Making Mistakes

Caroline

"The worst mistake anyone can make is being too afraid to make one."

Making mistakes is part of growing up.  However, for some students they feel that if they make a mistake with school work, it means they aren't smart, are a disappointment to the family, or are a "failure".  I read the book, The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes with 8-B.  The girls figured out pretty quickly that Beatrice, who was known for never making ANY mistakes in her life, would make one by the end of the story!  Ella had an insightful comment that sometimes when you make a mistake you can actually feel happy because your world doesn't fall apart and you might learn something new from your mistake.  Making a mistake can come as a relief from self-imposed pressure to be perfect!

Laura

Beatrice wouldn't skate with her friends because she didn't want to fall

We talked about mistakes being part of the growth process and that adult authors still edit and improve their writing process throughout their lives.  Since we are always learning, there is always a way to do it better next time. 



Claire



AnnaJane

Laura

This Girl isn't Afraid of Making Mistakes:
Who is it?!

"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes"    (Oscar Wilde)

A Day of Character Classes at Calvert!

Teo is Kelso

The Girls are Kelso!

5-1 listens to a story

10-A Plays a Game!

It's Austen's Turn!

 

Palmer's Turn

 

 As a teacher of character education, my day can include a variety of types of lessons in order to deliver a theme or important information.  On a given day I read a story, set up a game, ask the students to act out scenarios, show video clips of such organizations as Start Empathy and Caine's Arcade, and even give Character Class "quizzes!"  I love opportunity to be creative and to listen to the insights the students offer!

Honesty and the Chinese Folktale- The Empty Pot

 

Ben and Patrick talk about Honesty

Ben, Leon, and Brooks

Eighth Age boys had a lesson about honesty with the lovely Chinese legend called, The Empty Pot.   It is the story of an Emperor in China who needs to find a successor to his throne.  In keeping with his love of beautiful flowers, he decides to give each child in his kingdom a seed, and a year later they were to return to show him their plant.  Ping, a young boy, who also loved flowers was unable to get his seed to grow.  Ping brings his empty pot to the Emperor and is the only child with an empty pot!  It turns out that the seeds were boiled and none should have grown.  So, Ping is picked as the successor---"I admire Ping's great courage to appear before me with the empty truth, and now I reward him with my entire kingdom and make him Emperor of all the land!"

 

Sixth Agers to Play the Role of Kelso!

 

 

Sixth Age students have started to design Kelso the frog masks so that they can play the part.  6-C started their masks today, and the other sections will begin next week.  Once their masks are completed, they will act out some scenarios where they will identify the feelings kids are having in specific scenarios and then, as Kelso, will pick a conflict management strategy to solve the problem. 

For example:  You let a neighborhood friend borrow your new sidewalk chalk, and they brought it back to you in broken pieces.
Feelings: Annoyed, Frustrated
Kelso's Choices: Wait and Cool Off; Talk it Out

Who is it?

 

Jordan - Before...

 

And After!

Students Consider Gossip and Rumors!

Jasmine understands that once words are out of your mouth, you can't take them back

Eighth Age girls are considering how spreading gossip and rumors affect friendships and one's character.  The lesson started with an "experiment."  I squeezed a small tube of toothpaste onto a plate and asked Jasmine, my volunteer, to get all of the toothpaste back in the tube in one minute.  Of course, it is impossible to get the toothpaste back in the tube!  We compared this to words and rumors--- spreading rumors is like squeezing out a tube of toothpaste.   It is easy to squeeze out, or spread gossip, but more more difficult and even impossible to take the words back, or put the toothpaste back in its tube.

Then, we read the story, Trouble Talk, by Trudy Ludwig and were able to understand how spreading rumors and gossiping can contribute to a loss of friends and a loss of trust.  Bailey is new to school, and as a way to fit in and get attention, she spread rumors about her new classmates.  This backfires when Maya, Keisha, and Hua don't want to be her friend anymore.

We ended the lesson by considering what it would take for Bailey to regain trust and to regain these friendships.  The girls agreed it was possible but would take time- perhaps even months.

 

Taking Charge with Annie's Plan

Seventh Age students will be creating their own "plans" for taking charge of both work at school and at home.  7-2 got their plans started today; I read the book, Annie's Plan, by Jeanne Kraus and the boys listened to Annie's story.  She is a smart girl with a lot of energy but isn't always the most organized!  With help from her teacher, guidance counselor, and parents she comes up with a plan to help her be organized, be responsible, and be self-motivated.  When the story ended, the boys had a few minutes to consider their own plans and what they might want to work on.  Many want to keep their desk's cleaner and others talked about having an improved work area at home.  It is important to note that these skills develop over the years, and with collaboration between home and school a solid foundation is set and the students learn to be proud of this process.

Jake's Plan

 

Tristan working on his Plan

 

Peter Listening to a Classmate's Plan

Lower School Students Enjoy the Books by Julia Cook

The author, Julia Cook, is a prolific writer of children's books!  As a former school counselor and teacher, she understands her audience and the needs they have as they grow through elementary school.   Her books focus on the art of communicating with confidence.  Her characters have school-age "issues" and by the end of the stories they learn such skills as cooperating, listening, following instructions, and listening.  Her website is full of parenting information as well as news of her latest books!  Julia Cook's Website

 

 

Today in 6-C We Read, Well, I Can Top That!