Tears Tell the Tale!

"Don't Laugh at Me" is a beautiful song that has been recorded by different artists in various styles. The first version I became familiar with was sung by Mark Wills, a country artist, a decade or so ago. Later, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame) created a picture book and recorded the song with a few lyrics changed in order to be more understandable to young children. It's this version that I've played in guidance classes recently as an accompaniment to lessons on empathy and respect. I introduce the song by reading the book and showing the large colorful pictures, and then I play Peter Yarrow's recorded version. After the children are familiar with the words and message, I play it on my guitar and encourage them to sing along. Many students fall in love with "Don't Laugh at Me", and some children have told me that they've had their parents buy it on iTunes so they can listen at home. Mrs. Ford's first graders even learned every single word and recorded themselves singing it, then sent me the video! At the end of several classes, children request that I play this song. In one particular second grade class, there are two boys who have been high-maintenance in the discipline department. In the past, they've been disruptive and have had trouble getting along with peers and solving these problems peacefully on their own. So it's with real warmth and appreciation that I've seen both these boys on two different occasions wipe away their tears as they've listened intently and sung along with "Don't Laugh at Me". Both times, these two boys have come up to me at the end of class and said, "Miss Mimi, that song makes me cry." I've given them a hug and said, "Well you know what that teaches me? You have a good kind heart and you care about people." Incidents such as these help me understand two things. First, these fellows may have a crusty exterior, but deep down inside, they have soft gooey centers. Second, they are probably touched by the message of this song because they themselves have experienced the feeling of being left out of the mainstream group due to the behaviors they've chosen. There's hope for all of us, you know, and music can be a wonderful way of getting our attention and tugging on our heartstrings!

Caring Classmates

You know how a Payday candy bar is both salty and sweet? Well here's a story fitting of the same description. Actually, it's probably more icky and sweet, so I'm thankful for the sweet part! Here's what happened. I was giving out puppets to a kindergarten class as we prepared to haYou know how a Payday candy bar is both salty and sweet? Well here's a story fitting of the same description. Actually, it's probably more icky and sweet, so I'm thankful for the sweet part! Here's what happened. I was giving out puppets to a kindergarten class as we prepared to have a story together. One of my puppets, Impulsive Puppy, has been well-loved, and in the process, the "leather' coating on his nose has been partially picked away. Therefore, I always laughingly remind the kids not to pick Puppy's nose. They know what I'm talking about, and the class and I typically roll our eyes and giggle. Well yesterday, I used my robot voice and said, "Don't pick his nose" as I handed Puppy to a good-natured child. From the side of the group, I heard a voice say, "Like I do." Thinking the speaker was making a joke, I gave him my attention and smilingly said, "Now we KNOW that's not true!" Apparently this curly-haired boy, who is very immature but has come a long way during this school year, was serious. He had a straight face and was calmly looking me right in the eye. Taken aback, I must have paused for a second when a golden-haired girl noticed the awkward moment and came to the little boy's rescue. "Miss Mimi, you should SEE the paper he did yesterday. His writing looked like a THIRD grader's!" As she jumped up to ask her teacher to find the paper so she could show me how neatly the boy had written, her classmates eagerly chimed in with encouraging acclamation for the boy's writing effort and success. My heart was warmed by the instinctive awareness on the children's part of the fact that their friend had said something embarrassing and needed support. The conversation shifted to the positive, and we were quickly able to move on and get started on our lesson. Of course I was reminded of the importance of sensitively relating to people in all situations and of lending my support and encouragement as often as possible. The lesson learned from this "Payday" scenario served me well, thanks to my kindergarten "teachers"!ve a story together. One of my puppets, Impulsive Puppy, has been well-loved, and in the process, the "leather' coating on his nose has been partially picked away. Therefore, I always laughingly remind the kids not to pick Puppy's nose. They know what I'm talking about, and the class and I typically roll our eyes and giggle. Well yesterday, I used my robot voice and said, "Don't pick his nose" as I handed Puppy to a good-natured child. From the side of the group, I heard a voice say, "Like I do." Thinking the speaker was making a joke, I gave him my attention and smilingly said, "Now we KNOW that's not true!" Apparently this curly-haired boy, who is very immature but has come a long way during this school year, was serious. He had a straight face and was calmly looking me right in the eye. Taken aback, I must have paused for a second when a golden-haired girl noticed the awkward moment and came to the little boy's rescue. "Miss Mimi, you should SEE the paper he did yesterday. His writing looked like a THIRD grader's!" As she jumped up to ask her teacher to find the paper so she could show me how neatly the boy had written, her classmates eagerly chimed in with encouraging acclamation for the boy's writing effort and success. My heart was warmed by the instinctive awareness on the children's part of the fact that their friend had said something embarrassing and needed support. The conversation shifted to the positive, and we were quickly able to move on and get started on our lesson. Of course I was reminded of the importance of sensitively relating to people in all situations and of lending my support and encouragement as often as possible. The lesson learned from this "Payday" scenario served me well, thanks to my kindergarten "teachers"!

I Cannot Tell A Lie

To encourage writing practice and skills, I've been asking first and second graders to write for me this school year. Anything goes, as long as it has a happy ending (!!), I tell them. I'm not checking for spelling or grammar or punctuation, and this is not a requirement. I simply want children to enjoy creativity and putting thoughts down on paper, plus I love to learn more about them. It's been quite fun to read the varieties of papers that show up in my mailbox each day. I've received fanciful fiction, advice for little kids, wishes for the world, true stories related to our guidance class topics, poetry, summaries of what they've learned in school, and yes, I've been reminded of scientific and historical facts I'd long forgotten! At the beginning of each guidance class, I give a writing report, sharing with students the number of papers I've received from each class. I haven't pressured anyone to write, wanting this to be their choice and not an added (and possibly dreaded) schoolwork requirement. Sometimes I have time in guidance class to read a few examples of writings I've received during the week, and the students seem to love hearing these.

Well, the other day I read a story that had been turned in by a sweet, dark-haired second grader. A week later, as I was threading my way through the hallway during the early-morning rush to class, I was stopped by this same little girl. Moving over to a safe spot to talk, I looked down into her earnest-looking brown eyes. "Miss Mimi, I want to be honest. That story I wrote was a summary of a book I read. I didn't make it up." Realizing that she might be feeling a little guilty, I smiled and reassured her. "That's okay, Sweetie. Reading a book and summarizing what you read is like writing a book report. It's an important skill and will help you in your schoolwork as you grow up!" As she nodded with relief, I continued, "But I thank you for being so trustworthy and honest." Giving me a quick hug, the child made her way to class. What a good strong conscience this little child has. Not only is she smart and hard-working, but making an effort to seek me out showed courage. Goodness knows our world needs more people who responsibly live their convictions, and it's a real everyday blessing to be able to help instill character traits in our little ones.

Rah Rah Rah!

Wouldn't it be nice to have a personal cheerleader who followed you around with encouragement and support from time to time? Well I know a little boy who has recently acquired one! Each morning, I check on a handsome dark-haired first grader. He's working on improving his school behavior and is usually motivated to try hard. His teacher gives him a daily 1-10 behavior rating, and he colors the corresponding number of squares onto a vertical bar graph, which we call a rainbow chart. For example, if his score is a 7, he'll color in a stack of 7 squares. For the past two days, a chubby-cheeked classmate with a curly blonde pony tail has been following the boy and me out into the hall when I stop by to check on him. Yesterday, she carried a piece of construction paper filled with hot pink tally marks, sat herself down on the table and announced that she had been helping her friend remember to "be good". She then explained that each time she sees him doing something kind or responsible, she makes a mark, and she keeps these in groups of five in order to be able to count them quickly. Today, the "cheerleader" reported that her classmate had earned 106 points the previous day! The little girl's inclusion in our daily check-ins seems to be perfectly okay with the boy, who nods and grins as she explains her tally mark chart to me. As far as I know, this collaboration isn't causing a problem in the classroom, and it certainly seems to be helping my dark-eyed boy stay on track! I'm so impressed with this little blonde cherub's initiative and kind heart, and I know she'll grow up to be a loyal friend, a nurturer, and possibly even a school counselor
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Hail the Queen!

Drumroll, please! This year I've been asking first and second graders to write for me. Any topic they choose is fine since I just want them to practice their writing skills. They can write fiction, non-fiction, poems, advice for little kids, wishes for the world, what they're learning about, tidbits about themselves, or whatever strikes their fancy at the moment, and this assignment is purely optional. At the beginning of each lesson, I give a writing report, letting each class know how many points for writing their class and each individual writer have earned. Some classes have bought into participating more than others, and if a child never chooses to write a single thing, that's fine. I don't want to pressure the children, just encourage them to write. Several first and second grade classes are on fire, writing their little hearts out, and there's a friendly competition about classroom points. Right now, the first grade classes are a little bit ahead of the second grades.

There's a quiet, sweet, well-behaved first grade girl who has pleasantly surprised me this year with her many, many writings, as well as her skill and ability to write details about just about anything. I never would have guessed that this shy little child has such motivation, talent, and initiative, but I'm glad to know it now! Her classmates and I call her "The Queen" because she continues to turn in so many papers. One day this week, I reported to her class what their results were. Since this class is gaining on the school champions and about to catch them, I saw many wide eyes and expressions of anticipation as I gave the report. Now to the drumroll I mentioned earlier. "The Queen" is at the bottom of the class list, so when I got down to her name and the children knew I was about to announce her points, all forty-something children in the room spontaneously started beating their hands in a rhythmic beat as they excitedly waited her results. When I said the number of her points, applause erupted, while "The Queen" blushed and covered her pretty fair-skinned face with her hands in happy embarrassment. Young children can just be so encouraging and supportive of their friends, and not very often are they jealous and back-stabbing, as we adults can be. Here's just one more lesson to be learned from their kind little souls!

Surprisingly Sweet

One day recently, he and I were visiting, and he brought up a lunchroom incident that was weighing heavily on his mind. He said that a classmate was wearing a hood over his head in the cafeteria, and a child from a different class asked why. When the boy removed the hood, his too-short new haircut was revealed. The hood had been used to alleviate his embarrassment, and the students in his own class were already aware of this. When he removed the hood, several children from the other class hee-hawed and pointed, which humiliated the child. My little visitor who was relaying this story lowered his head and shook it sadly. "I didn't laugh," he said. "I just started making funny faces like my famous crossed eyes. I wanted to cheer him up and make him laugh."Have you ever discovered a surprisingly sweet side to someone you had previously seen in a whole different light? This semester, I've been working with a freckle-faced first grader whom I'd previously viewed as very inattentive, wiggly, and high-maintenance. This was because I'd only been around him in classroom settings and hadn't had the chance to get to know him as an individual. Boy am I glad he was referred to me!

I've been teaching the first graders about dealing with bothering and bullying, and one of our most recent lessons was on being a helpful bystander. Never laugh, report bullying, and be extra nice to the victim have been the major pieces of advice I've dispensed on this topic. It was very heartwarming to hear about this being applied "in the trenches", but I really believe that my little friend would have instinctively taken up for his embarrassed crony anyway. He just has that kind of tender heart.

When I told his teacher about this sweet story, she told me of another incident that happened at lunch. As she told it, one of her more sensitive children had been accused of kicking trash around the floor in the cafeteria, and he was sobbing about getting in trouble. My "hero" friend went to the teacher and admitted that he himself had been the one making the mess, not the crying child who had been accused. The teacher said that the story about the short haircut didn't surprise her at all because that's just how my new friend is.

This is a good lesson for me and for probably all of us. If we are able and willing to get to know people better, chances are good that even those we consider the most annoying will have admirable traits that give us a new perspective on them. At the risk of sounding like a bonafide hippie, peace and love, brothers and sisters!