This week we reinforced some of our past lessons including saying please, thank you, being kind, and being respectful. We added using our color friends to help us use correct manners. We have "Rudy Red" who never says thank you, please, or excuse me. There is "Alright Orange who is very polite, takes turns, and is always willing to help. Some of the others include "yelling yellow", "pokey pink", " butt in brown", and "pouty purple" just to name a few. Each day we introduced 2-3 color characters and discussed things that they do that are wrong and how to make them better. We also discussed how we don't want these characters living at our house or coming in our classroom. As the week went on I noticed the children calling each the color character name and explaining how they were being that character and what they could do to become an alright orange. Noone got upset about being called a rudy red or pokey pink instead they fixed the problem so they could become an alright orange. We found a cute manners song on the internet that we now sing at the start of everyday. It goes like this and its to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell":
Manners are the way
To brighten up my day
Please and thank you's what I say
to brighten up my day
Sometimes through out the day I hear the children humming the song at their tables. Normally that would probably bother me, but I can make an exception for this and truely it makes me smile to hear them humming it and know they mean by the way they treat each other.
How neat that the children can have the little tune running through their minds to remind them that "manners are the way"! Your project reminds me of the passage "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in KIndergarten." These lessons you are teaching them will impact them for the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI think my students would benefit from the "color names" too. Sometimes, 6th grade students need to exposed to juvenile associations to relate to "grown up" problems! We tend to forget they are still only 11,12, and/or 13 years old. In elementary years they are old but in reality they are so so young!
ReplyDeleteI found it really interesting to use the color reminders to reinforce good behavior. This is a really neat idea. The phrases used are rude to the students, but only serves of reminders of ways to modify behavior. I would like to learn more about this so that I can use it in my classroom and at home with my personal children as well. Great Job!
ReplyDeleteAWWW!!!! I LOVE the color friends!! I have the color friend puppets also. That just made me miss teaching kindergarten! And Joan, the "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" poster is one of my favorites because it is so very true. It is extremely important for teachers to make a positive impact from the very beginning! Good job, Hillary!
ReplyDeleteButt in brown....whoa!! My mom used Touchy Tille, Rude Robert, Jabber Blabber. All worked!
ReplyDeleteI use these color friends at the beginning of first grade as a reminder and they love to talk about each one. This is a GREAT tool to use in the classroom!
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