Peacemaking, for young children, does not start with large societal or nation-level conflicts. It often starts with simple things, like an argument about what the rules of a game should be, being hurt by a chance comment, or deciding who gets to use the pink fairy first. Luckily, serious transgressions like bullying involving young children…
During a social-emotional learning lesson on revenge recently, I asked students to think about a time when they felt very upset and wanted to get back at someone. I asked them to think about what feelings they had in the situation. I called on one student who said that it felt like “Big Bob.” It…
A week ago, at the behest of student government, I walked over to the athletic fields of a nearby high school with a group of 4th -8th graders so they could organize a soccer game on a real field during their recess time. Before going, I was asked if I was going to ref the…
This month, we are reflecting on the values of Equality and Equity as a school. Equality and equity, like integrity, are easier for children to grasp in their absence than their presence. Throughout years of school-wide reflection, I’ve heard many stories of inequality — among siblings, among friends, in the classroom and at home. It…
This past Friday, the school went on a field trip to the Museum of Illusions. I had the great pleasure of organizing this trip, which goes hand in hand with this school year’s theme, “Mirror & Lenses,” making this museum a great location to visit and learn about seeing things from different perspectives. The Museum…
As the middle school teaching team, Alyssa and I are often thinking about how to better prepare students for high school. Alyssa and I are both familiar with Chicago Public Schools and some of their expectations for high school students, but I wanted to learn what high school is like at schools that are more…