Friday, August 24, 2012

Life Lessons

Today students learned two important life lessons:

1. Picking a perfect book can be just like choosing the right pair of shoes.

When choosing a pair of shoes you need to make sure that they are the right size and that they meet the purpose for why you are wearing them. Similarly, when selecting a book, you can tell that it is a "good fit" if it is the appropriate reading level and goes along with the reason you are reading. For example, if you are trying to learn true facts about a dog, it is important to find a book that is nonfiction and is at a reading level appropriate for a third grader. Ask your child to tell you more about our fun shoe activity!


2. When we speak it is like squirting toothpaste on a plate.

If we are not careful with our toothpaste and squeeze it without thinking we can end up with a big mess. This is also true with our words. If we open our mouths and speak words that are hurtful, disrespectful, or mean, it can make a huge mess. Several students volunteered to squirt out some toothpaste on a plate, but discovered that it was impossible when I asked a child to put the toothpaste back in the tube. He did manage to smear the toothpaste around and make an even bigger mess though! It is just as difficult to put words back in our mouths. Even if we apologize or try to explain that it was a joke, it is impossible to take back those hurtful words. The students were really able to understand the comparison and agreed to think carefully about the words they are choosing to use.

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