Finally...

a good day at school. It’s been a rough first 18 days, let me tell you. Between the two of us, Kenia and I have 12 first graders, but it feels like a lot more. They have really been pushing me. I’ve never been around kids who just don’t listen and whose immediate reaction to direction is to say “no.” Maybe the dance team girls. ;) And between sharing a classroom and the constraints of the system and the culture, I sometimes find it difficult to work my magic, if you will. But I’m doing what I know to be best practice, and I’m seeing results. I’m giving choices (thank you, Donna Egge and Love and Logic and MOM): You can play now and work during recess or work now and play during recess. I'm taking away privileges when they are disrespectful, whether that is going to a special class or the right to be in the classroom itself. I’m using humor. I literally sat on a kid until he stopped saying no. Hmph…try that in the United States! I’m using wait time. That sometimes means we sit in the ellipse for a really long time. I’m using discipline based in love and relationship. We had our first art class with Dorie today, and I heard Cathy Crossen in my ear and decided to do the project with the kids. I’m giving hugs and kisses because I can and because these kids need it. Momo came up to me and thanked me for backing her up during a pedagogical discussion with the other teachers. Those who have been in my classroom know that I have always placed more importance on content than presentation. And that is so not Honduras. I just don’t think a first grader should have to redo his science classwork five times to make sure the spelling and handwriting are perfect, and Momo is with me on that. But it’s hard to convince people who were educated in such a different way. Sorry I haven’t written in a long time. I’d been feeling pretty down and wanted to wait until I had something good to say. And now I do.