In my first year of teaching, I had a classroom full of three year olds and I've never forgotten them. One day as I was putting cots away after rest time, I noticed two of my boys pulling chairs over to a window that was too high for them to see out of. As I watched from across the room, they stood on the chairs, crossed their arms on the window ledge and rested their chins on their arms. As they surveyed the view, one boy turned to the other and said, "Hey, Matt, there's a woild out there!" (Yes, I know world is spelled wrong but that's exactly how it sounded!)
I got the biggest kick out of these two little guys checking out their "woild". It reminded me that children say the darndest things but they sure can make us think about our place in the world. That story has stuck with me for more than 20 years and I've lost track of the number of times I've told it. Just last week, I ran into the woman who was my director at the time and she brought it up. Just goes to show that the children influence us just as much (if not more, sometimes) as we influence them.
Oh yes,we do love those stories and knick knacks that our kids show us. In the beginning, of my teaching experiences. We had a pretend shaving kit in the dramatic play area. I looked up and say a little girl using the razor and moving it up and down her chest. I said, "Sweetie, what are your doing." She replied, "This is how daddy shaves his chest." I laughed to myself. I could write a book on 101 Things Child will Say and Do."
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story! I recently was teaching a lesson on circle maps and they were supposed to draw their life. In the center was self portrait, the outer circle was things they liked and then outside the circle was people who they love. I modeled it for them and then I let them go for it. I went around talking to each student and I get to one little girl and she just has one person drawn in the area for people she loves. I asked her who is was and she gave me a ‘duh’ type expression and said “Beiber, Justin Beiber.” Who knew girls were going boy crazy at the age of six?
ReplyDeleteI loved the story! There are so many things kids say as they play that will have you saying "wow"! I love listening as kids play in the home-living area. You learn so much about their living situations and environment.
ReplyDeleteI love it! And another good thing about the things kids say is that if you are having a bad moment, nothing cheers you up better.
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