Me First! (Encore Episode)
Teaching With The Body In Mind
Joey wants to talk about racing and competition as she's been spending time with children who shout, "I'm first and you're not!" Is competitiveness and hierarchical ranking just part of typical development or does it reflect a system of values that we are modeling for children? Mike and Tom share ideas for de-escalating when emotions run high at competitive moments. Tom is reminded of shoppers' behavior on Black Friday. Perhaps we should take a closer look at our environments and be sure we are not creating competition due to scarcity. (From June 2021)
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TWTBIM_0372 Intervene/Interrupt
Teaching With The Body In Mind
Ross is thinking about unhelpful help again. How much are we helping children and when does our help cause an interruption? Joey recalls a time when intervening to support a child’s speech interrupted the flow of a conversation. Mike thinks about a child who likes to knock things down and the decision whether to intervene before someone’s tower comes crashing down. Perhaps we need one more word that starts with “I”: intention.
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TWTBIM_0371 A Container for Focus
Teaching With The Body In Mind
Joey notices that asking children to slow down on a "collecting walk" creates a strong sense of focus. Mike observes a child caring for a tiny ant for over a half hour. Ross's students give deep consideration to what items they want to keep on the "saving ledge." Setting parameters can help children pause to notice what is important and filter out what is less important.
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TWTBIM_0370 Milk Will Be Spilled
Teaching With The Body In Mind
Mike reminds us of the inevitable problems that come up each day. If we can remind ourselves of what's developmentally normal for young children, we may be able to catch ourselves before we start crying over that spilled milk. Ross is surprised by the depth of his feelings related to puddles of milk. Joey sometimes feels like crying over dried out markers. As we so often find, the chance to reflect and get some perspective is the key.
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TWBIM_0369 He said, "Poop."
Teaching With The Body In Mind
Joey is looking for insight about poop and pee talk during mealtimes. What drives the urge to say "poop" while eating lunch together? Tom often breaks the taboo and joins in the conversation while teaching more sophisticated vocabulary. Mike notes that the jokes are about making connections. And, let's face it, young children have a limited repetoire when it comes to small talk. Turns out, there's more going on than it might appear when the chatter around the table is all about poop, pee, and toot.
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TWTBIM_0368 Literacy in the Body
Teaching With The Body In Mind
Tom encourages us to consider the connection between physical play and literacy development. Where do children choose to read? In what position? Mike is thinking of how important physical connection is in building a love of reading. A love of books is built upon close physical connections with caregivers. Joey recalls how children actively engage with favorite books--grabbing at the pages and sitting tightly among friends. What about the physical skills that support literacy, such as eye tracking, moving to a rhythm, and vocal production to discern letter sounds? Tom is right again. Reading is...
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TWTBIM_0367 Bouncing is What Tiggers do Best
Teaching With The Body In Mind
Inspired by the 100th annivesary of Winnie the Pooh, Mike is thinking about the Tiggers of the world (and our classrooms). Can we enjoy our Tiggers or have we turned into judgemental Rabbits? How can we anticipate their presence and their needs?
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TWTBIM_0366 Notice and Reflect
Teaching With The Body In Mind
How do you notice and reflect on the things children do? Mike recently created a list to prompt reflection on "seven daily things, plus one." Tom recalls listening to a child at play and discovering that they had a knowledge of open pit mining. Ross looks back on photos to reflect on children's interests and abilities. Joey sings the class "anthem" to help children notice and reflect on their own accomplishments. When it's all working, we can create a virtuous cycle where children are engaged in ways that align with our values.
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TWTBIM_0365 They Had a Good Day
Teaching With The Body In Mind
Tom thinks simply telling families, "they had a good day," dispatches nothing. He challenges us to have a story to tell or a beautiful image of the child to share. Mike has observed how choosing photos to share with families offers teachers a chance to pause and reflect. Joey finds that broadly painting things as a "good day" washes over the challenges and hard work that are part of every school day. Ross points out that sometimes there have been lengthy conversations that have happened in the background and we shouldn't judge the "good day" check in out of context.
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TWTBIM_0364 It's All Fun and Games Until Dysregulation
Teaching With The Body In Mind
Ross takes us on a deep dive into the art of teaching. How do we respond when children's big play tips into dysregulation that takes over the group? Tom talks about taking responsibility when we decide to stop play. Joey reminds us that helping children stay regulated requires us to also be regulated, which can be hard to do in a chaotic environment. Mike thinks of a bell curve depicting regulation. Ideally, we can help children re-regulate before they slide over the top of the curve.
info_outlineHow does it feel when the bad guy shows up in play? The children are often eager to have the villain enter. Are we ready to welcome them?