Clean Up Time or Is It Pick Up and Put Away?

I don’t know about your class, but last year when I asked my group to clean up, they got out the brooms and started sweeping the floor. They also cleared the table by wiping everything to the floor. It was then I decided I needed to be more explicit in my directions. Clean Up Time was quickly renamed Pick Up and Put Away Time. So often, we just assume children know what we mean when we give instructions. This year, I am using the book Max Cleans Up to help teach what I mean about "cleaning up." In this humorous book by Rosemary Wells, Ruby works to pick up toys and put them away, but Max stuffs an assortment of objects, including gooey substances, ants, and a little sand into his pocket. Afterwards, we will discuss where an assortment of our classroom objects belong.We may make cooperative pictures to hang in the room and remind us to put things where they belong. We may even sing a few verses of "Time to put the toys, away, toys, away, toys away. Time to put the toys away. Everybody help." I should probably also take time to teach the meaning of the word everybody. I'm always amazed at the number of children who don't realize I mean them, when I say everyone or everybody. It never fails that after I tell everybody to go, one child will still be sitting there and ask, "Me?" Children can't be expected to behave in a certain way, if we as adults are not clear in our directions.

Parent Teacher Conferences

It is about that time, parents are anxious to know how their children are doing in school and teachers are beginning to have a good understanding about the skills of the children. If teachers are to create partnership with parents, it is important to put yourself in the parent's place. Parents want to hear the good news and need to hear the bad. If parents are to develop good relationships with teachers, they need to listen with an open mind and be willing to share what they know about their child.

Here are a few hints to make conferences more successful.

• Talk about the child's strengths. No one wants to be bombarded with negatives. Plus it gives a more complete picture of the child.
• Don't get into the blame game. Start from the here and now.
• Teachers need to be prepared. Observe the child, document what you see, gather work samples, and prepare paperwork beforehand. Share specific examples of what you have seen, not general comments about how the child never listens. Take time to think of resources and solutions to offer, if there is a problem you need to discuss.
• Parents, take a few minutes before the conference to observe your child, consider goals you have for your child. Talk to your child to see if he or she wants you to talk to the teacher about something. Make a list of questions.
• Allow enough time to have a full conversation about the child.
• Listen to each other. Make sure both parties have time to talk.
• Ask questions to clarify, especially when you don't agree.
• If you find what is being discussed, upsetting, take a break and ask if you can come back, in a few days, to talk again, once you have had time to consider what has been said.
• Set goals for the child, so you both are working toward the same end.
• Come up with a plan both teachers and parents can agree to use. If one person can't do it or doesn't like it, admit that up front.
• If you disagree about a behavior being a problem, remember it must be a problem for the person to bring it up. It might not be a problem for you, in your situation, but it is in the other situation. Find out why the behavior is a problem.
• Set a time for follow up, if needed.
• End on a positive note.
  

Who's Afraid? Books to Help

There’s a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer is just one of many books that can help children talk about and overcome some of their fears. A favorite in my classroom is The Big Green Monster.

After reading a story, I like to encourage the children to talk about their fears. If my focus is monsters, we usually spend time creating monsters in the art center. I find the children especially like to make monster puppets. It gives them even more opportunities to play with monsters and in doing so they can feel more comfortable and less afraid. We often expand this activity and make up stories about our monsters. We tell what they like to eat and where they like to hide and what scares our monsters. Sometimes we make individual stories and other times we make class stories, depending upon the needs of the class. If appropriate, it would add to the learning by having the children act out the stories.

When talking about general fears, you might want to involve the parents. Send home a note asking parents to fill in the blanks. "When I was little I used to be afraid of__________, but now I____. " You can read these to the class. Think how comforting it could be to know that when Tommy’s police officer dad was a little boy, he was afraid of spiders, but now he loves to look at their webs in the morning dew. I think the best part about sharing general fears is the words of wisdom and actions that can come from the other children.. When classmates see petite Beth picking up worms, they begin to see that worms might not be as tough as they originally thought. Take time to learn about children’s fears and then you can find ways to lessen them.

Other books to help with fears:

Bump in the Night by Edward Hemingway (2008) Story of a little boy who, at bedtime hears a noise in the closet.He imagines the worst, but it is only his puppy.

Francis the Scaredy Cat by Ed Boxall (2002) Francis the cat, is afraid of the dark and what must be out there in the night. One night, Francis becomes worried that a monster in the dark has captured his friend Ben. Francis overcomes his fear to go rescue Ben.

The Scaredy Cats by Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Victoria Chess (2003)
This family of cats is scared of everything, so they do nothing. Read the story to find out what Baby Scaredy Cat has to say.

Shadows Are About by Ann Whitford Paul, illustrated by Mark Graham (1992) A simple look at how shadows are everywhere, but only when there is light. A good story to help children understand the same thing that may scare them at night is there in the daytime also.