Be safe
As we entered into our second week of school, talk of Hurricane Dorian became prominent. As a school inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach we listened to the students and began to explore what this meant to them.
In Early Childhood we begin to explore wind, trees and rain. How is our environment impacted by storms? We talked about shutters and wood and metal. We explored what we would do if we had extra time off from school. We looked at the science of a hurricane and we drew what it could look like as well.
As the week was coming to a close one of the students asked an important question - and one that we wanted to jump on in the practice of emergent learning: "Why does everyone keep saying be safe?" If we pause and listen we can hear so much in this question.
The student may be asking, "Am I safe? Is my family safe? Is my school safe?"
We want to break down those words ... what do they mean and how do these words make us feel?
When units emerge - in this case "weather" - we look at the obviously related academic subjects such as math, science, art, literacy and more. We can learn about where the storm developed, what a fast wind feels like or how to measure rainfall.
One of the things I stress to our team is that we strive to give equal representation to "heart and soul" learning. In this case: a storm is coming. Should we model being brave? Should we admit to feeling scared? We hold our children close and want to protect them and keep them safe. For children pretend play is one of the main strategies for learning. Through this pretend play we can help children face their fears and learn coping strategies that will carry them through life. Do we practice taking care of each other and our homes? Let's walk around the school and bring in anything that could blow away. Let's learn the meaning of being part of a community that takes care of each other.
Let's make sure that we take this opportunity to explore the feelings that may come along with the thought of a hurricane coming. Emotions are not add-ons that are distinct from intellectual skills, they are a dimension of the skill itself. When we focus on the emotions children may be having such as fear or anxiety, we are helping children build emotional strength that in turn will allow them to do better in school. We may practice being scared, being brave, being nervous - any the feelings children mention. We continue to support our students and our children in building emotional connections because studies show their is a strong connection to the way our brain handles emotions and how we perform academically.
As we took in the news of the hurricane, each of our brains processed the news differently. Our emotions and how we have learned to manage them directly impact our ability to take in information, dissect it and do our own analysis. Emotions and how we learn to process them impact us in more ways than we may be aware. Teaching our children the skills they need to manage their emotions is essential to their future success.
Projections released recently predict 13 more named storms, with six being hurricanes and two more "major" hurricanes. Wishing all of us a smooth hurricane season, only a few months to go.
As you read the above sentences, did you have a feeling of dread, or an "uh-oh" moment? Did your heart rate increase? With some practice, you can learn how to control your breathing and heart rate. This can play a huge role in your ability to make thoughtful, rational decisions.
There is a vast amount of research relating to how our brains develop and function. The more I learn, the more clear it becomes that there is a great value in learning to recognize and manage one's emotions. Self awareness often involves facing some level of discomfort, but the benefits of better understanding your own motivations can be life-changing
Today I breathe a sigh of relief as the hurricane appears to move North. May this be the last hurricane of the season, but if not, ok I got this!
In Early Childhood we begin to explore wind, trees and rain. How is our environment impacted by storms? We talked about shutters and wood and metal. We explored what we would do if we had extra time off from school. We looked at the science of a hurricane and we drew what it could look like as well.
As the week was coming to a close one of the students asked an important question - and one that we wanted to jump on in the practice of emergent learning: "Why does everyone keep saying be safe?" If we pause and listen we can hear so much in this question.
The student may be asking, "Am I safe? Is my family safe? Is my school safe?"
We want to break down those words ... what do they mean and how do these words make us feel?
When units emerge - in this case "weather" - we look at the obviously related academic subjects such as math, science, art, literacy and more. We can learn about where the storm developed, what a fast wind feels like or how to measure rainfall.
One of the things I stress to our team is that we strive to give equal representation to "heart and soul" learning. In this case: a storm is coming. Should we model being brave? Should we admit to feeling scared? We hold our children close and want to protect them and keep them safe. For children pretend play is one of the main strategies for learning. Through this pretend play we can help children face their fears and learn coping strategies that will carry them through life. Do we practice taking care of each other and our homes? Let's walk around the school and bring in anything that could blow away. Let's learn the meaning of being part of a community that takes care of each other.
Let's make sure that we take this opportunity to explore the feelings that may come along with the thought of a hurricane coming. Emotions are not add-ons that are distinct from intellectual skills, they are a dimension of the skill itself. When we focus on the emotions children may be having such as fear or anxiety, we are helping children build emotional strength that in turn will allow them to do better in school. We may practice being scared, being brave, being nervous - any the feelings children mention. We continue to support our students and our children in building emotional connections because studies show their is a strong connection to the way our brain handles emotions and how we perform academically.
As we took in the news of the hurricane, each of our brains processed the news differently. Our emotions and how we have learned to manage them directly impact our ability to take in information, dissect it and do our own analysis. Emotions and how we learn to process them impact us in more ways than we may be aware. Teaching our children the skills they need to manage their emotions is essential to their future success.
Projections released recently predict 13 more named storms, with six being hurricanes and two more "major" hurricanes. Wishing all of us a smooth hurricane season, only a few months to go.
As you read the above sentences, did you have a feeling of dread, or an "uh-oh" moment? Did your heart rate increase? With some practice, you can learn how to control your breathing and heart rate. This can play a huge role in your ability to make thoughtful, rational decisions.
There is a vast amount of research relating to how our brains develop and function. The more I learn, the more clear it becomes that there is a great value in learning to recognize and manage one's emotions. Self awareness often involves facing some level of discomfort, but the benefits of better understanding your own motivations can be life-changing
Today I breathe a sigh of relief as the hurricane appears to move North. May this be the last hurricane of the season, but if not, ok I got this!
I have lots of amazing helpers to get ready! Shutter help availalbe!
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