really really really really love her."
"I love my brother even when he knocks me off my bike."
And the one that made me vow (in my head) to be a kinder, more understanding, quieter Mi' Hay' tomorrow:
"I love my teacher even when she holler at us."
I really knew I wasn't a good, positive teacher when we did our Book of the Month reading response. The book of the month is Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. It's an adorable story about a mother who sings her son the same little song as he grows up, until she is so old and sick she can't sing it anymore, at which point her son rocks her and sings it to her. It's very touching and really shows true familial love -- the mother loves the boy through his whole life, no matter how he acts. I challeneged my students to think of someone they really loved. Once they had a person (or, in some cases, a pet) in mind, I asked them to think of some things that person did that really made them mad or sad. And then I asked, "Even when ____ does that, do you still love them?" And of course, they did. First graders are really very loving little people. Then they filled out a sentence frame: I love _____ even when _____.
Their answers were thoughtful and I was pleased with the results. In the afternoon, we copied them onto small pieces of paper in neat handwriting and posted them on hearts on a bulletin board in the hall.
Some of the responses:
"I love my dog even when he makes footprints on my bed."
"I love my mom even when she doesn't make me breakfast."
"I love my uncle even when he gets stabbed."
"I love my sister even when she hits me."
"I love my sister even when she pulls my hair."
"I love my brother even when he peed in my bed."
"I love my grandma even when she whips me."
"I love my friends even when they call me names."
"I love my cousin, Mrs. B-- (yes, my assistant is the cousin of several of my students) even when she doesn't visit. I really really really really really really really really really love her."
"I love my brother even when he knocks me off my bike."
And the one that made me vow (in my head) to be a kinder, more understanding, quieter Mi' Hay' tomorrow:
"I love my teacher even when she holler at us."
posted by Jessica at 7:57 PM
3 Comments:
I was a-hollerin' today today... now I'm making plans to de-holler. Praise publicly, punish privately. I'll have to tell you more about today another time (lots of drama!)
I love my Jessica, even when she forgets about me.
What creative ideas you have.
How open young children are and how loveable even when....
Mrs. Jolley
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