Today was wonderful because...

You may be surprised what your child finds wonderful or meaningful.  One improvement to my teaching this year has been thanks to the Life is Good book we read as a Tri-Town community

(borrow the book from the Flint Library here).  In the book, Bert and John explain that their mom would ask each night at dinnertime to tell something good that happened that day.  Such a simple, yet powerful question.  It gets a person to reflect and think about and be grateful for the all the good we have in our lives.   Having taught a few different grades, one common element I found was the transition from recess back to learning can be a bit tough.  As soon as students see their teacher, they share their dislike for how a game went, come in arguing which team won, or share their frustration that they only got a few minutes on the swing.  I was spending the first 10 minutes putting out fires and getting stressed rather than entering the classroom ready to learn together.  Now, after reading Life is Good, each day after lunch I ask the children "What was something GOOD that happened at recess or lunch?"  It has been such a powerful, positive time in our day.  We congratulate each other on our successes like finally making it all the way across the monkey bars, scoring a goal in a soccer game, and simply having the chance to play with an old Preschool friend.  I also get to learn more about what each child enjoys and is important to them - something as simple as just being able to run around.  The children know they can still share what is bothering them or if they feel like they were not treated fairly, but it's different now.  They may say something like "We didn't win the game and I really wanted to win, but at least I got to play with my two friends from the other class." Or "I wasn't included in the game, but then my other friend invited me to play a different game and I felt better".   In the fall, to introduce the video response app Recap, I had the students reflect on the whole day and share what was wonderful.  Recap allows me to share a few responses at once.  Click on the Recap logo below to check out responses back from October.  It's amazing how much younger the kids look compared to now, but still just as cute!  :)

So parents, I am giving you a homework assignment each night for the rest of the year.  Rather than focusing on what color your child ends the day on our behavior management board or getting frustrated because your child can't tell you what he or she did at school, ask your child:

(Or, if you are looking for what they did in school today, you could be a little more specific and ask what was wonderful about math.)  Their answers may surprise you and give you another little glimpse into why your child is unique and amazing!


*I would like to note that I got the idea about having students reflect on why a moment or day was wonderful a few years ago from this blog post http://www.thehappyteacher.co/2013/01/spring-break-countdown.html