Let's Build! Creating a Sense of Wonder through Construction, Play, and Friendship

In Kitah Gimmel, there is plenty of work to do. We have bolt machines turned to paint machines, moon mountains, and monster traps all under construction. With all helping hands on deck, sometimes two of us want to use the same material, or three of us have a different idea for the blueprints. Given these unique perspectives, it's natural when a disagreement arises. We stop, observe the situation, note the problem, decide whether it's safe or not safe, and assemble solutions! By openly discussing our various visions and how we would like to implement them, we build and strengthen our problem solving skills, communication abilities, and what it means to be a team player. What are innovative ways you construct solutions?

Whether they're building friendships or structures, the Kitah Gimmel Yeladim are getting creative with their masterpieces and helping each other grow along the way. Did you know that constructing and collaborating using various types of building materials fosters independent thinking and decision making? They're actually continuously challenging themselves and each other with endless 'What ifs', and 'I wonders', drawing a new and greater understanding of the world around them. 

We are so fortunate to have an Atelierista (art teacher), Morah Jessica, on staff! She shows us how we can expand our knowledge and building creativity using various materials. We had an excess of styrofoam on hand so we took the time to learn how to connect the pieces together using gold tees and wooden mallets, tape, bamboo skewers, and tooth picks!

Small world play consists of acting out real-life scenarios in a miniature play scene, created with small objects. Here children can learn life skills, turn taking, routines, processes, and much more. 

In light of all our in-class building, we had and idea to build with our special visitors who came for our Thanksgiving Feast! Given an array of wooden materials, glue, gemstones, and buttons our guests and master builders worked together to create detailed and elaborate pieces.

Following our special event, the children wanted to do more assembling of the wooden pieces. For days and weeks now, the structures are becoming more elaborate, friends are working together and we are creating our very own BUSY TOWN (named by Alex). You can read more about it in our next blog!

Helping Hands

It's the beginning of the year which has us pondering, what do we want our class to be thinking about as they embark on a journey into a new classroom? How do we ensure a safe, happy, creative environment so everyone's language of expression is honored in a more soulful, natural way? By asking these questions, we are sure to set an intentional, mindful tone for our early learners.  Our goal is to provide a classroom environment that aids in learning, just as much as a Morah would. In other words, our classroom is also a teacher. So, our students should above all learn how to properly use materials, respect spaces and others in it, and be able to freely and openly express themselves through many ways of play and creation. How do we do this? Read on for heartwarming stories of how we blend rules/agreements and empathy.

During our meet the teacher sessions we had parents trace their child's hands, this was our segue into talking about what our hands can do to be helpful. Here, parents have a hand in our project, strengthening our school family as a whole.

 

We cut the hands out and allowed the children to paste and paint at free will. Once we were finished and the artwork was dry, we invited the children to help us hang them up. Exercising free will, some chose to help while others allowed their friends to hang theirs because they were buys on another activity. Choices are always good to offer when appropriate. 

We've got our classroom routines down pretty well by now! Upon entering the building back packs get hung, lunch boxes and water bottles removed then placed into individual cubbies, then the children follow visual prompts to see what room they start in and what is open vs. what is closed.

Circle time is the optimum time to introduce classroom routines and rituals, along with any rules/agreements. We demonstrated how to carefully put our things away because we noticed clean up time became more of a demolition frenzy rather than mindful cleaning to be helpful.  We also made a mini classroom on a tray so children could reinforce what they are learning to do themselves.

See how helpful our friends are becoming? Holding doors, sweeping up messes so friends to slip, carrying something for another, working together, teaching each other new skills, and the list goes on.  By displaying our mitzvot (good deeds) in class through panels of documentation, books, and social games, we reinforce good behavior and provide references to refer back to from time to time.

 How fortunate we are to have multiple sets of siblings attending our school. We see each other in the yard, celebrate reunions daily, and foster support through connection and role modeling.

By now we all have a good idea of how we best respect our friends and space. With a lot of patience, forgiveness and the assumption of positive intent, we are learning and growing together. According to conscious discipline, the creation of healthy connections with other people wires the brain for improved impulse control and a willingness to cooperate. We hope you enjoy our journey and can carry out these same methods at home or in your classroom.