They understand stuff.
I was reminded of it once again today.
My 2nd graders never once met my sweet sister Sherry before she passed away this summer. She knew that I would have them once school started in the fall, but didn't get the opportunity to meet the kids in person. Her life ended in mid June and now what remains of her for the kids are the stories they hear me tell about Mrs. St. Clair and the items in "Sherry's Corner" in our classroom.
We've been using an idea that Sherry gave me last year to try out as I struggled to find the just right way to teach kids about the simple act of kindness. She said that I should take her jar of marbles, about a gazillion of them in all, and tell the kids that every time they did something nice for one another that they could put a marble in an acts of kindness jar. Once the jar was full, the class could receive a reward of some kind or another. Later as time went on, the kids could recognize their acts of kindness without being the recipient of something special. The whole idea was to get kids to fill the jar simply because it was the right thing to do.
My second graders at Grandfield are already on their second go around with our acts of kindness jar. They have learned to recognize the many different ways that kindness can be represented and it has been fun and heartwarming to hear them say~
"Mrs. Renfro, that was an act of kindness right? Can I put another marble in the jar?"
And so it usually goes.
We are doing something special during the month of October in our classroom. We have the opportunity to write our own book and get it published at a student publishing site that is actually located back in Topeka, Kansas. Each of the kids will do two pages of the story as well as provide their own illustrations to go along with them. I've never had the chance to do a project like this and so when the advertisement for it came to my mailbox at school, I jumped at the opportunity. It took only a moment or two of thinking before I knew what I wanted the kids to write about.
~our acts of kindness jar~
We have begun the process, first by group brainstorming the general ideas we wanted to pursue, and then sketching out our first preliminary illustrations and rough drafts of what the pages should say. Then I asked the kids to consider adding one special thing to each of the illustrations. I determined that I wanted to add a touch of my sister to each page and so I asked the kids to do the following thing.
"Boys and girls, Mrs. St. Clair loved KU basketball. Could you add the letters "KU" somewhere in your work?"
I had forgotten about it until this morning when I saw the actual illustrations they were working on for their book. I was at Kylie's desk, standing next to her picture when I saw that right smack dab in the middle of her sun were the two letters that I had requested. They were my sister's letters and I found myself getting choked up about it all. Somehow or another, I was able to swallow that huge lump that welled in my throat and say the following.
"Thank you for doing this for my sister. She would have loved you kids all. I think she is watching down on us and smiling."
They didn't know it, but I could have bawled right then and there. I grabbed a tissue and walked to the back of the room before anything could happen. I stood back there in the corner a moment while they continued to work and I swear you could have heard a pin drop. They knew how moved I was by their acts of kindness towards the memory of my sister and to me as well.
Kids understand stuff.
Really. They do.
I have to say that I have not cried at my sister's death. I hope that does not make me a bad sister for I loved her so very much. I cried for her while she was alive and struggling with every breath she took. My tears were shed when she told me that she loved me even more than I loved her. In Heaven, she is at peace and rest. So in that I take much solace.
Some day soon our little book will be finished. It will be dedicated to the memory of Sherry in remembrance of the many acts of kindness she performed each and every day. There will be a little bit of her in each of the pages and you know what?
I think she would have liked it that way.
We were just two Kansas farm kids, sisters who grew up to be the very best of friends. I miss her and will love her always.
Wherever we went, if we were together we usually wore our KU t-shirts. I keep up the tradition these days. Why stop now?
And so it usually goes.
We are doing something special during the month of October in our classroom. We have the opportunity to write our own book and get it published at a student publishing site that is actually located back in Topeka, Kansas. Each of the kids will do two pages of the story as well as provide their own illustrations to go along with them. I've never had the chance to do a project like this and so when the advertisement for it came to my mailbox at school, I jumped at the opportunity. It took only a moment or two of thinking before I knew what I wanted the kids to write about.
~our acts of kindness jar~
We have begun the process, first by group brainstorming the general ideas we wanted to pursue, and then sketching out our first preliminary illustrations and rough drafts of what the pages should say. Then I asked the kids to consider adding one special thing to each of the illustrations. I determined that I wanted to add a touch of my sister to each page and so I asked the kids to do the following thing.
"Boys and girls, Mrs. St. Clair loved KU basketball. Could you add the letters "KU" somewhere in your work?"
I had forgotten about it until this morning when I saw the actual illustrations they were working on for their book. I was at Kylie's desk, standing next to her picture when I saw that right smack dab in the middle of her sun were the two letters that I had requested. They were my sister's letters and I found myself getting choked up about it all. Somehow or another, I was able to swallow that huge lump that welled in my throat and say the following.
"Thank you for doing this for my sister. She would have loved you kids all. I think she is watching down on us and smiling."
They didn't know it, but I could have bawled right then and there. I grabbed a tissue and walked to the back of the room before anything could happen. I stood back there in the corner a moment while they continued to work and I swear you could have heard a pin drop. They knew how moved I was by their acts of kindness towards the memory of my sister and to me as well.
Kids understand stuff.
Really. They do.
I have to say that I have not cried at my sister's death. I hope that does not make me a bad sister for I loved her so very much. I cried for her while she was alive and struggling with every breath she took. My tears were shed when she told me that she loved me even more than I loved her. In Heaven, she is at peace and rest. So in that I take much solace.
Some day soon our little book will be finished. It will be dedicated to the memory of Sherry in remembrance of the many acts of kindness she performed each and every day. There will be a little bit of her in each of the pages and you know what?
I think she would have liked it that way.
We were just two Kansas farm kids, sisters who grew up to be the very best of friends. I miss her and will love her always.
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