Saturday, 17 March 2018

Circle Time


Hello friends,

Song! Song!! Song!!!
*how do you feel today?*
*how do you feel today?*
*if you’re feeling happy then clap your hands*
*feeling happy then claps your hands*
*clap your hands like this (clap hands)*

Guess it’s been an eventful day; usually, every morning I gather my children to have ‘carpet time’. This gives me the chance to find out what happened after they have left school till the following morning. It’s a great avenue for me to inquiry about their night; we talk about topics ranging from their parents to siblings (for those who have), friends in and outside school, meals and other issues bothering them. As the adult in charge, I prompt them to discuss, raise issues, encourage communication amongst them as well as revise lessons from the previous day.
We sit in a circle, folded legs, arms to yourself (except of cause there’s a rhyme that requires demonstration of some sorts), laugh, gesticulate and possible read a story if need be. I also use the morning carpet time to discuss with them or sample their opinions regarding matters pertaining to their Personal Social and Emotional development. This also serves as the registration period.

Why gather every morning??
During the carpet time, I’m sitting with them, right there on the mat; they sure see me as one of them. The children don’t see a judgemental adult, they see a friend who is ready to listen and offer a solution to their problem or questions.  Sometimes, very sensitive issues are raised; some children even go as far as talking about matters from home. Furthermore, if I observe there’s a part of their social, emotional or personal development that needs to be redressed, I take that opportunity to discuss that. For example, there was a period hitting and fights kept breaking out, I used a week to discuss with them the reasons it’s important to live together in peace, settle disagreements, and report to an adult if any one offends you rather than retaliating by hitting the person.
As busy parents we might not have the opportunity to do this every morning but a few times a week, most especially at night when the day’s events has wind down, you could consider a bed time story and debrief of how your child’s day went.
For fellow educators like me, you might consider doing it every morning like I do. It helps the children unburden themselves, paving way for a more relaxing and productive day.
So with that I will like to say………
*hello, hello, hello and how are you?*
*I’m fine, I’m fine and hope that you are too!!!*

Big smiley face.

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