We have started the process of filling our classroom and our schedule with materials and workshops. We have celebrated our growth during these initial weeks of being together.
Togetherness and community are important words for us to explore and cultivate at the beginning of the year. We connect back to this essential work throughout our time learning and growing.
Understanding a classroom as a living system provides a context for each child to self-reflect and celebrate their important place. We all have an important place. This week, we are using a collection of read alouds to support the process of exploring, representing, and celebrating our unique selves.
We are all important. We are all enough.
1. Look, reflect, and represent
Children use mirrors and pictures to look and reflect. They notice their details; eyelashes, freckles, wavy hair, straight hair, and little teeth turned in. They then use whiteboards to practice representing what they see. Emerson shares that his conductor hat is an important part of himself, because he wears it everyday and it helps other people to recognize him- even with his mask on. Speaking of hats, Beckett loves his hat. He looks at the design and tries to replicate the marks on his practice portrait.
2. Second drafts; the more we practice, the more we grow.
Like in the story The Dot, make your first mark and see where it takes you!
3. Share and discuss - I Am Enough
Following our read aloud the children share that they feel happy and calm. Nora says that the author is trying to tell us that everyone is enough just the way they are. Yes, Nella agrees, our bodies are enough, too! We are all important and we are all enough.
What is something important about you?
My club foot, I was born with it.
My words are important.
My hat is very important.
I listen. That's important.
My beauty mark on one arm and my freckle on the other, it also helps me know my right and left.
My ears, because I listen with them.
My calm body.
I don't lie. I tell the truth.
My eyes.
My brain.
My neck, because my daddy told me that my neck is very fragile.
My arms, because I use them to grab things.
My clothes.
My skin, it's part of you, you would probably die without it.
My belly.
My heart.
My heart is important, too.
My work!
4. Like time, I'm here to be, and be everything I can.
Below is a small collection of the children's colorful portraits made out of different shapes and lines. They worked on adding details like the straight or wavy lines in their hair, teeth, eyebrows, and freckles. We talked about blending watercolors together to try and create colors that look you-ish. We noticed that everyone tried to blend colors together and that it was a challenging process! Before hanging their portraits we went on a museum walk and celebrated the details in the children's work. It takes courage to draw and paint a self-portrait.
When signing their portraits I offered the choice of writing their name or writing the word by and then their name. I said that like on the front cover of a book, many artists will write by and then sign the front of their work. I wrote the word by on the morning message.
Lily presented the problem; What if we all want to write by and we don't have enough space when we all come to the morning message to write it?
Beckett quickly responded; The word by is on the front cover of your Letter I book, maybe we could all just use our books at our tables and copy the word by?
The rows of children erupted with silent cheers for Beckett the problem solver. We can use our classroom to find and write new words!
Every student chose to wrote the sight word by. They used their Letter I book to copy the word by from the front cover. Later, during snack, Beckett smiled at me and said, "My mom isn't going to believe that I figured that out!"
The process of drawing self-portraits is full of little powerful stories like this. Stories celebrating growth and self within the context of a learning community. We are important, our work is important, and our stories are important.
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