This week we talked about responsibility. I asked the children if they knew what responsibility was and at first they just looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language so I regrouped and talked about how responsibility is a big word because it is an important word. I talked to them about how the word responsible means that others can count on you, you do your best in everything, and how being responsibility comes from the heart and your actions show what's in your heart. I told them my responsibility was to come to work everyday and teach them, take care of them, and help them in anyway I can. Then I asked the question again and some raised their hands with ideas such us: doing what your mom says, cleaning your toys, doing what the teacher says, getting your work done, and being good. After that we made promise coupons that had their name on it and a promise of something they would do at school like be good, do my work, cleanup around my area. I keep the coupons in class on a ring to remind them of their promise.
NCATE indicator 2 on human development was addressed this week in teaching students how to be responsible for what they do and how they act. This is such an important life lesson for children so that they learn they are responsible for the choices they make and no one else.
www.goodcharacter.com and www.atozteacherstuff.com

This week was all about honesty and playing by the rules. I talked to the children about how if I can trust them with small task then I will eventually give them bigger task. I used the example if I send someone to the office with a note and I say walk and they come back huffing and puffing and I ask were they running (to see if they will be honest) and they so no well you can't be trusted to do anything else. All the signs are there that you were running and yoy still told a story how can you be trusted with anything else. We talked about there being no such thing as a 'little story". Either you tell the truth or you don't. We talked about not telling fibs to stay out of trouble because you end up in more trouble. One because you did wrong in the first place, two because you fibbed about it, and three you have to keep telling fibs to cover up. I told them that rules are made to protect them and spoil their fun so if I tell you not to do something DON'T DO IT. I told them a story about 2 of Wilbur's owl friends. The friends "Yolanda" and "Jason" were outside playing and Wilbur told them to stay in their own backyard they both said yes sir. They decided to play catch and each time they threw the ball it went longer and higher moving out of their yard. Jason goes to get the ball and throws it to Yolanda really high and really long and the ball goes through the neighbor's window and shatters it. They run home scared and over hear the neighbor talking about her broken window. Jason and Yolanda told the truth about what happened, Wilbur was disappointed but glad they were honest. They went to the neighbor's house explained what happened and repaired the window. Mrs. Miller (the neighbor) appreciated their honesty so much, she shared her fresh baked cookies with them. The moral was Jason and Yolanda broke a rule meant to protect them and trouble happened. It is a good thing they were honest before too late. No matter what happens, being honest is always best. We played Wilbur Says modeled after Simon Says as an honesty game to see who would be honest enough to sit down when they didn't follow the rule of "Wilbur says" and we made honor badges.
Indicator 2 of the NCATE standards was to teach children to be responsible in all they do. This standard really hit home in this weeks lesson on being honest and owning up to their mistakes. Indicator 6 dealing with creative instructional strategies came alive through color characters, manner hearts, golden rulers taped to the table, and "Wilbur Says." Indicator 7 dealt with teaching proper communication skills. Each week that the students journaled about their weekend with Wilbur showed how they express themselves in writing although it was obvious someone helped them with the spelling against my wishes they were able to discuss their picture with Wilbur and they were able to discuss what they had written so I do know it wasn't made up by the parents or older sibling. Also communication played a big part in how they reviewed with the class what they had learned that week and corrected each other when not properly displaying good manners.
www.teacherplanet.com/resource/honesty/php
www.humanityquest.com.topic/art-activities
www.babycenter.com for the parents who come to me saying their child has started fibbing (There is one every year.)