A Great First Day!

I can't imagine today going better! My partner and I had very little time together to plan for today thanks to me getting sick and her leaving the country on a family trip during planning week. She did a bunch during her days of planning week, then I did a lot of work prepping the room when she was gone. We totally meshed as we were teaching together today! Without much discussion we were able to ebb and flow in our teaching. Not one talking over the other. We were really a team. It was perfect! We both have such a great feeling about this year!

We have some quirky kids in our group, but they responded really well to us! One kiddo I was warned could have terrible days, but I made a huge point of setting limits as well as making a personal connection with him. And it worked! He had a great day!

Case and point...these sparkle crayons. Yep that was my connection! My moment where I got him to really connect. How? I GAVE HIM A PAPERCLIP! Yep, that's it.

I was given a set of rainbow paperclips as a small part of my present from the Head of School for the first day of school. My little kiddo saw them, came up with a great idea of how he could use one green paperclip for part of a project at home. Suddenly I had a reward! I told him if he kept it together and made good choices, he could have one of my green paperclips. He worked very hard for it! Someone even stomped on his hand (by accident while doing a puzzle on the floor) and he didn't freak out! Yay!

So I gave the paperclip to him when it was time to go home. He was THRILLED! In return he gave me a big hug and gave me 2 of his sparkle crayons that were in his special pencil case. So cute! They are of course saved in my desk in case he misses them tomorrow. The gesture was just so great! It's the connection I needed to make sure we get him off to a great start and fix his struggles we know he has.

Connections are your best tool in making your tough kids love you and not be so tough!

Our sweet little present included more than paperclips! My favorite part... I already have a chocolate stash in my desk thanks to her! Oh and other things: a notepad, sharpie, nice writing pen, pencil, and tic-tacs. All the silly little things teachers love.

PS- This is my new social skill curriculum that arrived today! Have any of you used it?