Love one another

As the semester comes to a close, I have had time to reflect back on all that I've accomplished and experienced at this time. One of the key components is that I've learned to love one another. Whether that be children, or co-teachers. Its so important to walk where they walk and open your heart to where they are coming from. If you truly open your heart to loving those around you, you will be given the gifts of patience, understanding, humility, kindness, and so much more. Your working environment will work more smoothly. You will be in harmony with your co-teachers and your students will feel the difference. In many cases, you are the only love they feel. Make sure your making the difference and loving all those around you.  I know that sometimes you don't understand and you don't get along with co-teachers or children, but the key is to be the better person and work things out. The children don't have time for our disunity, we don't have time for children's disunity with us. Communication is key, Love is essential, and Happiness is a choice.

Express Yo Self

This week I gave the children a piece of paper, markers, crayons, color pencils and free time to simply express themselves. With simple instructions; write your name in a creative way and draw things around your name that express you. It was beautiful to walk around the room and watch the children write their names and draw pictures of things that describe them or that they like. Some drew mountains and trees, flowers, feathers, suns and sports like; footballs, baseballs, soccer; also phrases like; love, happy, kind, etc. Afterword the children loved looking at each others papers and complementing them and agreeing to what they wrote. Some even said their friends were the best and that they loved doing this activity.
What are some activities you could do in your classroom to help your children express themselves?

Holding Hands Around the world

This week we focused on being kind and loving one another even though we are different. We shared a presentation with the children on how there are different cultures around the world. We asked the kids how we can work together and get along with people that aren't like us. They really had a positive look at it. They had great insight about how they are different then their best friends but they find value in their differences. We went out side and drew chalk outlines of the children's bodies and the children went around and said nice things about one another. It was such a great activity. There was one child specifically with autism that really feel connected to some of the students. He said some very nice things. He doesn't recognize that he is any different from them. This program really does well at loving everyone, no matter their state of health or special needs. We are all Sons and Daughters of God. We need to lift each other up, hold one another's hand and work together to make the world a better place.

Here are some real images of our activity:
   
Learning Disability: Just like this little boy. I had to take in practice what he goes through daily. I had to goes hours talking and feeling how he and millions of other with learning disability feel. All i wanted to do was fully express myself and full communicate, but it was so difficult. I was so grateful for this activity, so that I could truly feel what he feels. Although i won't ever FULLY know, I got a glimpse of it and now i have so much more empathy.

Teach to their needs, not your wants

The key to a successful classroom, where the children do as directed and participation is administrated; is teaching to the needs of individual children. Much to often we teach to what we want, or what we think the children want. This week I recognized that this is what me and my co- teachers have been doing. We have been teaching lessons, and those lessons we thought were lessons the children wanted and needed. But we truly stood back and began to recognize and listen to the voice of the children. From there we began to teach lessons and activities more directed at them and their needs, not our wants. Specifically, there is this girl that you may consider to be the 'problem child'. She is always acting out, getting in fights, night participating and struggling a lot at home, so it causes issues at school. We decided to ask what activities she would enjoy doing and she told us. We then went from there and planned an activity to help her become more involved within the classroom. The next day she participated, enjoyed the classroom, got along with her peers, presented what she created, she was smiling and happy. It was incredible to see the difference in her body language. She recognized that someone listens to her and wanted to hear her opinions. I can't wait for the other opportunities with other children.

Orthopedic Impairment: I had to practice having a disability this week. It was challenging to have to use a wheelchair. I had to go hours without being able to use my legs. Going up hill and going around town, on campus, and even had to go into a restroom. We take for granted our daily ability to walk, run, skip, jump. In this experience i had to realize that the world does not fully design Everything for people in wheelchairs. Their needs aren't always met. Getting a drink at the drinking fountain was so difficult, going to the bathroom was insanely hard. wheeling up hill was a struggle... so many thing i just am so grateful i now see that every child with a disability has different needs and we must be there to help. 

Creativity Opens Doors of Imagination

This week we have been focusing a lot on art and learning about the world around us. While observing the children hard at work with their art projects it's so fun to see how happy they get using their imagination. Some children really get into it. Others enjoy it but aren't as talented as their peers, so they get frustrated. Then there are those others that observe their peers and copy what they are doing. I myself enjoy creating and using my imagination. I encourage the children to do the same. Especially with many that have disabilities, this is a time for them to truly express themselves and have their own personal time of imagination and happiness. The more color and art in a room, I believe the healthier the environment. You, as a teacher, can learn so much from the art of your children. Especially when you add music to the room while they are creating, you will truly see emotion in their art and you can find out a lot about what they are going through or feeling through their pictures, no matter the age.