Saturday, February 3, 2018

Teaching Peace in February

Greetings, Teacher Bloglings!


The Montessori peace curriculum emphasizes frequent teaching of grace and courtesy through both structured and impromptu lessons. The classroom can be viewed as a microcosm of society, so it is where children must learn how and why to function peacefully.  Some examples of grace and courtesy lessons include how to walk around students who are working, when to interrupt someone and how to do so politely, how to greet classroom visitors, how to make new students or guest teachers feel welcome, how to clean up, how to ask for help, how to agree and disagree, and how to solve arguments. Teachers should model peaceful interactions in addition to teaching them explicitly through lessons, frequent reviews, and role playing/social story opportunities.

Image result for our peaceful classroom aline

Montessori classrooms typically have a peace table or area of the classroom where students can go to take a break and find some quiet in the classroom.  It is also where students go to solve conflicts independently when they do not necessitate teacher intervention.  You can see part of my classroom's peace table above!  We have a little peace bear, a lovely snow globe donated by a student, a peace rock that the students pass back and forth during problem solving conversations, problem solving discussion prompt cards, and the book "Our Peaceful Classroom " by Aline D. Wolf.  This book was written by Montessori students around the world; it is a favorite in my classroom year after year!



You can find the Conflict Resolution Prompts at my store:
Conflict Resolution Kit

Because the "Peace Place" can also be used when students need a personal break, it is helpful to have reminders and strategies for keeping calm on hand.  These cards are a great tool and easy to keep on a ring for students to reference when needed:

Calm Down Kit

Another book written by Aline D. Wolf that is excellent for teachers in any classroom setting is "Peaceful Children, Peaceful World: The Challenge of Maria Montessori."

Image result for peaceful children peaceful world

February is one of my most favorite teaching months because of all the holidays, and it is the perfect time to really focus on teaching peace in the classroom!  To kick off Black History Month, we read Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her by Amy Novesky.  We discussed the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and the contributions of African American musicians and artists.  We loved listening to Billie Holiday as background music during work time!  

Image result for mister and lady day

Obviously, I feel a strong connection to Billie as I also have a darling Mister (Mr. Bear)!



For Martin Luther King's birthday in January, we learned about his message as well as the Civil Rights Movement and Jim Crow laws.  

Next week, we will continue our learning through the lens of Dr. Seuss' The SneetchesClick the link or picture for a packet of activities for teaching tolerance and acceptance, including The Sneetches Readers Theater play to tell the story and extension activities that focus on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the importance of equality.  

When we do this activity, students act out the story, read the book, and watch the video to compare and contrast the different ways to tell the story.

The Sneetches Readers Theater with Activities for Teaching Tolerance

More February Resources for Black History Month:

Black History Research Organizer Bundle 
Black History Month Research Organizers

Black History Flip Book
Black History Month Flip Book

African American Inventors Unit
African American Inventors Unit

Langston Hughes Poet Study
Langston Hughes Poet Study

Ruby Bridges Research Packet
Ruby Bridges Research Packet

Ruby Bridges Readers' Theater
Ruby Bridges Readers' Theater Play

Rosa Parks Readers' Theater
Rosa Parks Readers' Theater Play

And here are some Valentine's Day resources to spread more love!

Valentines Day Origami
Valentine's Day Origami

Valentines Day Pattern Blocks
Valentine's Day Pattern Blocks

Expanded Form Task Cards: A Valentines Day Math Center
Valentine's Day Extended Form Math Center

Number Bonds: A Valentines Day Math Center
Valentine's Day Number Bonds Math Center

Valentines Day Friendly Letter Writing Center
Valentine's Day Writing Center


Valentines Day Triangles
FREEBIE! Valentine's Day Types of Triangles Geometry Craftivity

This February is EXTRA special because of the Winter Olympics! At my school, we do a Winter Olympics event each year.  It's even more fun during an Olympic year!  This year's continent study is Asia, so we will learn about PyeongChang, South Korea and South Korean culture in addition to the history of the Olympic Games, winter sports, and sportsmanship. 

Winter Olympics 2018 Unit
2018 Winter Olympics Unit

Happy February!


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