Invest in the future.

We can spend money after the crime with court costs, prison costs, lawyers fees, family assistance,  victim support, counselling, CYF.... 

 OR

we can invest in the future with quality ECE.

And  the good news is that this would avoid the sadness and horror that comes with the tragedy of crime and stupidity.

Everyday and every incident, we plan for children to think about the right thing to do when there are differences in play. Adults who are 'still learning this' tend to go for a quick fix. "Quickly give back the toy cos he did have it first."  But what did anyone learn?, other than it feels uncomfortable, so fix it quick.  We value time.  We give time to this important learning.

John Key says "invest in literacy and numeracy". One way to invest in l and n is to value positive resolutions so children with  positive inner beliefs will feel secure and confident to proceed with formal learning in the classroom.

Let's invest in "The right thing to do when things don't feel right."

Three year olds and four year olds participate in these positive resolutions at quality early childhood education centres. 

 

Five years to 18 years?  and beyond?

Don't say his name.

This team is so very visionary.

When a child needs to be spoken to regarding the safety of others, don't say his name.

When you speak to him positively, do say his name.

This protects his name that could be heard over and over and repeated over and over at home.

We would miss out.

It would be so much easier to put in artificial turf. 

There would be no sweeping of paths, no re-sowing of patchy lawns, no mud, no bugs...

We would not have to sort out concerns over throwing bark, stones, sand...

We would not have to fuss when a child experimentally kicks the beautifully arranged stones onto the bark part or the bark onto the path.

We would not have to arrange for working bees of families to plant new natives and fruit trees...

We would not have to pay for regular top-ups of bark, pebbles, soil...

We would not have to go down in the term break to let in the Community Corrections Gang to shovel and barrow all the heavy stuff.

We would not have to go down during term break to water the plants and vegetables.

We would miss out on all this learning.

You can tell him.

Zach. He's got a ladder up there.

Tchr. What do you think about that?

Zach. It's dangerous.

Tchr. You can tell him.

Zach. It's dangerous.

Paddy did not move.

Tchr still to Zach. Why do you think it is dangerous?

Zach. It might fall off.

Tchr. You can tell him.

Zach. It might fall off.

Paddy. No It won't.  I have it up here to tell everyone that this is my place.

I stayed close by to support Paddy with the ladder and to show Zach that I had listened to his concerns.

Making sense of their world

I felt truly privileged to be part of the learning and teaching today, when I was amongst the active adventurous play outdoors. Louie pointed to the sky and announced "Look an aeroplane."  Ollie and I looked up, and in the far distant sky we too saw the winged object, but as we looked at the gliding, dark, small aeroplane, the wings moved only slightly as would the wings of one of those gliding rather than flying creatures.  At this point I think Ollie and Louie may have thought similar thoughts to me ( I thought it was a crow).   Ollie said "It's an aeroplane bird."  Louie said "Those are dangerous ones aren't they."  Ollie said "They peck peoples heads to pieces."  We continued watching this captivating slowly gliding aeroplane bird and Ollie gave the commentary "It's landed on a tree."  Four ladders were collected from the fire engine play and four boys propped their ladders on the boundary fence, climbed to the highest rung.  Louie joined his fingers to make the shape of 'noculars', followed by the other three.  Two of them had joined with the hope of seeing whatever Ollie and Louie were seeing.  By now we had lost sight of the dark gliding object, but anytime a sparrow landed or left a branch of a neighbouring tree the exclamation was "There it is."

Had I gone straight to information and declared "It is a crow." I might or might not have been correct - I think I was given the wrong information sometimes when I was a child and that wrong information was never challenged.  I do not want to pass on that wrong information for another generation.  Meanwhile I would be removing the opportunity for children to know they can make predictions, form theories, research, test and retest theories.  Safe in the knowledge that their predictions and theories are valued, these children  construct their own learning.  They will be actively involved in the learning rather than passively listening to a teacher tell them what she knows.  What she knows is very limited.  Imagine what information we could find out about aeroplane birds or crows (if that is what they turn out to be).

Today a guest teacher at Lucknow Kindergarten arrived shaken.  She has almost completed her three week practical experience with us, and today a neighbour had rushed out of his house clearly waiting for her with his coffee mug in hand and reprimanded her with all anger about her choice of car park.  (She had been parking there for two and one half weeks.) If she did it again he would report her to the authorities.  Kiri had parked with one wheel over the kerb  resting on the grass of the island in front of his home.  Kiri apologised,  telling him that she had thought she was being helpful keeping the narrow road a little clearer of parked cars. She restarted her car and moved it to suit his wishes.

By the end of the day Kiri said, I have to go out there again. I wonder if he will be there.

Clearly the incident still affected her. 

Vicki said "If he had been to this kindergarten he would know what to say."

Of course, we all had ideas of what he could have said.

"When you park on the grass I feel concerned that the grass will die."

"I feel concerned that your tyres might break the concrete kerb."

(We could only imagine that these were his issues.)

I know that for some ten years  children have left Lucknow with skills in place for telling people when something is wrong. Some of those children are now aged 15 years and younger.

I have always trusted that these children have retained their capabilities in the primary school playground and the secondary school courtyard?  Too much to hope for?

I know that so many other influences and expectations are impacting on their daily lives.

Treasure the present.

The most important time is now.

"You won't be able to do that when you get to school"

"If you don't behave Father Christmas won't come?"

We want Christmas and school to be happy times, so why would we speak to children in threats and warnings.

If adults want to change a child's behaviour now, seek compliance now, teach children something now, then now is the time to refer to.

Smacking referendum

Making smacking a criminal offence will not support families and community in learning not to smack.  And how much money will go into a referendum and political discussion around this bill?

 Let's put that money into supporting people in positive methods that replace smacking.  This will be an investment in the future generations. Each generation of children will grow into adults who know the reason for not smacking - and that reason will not be "because it is a criminal offence." The benefits will be far reaching. 

Patrick Sherratt from The Pacific Institute talking about "Investments in Excellence" tells us that our "Internal beliefs influence our present and potential behaviour"  

We have the power to promote internal beliefs that are strong, positive, valued.

Let's ask each individual adult "Which way do you want to use your power?"

There is no reason

Someone has been hurt.

An adult asks the other child "Why did you do that?"

There is no reason for hurting others.

No given reason would be an appropriate answer, so don't ask for one.

Throughout the child's life it will never be okay to hurt someone because they did something to him.

"What happened?" is the question to ask.

"What could you do?"

"You can tell him what you think."

"What can we do to help him feel better?"

"Do you need something to help you feel better?"

This is not a quick fix, but a long-lasting learning experience.

Adult learners and teachers who learn with the children.

I have been fortunate to attend Professional Learning opportunities where I have listened to  highly regarded researchers and theorists. I bring home learning including the vision that adult learners attending seminars learn best through direct experience, through active involvement and firsthand participation.  I have also learned that what adults remember from a seminar is what they 'think' while they are attending that seminar. Well, I think, adult learners learn best when they 'think of it' themselves (I think).

So, my question is this - I have adult learners around me  ( I am lucky that way)  how can I empower them to 'think of it themselves?'

Listened to and valued

Children who participate in this culture where their ideas are listened to and valued, know what to say.  Children had begun to use driftwood to shoot others.  Ryley said "It's not very nice to shoot.  Shooting makes people feel sad and think they don't want you around.  They think that anyone doesn't want you."

Thank you Ryley for these words.  I have been looking for the right words for a long time about shooting.

I would like to use these words to help other children learn about how shooting feels.

Amidst the active and adventurous play outdoors there are so many opportunities for children to be involved in positive resolutions.

A child was swinging a saw in the sandpit.

Teacher: That's a saw.  What do you know about saws?

Child: For cutting. (And the child took the saw to the right place.)

Very few words were said.  The child knew what to do.

Child: he's chasing us and we don't like it.

Teacher: What can you do?

Child: Tell him. (And ran off)

Child: He's trying to put me in jail.

Teacher: What do you think?

Child: Tell him, but he wants to put me in jail.

Teacher: Are you going to jail?

Child to jailer: Don't put me in jail otherwise I won't like it.

Child threw a bucket on another child's back.

Teacher:  That's a bucket. What do you know about a bucket?

Child put the bucket in the right place.

Child: He's fighting.

Teacher: What do you think?

Child said nothing.

Teacher: What do you know about fighting?

Child: Going somewhere else.

While I think that telling the offender is important, choosing to play somewhere else is a valid way to keep safe. This  child is new to our kindergarten. He chose to go away, and this method worked.

Child:  Jimmy won't let us up.

Teacher: You can tell him that you can go up.

Child: But Jimmy always hits people.

Teacher:  Jimmy knows about being kind to people.

Jimmy's self image will benefit by hearing he is a positive learner.

These interactions all occurred within minutes outdoors.

Some children are experienced and know what to say and do.

Some are still learning, so different layers of guidance are given by teacher.

All self images remain intact. Including my own.

No voices were raised, no blood pressure was raised.

All children are safe in their learning.

What to say to empower children to be actively involved in positive resolutions.

Two boys in the family room. One boy said "No girls in here."

Teacher. (To the girls) "What do you think about that?"

One girl withdraws, one girl remains, looking,  thinking and standing on the edge of the family room.

Boy. "Oh no girls can come in."  He had thought about (how it would feel), or (that he does like girls), or that it is the right thing to do.

The 'non involved' boy heard and learned.

The girl who withdrew heard and learned.

Lots of learning for all in this short incident.

There was no crying, no shouting, no teacher directing the play.

The teacher removed self from absolute control.  The power and decision making was given back to the children.

Have you got a story?

"She's afraid of spiders."

"You want everything now."

"He cries every time I leave."

"She doesn't like baths."

"He doesn't like vegetables."

A child's self image is being formed all the time.

Our words are powerful.

Let our words be powerfully positive.

"You are still learning to like spiders."

"You are learning to wait for a turn."

"You are learning to be at kindergarten while I go to the gym."

"I like the way you wash yourself in the bath."

" I like the way you try different vegetables." "I like the way you try a little of each vegetable."

Powerfully positive. Chris Critic

The real difference.

These are the people that make the real difference to our teaching and learning programme.  Nicky, Bex and Carola are field based student teachers who we are proud to call our colleagues.

The Team

I am proud to introduce the Lucknow team -
Christine, Vicki, Lianne and Mandie.

Structured Learning

when people say 'structured', I think they mean 'directed'.
Implications are that our centre is not as structured as others.
There are many structures within our daily programme.
Routines such as sit to eat, wash hands after toilet, wash hands before eating,
go through the building carefully, Put things back where you found them, be kind to others,
it's 'whanau group time' now, it's time now to be ready for home,
it's time now to put things away to be ready for home.....
i believe the 'Structured' learning that people refer to is really
"sitting down to do school work - whether the child is ready or not.
How sad.

Don't say please.

Don't say 'please'.
Don't say 'sorry'.
Do say 'thank you'.

In my early years parents held 'good manners' as the most important.
"Remember your manners."
" Say please and thank you"
"Say 'sorry' almost all the time.
When going to grandma's or to friends places it would be the way to show we were being brought up with proper values.
Two of these words are overrated!

Child. "Can I have an ice cream?"
Adult. "No."
Child. "Pleeease." (Has the child learnt that this will get him the ice cream.)

Adult. "Pick up those toys now .....please." (The 'please' weakens the request.)
Adult "I'm sorrrry but you must come inside now." (The 'sorry' weakens the reguest.)
"It's time now for the toys to go in the box." ( No one loses face.)

I challenged one of our student teachers to delete 'please and thank you' from her vocabulary.
She challenged me back with "What about 'Please pass me the salt'."?
Is the word 'please' derived from 'to plead'.?
I think no one should plead.
I think we can speak to each other respectfully in other ways.
"Would you kindly pass the salt."

We should however thank others for their kindnesses.
This is respectful, shows aroha and strengthens the sense of whanaungatanga in the centre.
But that is another topic for next time.

Anti-smacking Bill

'No human should strike another.' I know this is a widely held belief in our ECE teaching and learning community.

But some people are anxious about the anti-smacking bill. What do they do instead of smacking?

Legislation is not the most effective way to support people in change.
Families need strategies to change.

At Lucknow Kindergarten positive resolutions promote self-esteem, communicating with voice, understanding, listening.
This learning takes longer - it is not a quick fix - but it is learning for life.

I see three reasons for a child to change their behaviour.
1. Punishment - smacking, time out, loss of privilege
2. Rewards - food, treats, presents, family time, fun time, chosen activity.
3. "For that good feeling inside for a job well done, a kind act, a peaceful answer to a problem."