When reading the title of this week’s blog, did your brain automatically reply “Who’s there”? If so, you have a tell. You work with elementary-age children, an age that we might laughingly refer to as the sensitive period for knock-knock jokes. As children develop a more nuanced understanding of language and vocabulary, this kind of humor really resonates with them. My dad used to rate jokes on a scale of groaners. If the joke was simplistic – if he could see the punch line coming – it was a 1-groaner. The more unexpected and the more the punch line tickled his brain, the higher the rating. It was a rare and treasured moment when a joke produced an authentic belly-laugh, followed by, “That was a 4-groaner!”
All humor aside, this is the time of year when children are essentially knocking at the door of our classrooms, establishing membership in the community, and adults are trying to ascertain who exactly is coming in through the door. We begin this process with ice-breaker games in the first few days – games to help children and adults alike get to know one another. Engaging children in individual assessments of skills leads to some preliminary guesses at which lessons will best match the child’s interests, needs, and ability. Gradually, with these and other activities, an impression of who the child is begins to emerge.
Carving out time for observation in these early days can seem an impossible task; looking at it as an investment in the community that you are building can help elevate its importance. Can you take 10 minutes after a large group lesson with an open-ended follow-up? Another 10 minutes after morning meeting and before beginning assessments? Can you observe while on playground duty? A few minutes here and there can add up to a lot!
I advocate starting a card file, with one card for each child in the class, recording key observations and speculations. All adults who are in the room at some point in the day (assistants, specialists) can contribute to the data gathering. Not only will this help identify children who might be slipping off your radar, children for whom it may take a bit more intention and possible gentle TLC to tease out their passions, but also it gives you a big leg up on preparing for your first contact with parents! See how much you know or suspect about each child!
Name:
Works with:
Eats with:
Plays with:
Favored works/subjects/activities:
Less favored works/subjects/activities:
Avoided works/subjects/activities:
Ability to choose work:
Suspected preferred learning modality/modalities:
Passions and Obsessions:
Special interests/skills:
After school activities:
Previous classroom:
Aspirations for this year:
P.S. How many of these questions could these children answer about you? Have you shared your favorites, your passions, and your obsessions? Sometimes the best way to encourage someone to open up is to model openness!
“The power of getting to know one another is so immense, eclipsed only by first getting to know ourselves.”
-Bryant McGill, Voice of Reason