Personal Awareness and Responsibility

Context

During nature walks in their community, a teacher observes and records student actions, as well as the interactions they have with each other and with the natural environment. During the walks, children are encouraged to ask their own questions, follow their own inquiries, and respond to questions posed by others.

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Learning Story 1

We began going on our walk.

• E: We are going on an adventure!
• K: What is an adventure?
• E: It’s exploring from one place to another.
• E: Look! The clouds are white!

When we arrived at the park we got together under two trees that were side by side and that had a canopy on the top. It was a quiet fall morning you could hear the birds. The morning unfolded with children connecting with nature. E noticed that the tree colours were green, red and yellow. He gathered leaves in both his hands and threw them up in the air with his head tilted backwards.

E saw a long branch on the ground it seemed like it was connected to the trunk of the tree he started to walk towards it and began dragging it and it moved. Soon his friends joined him they lined up in a row carrying the branch and lifting it above their heads.  One the children commented, “Look we are flying!”

They carried the branch to the other side of the park and put it down on the grass. They noticed puddles on the far end of the gravel and went running. E stared to splash in the puddles again and again and watched the water make ripples. You could see the joy of happiness on his facial expressions.

While splashing in the puddle E noticed a leaf and picked it up saying, “Oh poor leaf! It’s so mucky and wet!” He brought it over to the  other puddle and washed it: “I am going to wash it with mud shampoo. There all clean!” After E cleaned the leaf he tossed it back on the grass.

It was time to go and we started to walk back to our meeting spot. While walking I noticed E looking at the branch that they had left on the grass. He walked over to the branch and dragged one end of it and called for help.

• E: A, help me pick up the branch.
• K: What is your plan?
• E: I need to take it back to where I found it. I  will show you were I am going to put it.

They placed it back where they found it.

We all went back to the two trees.

• K: What should we call our spot today?
• E: Our leaf forest.
• E: Now I am going to change my boots somewhere because I have boot puddles.It was so fun!

Learning Story 2

Today we walked to the park and the morning unfolded with children taking a picture of something beautiful. E ran with the camera and captured a picture of the puddles and ice. He  clicked the camera and captured a few more photos before passing it to a friend. E went into the puddle and started to pick up ice pieces and took the ice with him and looked through it and said to Z , “You look really wonky.”

• A: Let’s use these to decorate the world.
• E: The world is over there!

The world makes it beautiful itself.

E was drawn to the tree that had green stuff growing on it and said “because it is green.”  He took pictures of the tree and noticed tiny bugs in the tree. He went over to the back pack looking for his journal and started drawing.

• E: I am putting it in my book:  moss.

We can’t take moss because otherwise the world won’t look beautiful.

• A: I got you a lot of moss.
• E: I don’t need that I am going to make moss.

He continued drawing moss using a green crayon.

• K: What is moss?
• E: Its green stuff it grows on trees.
• A: We can take moss because the tree doesn’t say any words so it doesn’t hurt the tree.
• E: I think it hurts the tree ?.
• K: How do you know that?
• E: because I already know that.
• A: If we can take some of it and it will still look beautiful because there is lots of green inside the tree and it will grow the green out so we can take some.

All of a sudden a crow started to make sounds.

• A: It’s telling us has to pick the moss!
• E: Why didn’t I think of that!

Context

Before class, a child shared his special dance with the teacher. A few days later, on his birthday, he shared his dance with all the children and adults. They celebrated with him by singing “Happy Birthday” and eating birthday cake.

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Learning Story

The student came into the room and walked up to me and said, “Hi!”. His feet started to tap a little while he crossed his arms in front then back of his body. He did that move several times while I smiled and kept my eyes wide open. 

He then changed his arm movement to his sides. First swinging them to his right, then to his left. He skipped a few times after while rolling his hands in front of his body. He continued to have a smile on his face while he danced. When he was done, I clapped and gave him a high five.

A few days later, on his birthday, he came in, as usual with a smile on his face. I greeted him and asked if he was happy. He nodded, gave me a big grin and said, “It’s my birthday you know?”

I replied, “Wow, It is a special day indeed. What are we going to do?” He gave another big smile and said, “Pizza and cake.” He moved on and played in different areas.

Later, I asked the student to come to the front so we could sing to him. He came up with his Mom. She asked if he could show his dance. Without hesitation, he stood in front of everyone and posed waiting for mom to play the music. Music started and he started to move his body! He looked very happy and his coordination and moves were swift. He danced to the beat and had memorized the cherography. He didn’t look afraid or shy in front of the over 40 children and adults in the room. He was fully engaged in his moves and showed nothing but enjoyment on his face! He didn’t seem to mind other children dancing alongside. He continued to dance for a few minutes but some children started to get restless and we had to slowly turn down the volume to signal a stop to his “performance”. He didn’t seem to mind that. Everyone clapped and cheered after he finished dancing.

We were finally ready for our special snack. We all sang “Happy Birthday” to the student. He looked proud standing by the table where the cake was. He blew the candles and his mom took his picture. He sat down quietly then waiting for his share of the food. Everyone said thank you to him. He looked delighted at the end of the class. “Did you have a good time?” I asked. He gave his usual big grin, “Yup! I am 4!”

Activity Photo

Context

Four boys started school not knowing each other and quickly became inseparable friends. One of the boys emerged as the “leader” of the group and the others began to call him “The Boss.” The relationship quickly turned to a leader/follower relationship with the leader sometimes leading the boys in unkind directions.

The followers were soon tattling on each other for using inappropriate language and behavior. The boys could not answer a question in class without first looking to “The Boss” to tell them how to answer. They would always follow each other at free choice time. If one on the boys tried to make choices independent of the group, he would be told that he wasn’t allowed to play with other kids and that they wouldn’t be his friend anymore if he did. They would then proceed to chase the boy all recess, so he couldn’t play with anyone else.

Evidence of their growing personal and social competence is provided through teacher reflection and interviews with the four students.

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Teacher Reflection

Through a lot of talk about positive friendships, appropriate boundaries and making good choices, the boys have started to understand what it means to have someone support you in positive ways. They are beginning to separate into groups of two and play at different activities. The families have started to arrange playdates on weekends to further facilitate healthy friendships outside of school.

The biggest difference has been an ongoing conversation about what it means to be brave. How do we show bravery in friendships? Why is it important to be brave and tell others what you need in friendships? How does being brave make you feel about yourself?

For example: When asked where he was going to play during centres, one student looked around for “The Boss” and when he saw him at the House Centre, he said that he wanted to go there. When the teacher asked where he wanted to play, he responded, “Well, I want to go to Lego, but I have to go to house.” The teacher told him to go where he wanted to go and to do what was right for his own learning. The boy decided to play at the Lego Centre. In the following days, the boys began to split off and play at other centres. Another one of the boys said, “I am going to be brave and do what is right for me.”

Slowly, the boys are starting to think for themselves. When asked which students in the class are positive learning partners for them, none of the boys said each other. They described each other as good playground friends but chose other friends to play with in the classroom. Progress!

Student Interviews

Interview with K

Teacher: Tell me about your friendship with the other boys.

K: We knew ourselves before kindergarten.

Teacher: What do you like about your friendship?

K: They support me.

Teacher: What are you working on in your friendship?

K: Trying to make good choices. That means to play with different friends sometimes because sometimes they run away from me and that makes me feel sad.

Teacher: Why is it important to be brave in your friendship?

K: Because you can change your plan. If your plan was to play with T and K and if they said, “no”, then I say, “Okay, could we play at lunch or at recess?”

Teacher: Tell me how you are brave enough to tell your friends what you need in your friendship?

K: I say, “Don’t talk to me. Maybe later.” I say that when they are talking to me at the carpet and I am trying to listen.

Teacher: Why are you proud of yourself?

K: Because I make good choices.

 

Interview with J

Teacher: Tell me about your friendship with the other boys.

J: My friendship with T is him coming to my house and having moving night. T said that me met K first and then me and then E and that’s how he got a group but when we are split up into groups of two, we be nice.

Teacher: What do you like about your friendship?

J: We like to spend time together outside in the grass field. If we have a jacket, we just relax on the jacket and we hold our hands together.

Teacher: What are you working on in your friendship?

J: We work on E and my book. We are working on being nice. To say good things to people.

Teacher: Why is it important to be brave in your friendship?

J: By working together to fight animals that try and attack us. We know that friends shouldn’t make another guy say things.

Teacher: Tell me how you are brave enough to tell your friends what you need in your friendship?

J: I had to tell them that I needed support. I needed support to help me to make good choices.

Teacher: Why are you proud of yourself?

J: I am proud of myself because I make good choices.

 

Interview with E

Teacher: Tell me about your friendship with the other boys.

E: We like to play at recess. We like to play on the gravel field and also, we like go on top of the hill at the gravel field. We just run down and roll down the hill.

Teacher: What do you like about your friendship?

E: They always do fun things and I don’t want to miss out on it.

Teacher: What are you working on in your friendship?

E: We want to smile at each other.

Teacher: Why is it important to be brave in your friendship?

E: Um, because you have to do that to have good friends. Like to play nicely with your friends. You need to be brave because if they are being mean to somebody, you can tell a supervisor. That is hard sometimes.

Teacher: Tell me how you are brave enough to tell your friends what you need in your friendship?

E: Actually, at none parts of the day I need be brave. I just like to do what they like to do. If they are doing something I don’t like then you can just get a new friend.

Teacher: Why are you proud of yourself?

E: because, um, you can be a really good friend or a really bad friend. I am a good friend because I like to play with them and support them.

 

Interview with T

Teacher: Tell me about your friendship with the other boys.

T: I like to play with them outside and be together and I like to have fun with them.

Teacher: What do you like about your friendship?

T: Sometimes I play with them and sometimes I play with other people. Like I make with new friends with B and R.

Teacher: What are you working on in your friendship?

T: Listening. We are working on being better learning partners and listening to the teacher when we are together.

Teacher: Why is it important to be brave in your friendship?

T: Um, to make good choices for me.

Teacher: Tell me how you are brave enough to tell your friends what you need in your friendship?

T: I am brave to, if somebody is doing something bad then I can tell them to stop.

Teacher: Why are you proud of yourself?

T: I am proud because I treat people respectfully. I think I did something on accident before to hurt someone’s feelings but then I say sorry.

Context

M entered school not knowing anyone in the class. She was shy, quiet, and had tantrums when something didn’t go her way. She struggled to understand that she needed to share the space with the rest of the class and would often start sentences with, “I want…”. M would leave the room without telling anyone and would interrupt the teacher anytime she wanted something. She did not enjoy the first few months of school because she wasn’t able to do what she wanted, when she wanted. The students struggled to play nicely with her and she was struggling to understand how to change that dynamic.

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Teacher Reflection

After months of practicing positive communication, M learned to use her words to communicate her thoughts and feelings. She learned that when she uses kind words, she makes others feel good about themselves, their work and their friendship with her. In turn, M began to gain a better sense of self and how she wanted to present herself to others. Although she sometimes still makes mistakes, she is now able to fix her mistakes with less support and she recognizes how it feels to be kind.

Student Interview

Teacher: Tell me about school. What do you like about school?

M: I like about it people being nice to me. I like it because I didn’t know my friends when I went to it. It feels really very good to have friends.

Teacher: What is one important thing that you have learned about friendships in school?

M: To treat people nicely and to be nice back to them. It feel really good when people are kind to me and I like that.

Teacher: What is one important thing that you have learned about using materials?

M: Do not drop them on the ground and do not, like, throw them because they will break into pieces and I won’t like it and my heart will be sad. More kids will be sad too. We cannot throw materials because they will get very hurt and they will have to go to the hospital.

Teacher: What does it mean to be a good friend?

M: Play with people when they say they want to play with me. You say kind words and say, “I like you. You are a good friend.” I learned that in kindergarten and I like to learn things from my teacher.

Teacher: What does it mean to make a mistake?

M: You just, like, clean it up and say, “sorry”. That’s how you fix the problem. Last time I threw a felt at my friend and I thought “I shouldn’t have done that because I would hurt him and he wouldn’t like it.”

Teacher: How can you fix a mistake?

M: I can tell the truth.

Teacher: How do you want to make other people feel?

M: Happy and respectful and respect the materials.

Teacher: What type of person do you want to show the world?

M: A good girl. Like do not throw materials and be nice. I want to show them I’m a good artist. I make art for my mommy and daddy. I want to sell art when I am older.

Context

In reflective presentations, students talked about...

• Where am I right now?
• Where do I want to go?
• How do I get there?

This student examined her past, present and future. She also gathered materials and artifacts that helped her to define herself and make her presentation. During her presentation, the student articulated her values, strengths, goals, and plans to a panel of 3-4 adults (e.g. teachers, district staff, parents, community members).

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Student Activity Video

Context

Students were provided with a variety of topics for narrative essays. All topics related to aspects of the students’ lives. This illustration is an outline for an essay that responded to the prompt of “How We Know Who We Are”.

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Student Work Sample

• Narrative Essay (PDF)

Context

This excerpt is part of a longer interview with a student who talked about his experiences and the events that shaped him as a learner. In looking back, he recounts the challenges he experienced in his early high school years. During this time, he did not want to be at school, he avoided completing any work, and had no connection to school. He explains the impact of receiving an award as most improved student and the teachers who provided him opportunities to use his strengths when representing his knowledge and understanding.

This interview was part of a series that explored the challenges and successes students experience as they work to complete school.

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Student Interview

Context

After reading the book "Waiting is Not Easy!" where a character learns that some things are worth waiting for, students reflect on the times when they needed to wait. Students were asked what they did when they were waiting, what thoughts they had, and what they did when they were younger and had to wait.

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Teacher Observation

Many students agreed that waiting is not easy, and they were able to provide many examples of when they had to wait. Some of them said that when they were waiting, they would keep asking their parents if it was time yet. Other students shared effective waiting strategies, such as doing something else to pass the time. A few mentioned that they used thinking strategies that they had learned such as thinking nice thoughts, keeping positive, and telling themselves that it will be their turn soon. The students also reflected on how they have more strategies for keeping calm and patient when waiting now that they are older.

Student Work Sample

Waiting is not easy (PDF)

Context

A student in an alternate school interviewed for a job with a pizza chain but was not offered the position. She had the courage and determination to call the manager and ask what she could do better in future job interviews. The manager told her that she interviewed very well but that they would never hire anyone from an alternate school.

She responded by making a video about her experiences and her teacher forwarded it to school administration.

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Activity Video

Context

A student with Type 1 diabetes understands the importance of testing her blood glucose level regularly and before certain activities. Without prompting, she retrieves her blood glucose meter and tests her level prior to PE class.

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Activity Video