RefinED Friends,

This scenario is likely all too familiar.

Child 1 says or acts in an inappropriate way toward Child 2.

Child 2 reacts with tears, anger, or retaliation.

Adult observes scene and approaches Child 1 and Child 2.

Adult discusses disagreement with children then says to Child 1, "Now tell Child 2 you're sorry." 

OK, so the adult wouldn't actually call the child "Child 2", but you see my point.

It is a natural and well-intentioned instinct to ask children to apologize. We want to teach re...
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RefinED Friends,

Several days ago, I sat in an elementary school office waiting for a meeting.  It was bus arrival, so the office hummed with teacher, parent, and student activity, all facilitated by a lone, kind administrative assistant. At one point, nearing the morning bell, two girls, likely fourth or fifth grade, came into the office looking very concerned.

"What can I do for you girls?" the administrative assistant asked.

"We have a problem on the bus," the girls replied.

"What's the proble...
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RefinED Friends,

It's human nature.  We gravitate toward what we love; we avoid what we loathe.  So why expect any different from our students?  With that in mind, let's discuss a common practice--class jobs.

When I began teaching, I followed the model I'd observed in my field experiences.  The teacher took each student's name, developed classroom job titles, and assigned each student a job.  This rotated on a regular basis.  But as time went on, I noticed human nature creeping in.  I spent eac...
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RefinED Friends,

In their influential 1999 book, First, Break All the Rules, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman sifted through 25 years of Gallup Organization data from organizational interviews covering the workplace gamut.  Their goal--to identify critical questions "truly measuring the core of a strong workplace (27)."  Their answer--twelve questions that, if answered positively by employees, would indicate that the environment is a great place to work.  

When I read this back in my second y...
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RefinED Friends,

I remember finding it stuffed in a cabinet among some rarely used curricular materials when I moved into the classroom during my first year of teaching fifth grade.  A simple, cardboard box marked with the word "Questions?" in bold, black print. Turns out, this box was meant for collecting those delicate questions that often pop into fifth grade brains when participating in the annual human growth and development talk.  It got me thinking--if we're inviting questions about a s...
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