Christmas Cheer - The Garden School Tattler

Well today's the day - the big Santa visit is nearly here. We're very busy at school finishing up lessons in the morning and projects all afternoon. It's been a real push for goodness. The children are excited about winning angels for their string. Yesterday, two little boys were neck in neck.

Behavior is an interesting development at this age. When school starts in August, there's a hush about the kids that says, "I'm leery; I'll be good for a while." Then one at a time, the children relax and begin to show their comfort zone. They try everything out once or twice. By the end of September, there's a little more order, but it's still pretty much a free-for all. Getting kids quiet at circle time is still about as hard as lifting a car.

Then by Halloween, the kids are beginning to really listen in small groups, they begin to see how the day runs, but the holiday thing descends upon all of us like a bad ghost, and some of the personal behavior reaches an all time low. Teachers are ready to pull their hair out, but help is around the corner!

Once play rehearsals start, the kids begin to settle into cooler weather and a kind of cohesion with the play that brings everyone together. Circle time is productive. The kids begin to know the prayer and say it, and the pledge. They take pride in what they can do. By the end of the play, there is group consciousness that makes the whole atmosphere change.

When play is done, there is a break of sorts, and then the Christmas push for the angels which changes a lot of things. Children with defiant behaviors often turn around. Children are quite good with a few momentary exceptions. By the end of Christmas, this is what we've accomplished:

Children have become a class. That's important. Instead of being 12 different Indians, they are a tribe. They work together, they have built friendships and trusts. They are ready to enter the next part of the year as a team. It takes a long time, but it's the way it should be. All of these children will be ready to move on, when the time comes, to being a solid member of any school group. They know how; they are motivated.

The push from January through Easter is our big academic push. If it's warm at Easter, the kids are done with regular school. They want other things to do, so that's the time the academic extras are important. We can move into things like charting the maps, identifying rocks, talking about history as a story, focusing on foreign language, music and fine arts. The big kids have learned to read and can plunder a book and figure stuff out for themselves. Math becomes a game and the kids who can do the best math games feel an extra sense of superiority.

Every year it's more or less the same. Every season brings new thrills and chills, and that's important. Taking the seasons for what they are and living them to the top and sometimes over the top helps children understand their culture and their own hearts.

When summer begins, it's outside exploring - where are we going and what are we doing?

It's a year of school - our school - but we never promised a regular curriculum!