Yesterday I observed an interesting exercise in problem solving. Three of my girls were painting at the art center and decided they needed some clean water.
Our classroom door is pretty heavy for a kindergartner to handle, but most of my students can open and close it. I usually leave it open, but in the afternoons there is often hall noise and distraction from the returning lunch crowds, so I close the door for about an hour.
H went to the door with the cup of water in her hand and found that she couldn’t open the door. I watched her from my desk and waited to see if she would ask someone for help. No. She returned to the art center and put the cup back on the table. There was a brief discussion and then C picked up the cup. Now C is at least four inches shorter and much lighter than H, so I watched intently to see what she would do.
C went to the door and pulled. Nothing. She put the cup of water on top of the cubbies next to the door, used both hands to pull the door open, braced it with her back, retrieved the cup, and walked out. H wasn’t even watching!! Oh well, maybe she’ll figure it out next time.
Read an interesting blog post I’ll share here: Teachers and Parents
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