Chitter-Chatter

Teachers know how challenging it is to spark and sustain effective classroom discussions. How can we avoid asking leading questions that make students try to read our minds for a “correct” answer? How can we foster meaningful, focused conversation that produces deeper insights into a specific work or topic?

Today we started our day with a special setup. We had our big room more open and free for children to play in, along with table toys. But, one of our table was set up as a small circlet time.

This morning Kiki had a set up the table like a small circle time. She continued with yesterdays art of Rainbow Fish. Kiki asked the children to look inside the book and to let her know, what things we can put in the ocean. We heard some wonderful ideas like, “The boat the goes inside water and someone comes out and swims (submarine and divers),” “shells,” “Octopus,” “Sand,” “This funny one (anemone)” and “Rocks.”

Kiki drew them up on the white boards as a blueprint for the ocean. Once everyone was happy with it, they started to stick them on!

Before snack we had a quick greeting time with each other. As we went around asking everyone how they felt, Kiki suggested that saying, “I am hungry” and “I don’t remember” all the time isn’t quite nice to hear. Of course some times is nice, but when we say it too often it starts to become a little rude. So, Kiki suggested that everyone should come up with a new idea or in this case a new feeling.

Kiki: For example, Are you cold or hot? Are you tired or excited? Are you happy or sad? (Pauline raised her hand)

Pauline: Like...I feel excited to go home after school, because I want to have a warm bath.

Sayaka: I feel curious, because I want to know what is inside the box near Kiki.

Kiki: Those are wonderful ideas and as for the box you will have to wait a little more...hehe.

With this, the children shouted out their feelings, from a mixture of “tired” to “excited” to “happy.” Funnily, “hungry” was still a running feeling in class...ha-ha!

After our tummies were full, it was time for our circle time with Kiki. She stood at the circle with a giant box, the same box Sayaka was talking about. Kiki asked the children, what they thought was inside the box?

Y: Pasta!....a table!
R: Crayons!
M: Paint
R: Lunch
E: Crocodile
L: Lots of pencils
X: A penguin..hehee..it would be hopping around
S: Santa Claus!
S: But Christmas is finished!
J: Rabbit!
S: Crocodile
S: A mommy crocodile and a daddy crocodile and a baby crocodile
E: There’s Sota inside!
Ro: It’s a door!
Rl: Something for painting!

R: It’s a frog!

When Kiki opened up the box… Ta...DAaaa….it was a canvas! What is it for and why do we have it? Kiki explained that it is going to be a beautiful painting of our choice, that will be sold in an auction (Kiki also explained what that was), and with the money we get, we will give it to the children in Cambodia to build a school.

Everyone go so excited and couldn’t wait to do it. Kiki future explained that it is hard for us to directly draw on the large canvas, as we will not be able to erase mistakes. Therefore she brought out the small canvas to layout and discuss our ideas. And if we had other ideas later on, we can also add it to see how it is. We started by first discussing our colour palette.
Kiki: What is a sad colour for you? What colour do you think when I say sad?
Ra: Blue
Jie: Brown
Rel: Black
Lo: Pink
Rl: You give a hug to somebody when they are sad
R: Kiss! Kiss and hug!

Kiki: so that is happiness. What are some happy colours?

X: Pink!

M: Yellow

L: Purple:

L: Blue

We then came up with an ideas of what would best represent us as a class and the colours we would choose for it. It was decided a mix of pink, purple and black would do the trick. We swatched it on are hands to see if we liked the colour. IT was a unanimous ‘Yes!”

With all our wonderful ideas, we started painting our little canvas to see how it would look. The children loved it and is still left open for more ideas. Starting on Friday, we start painting the big canvas...so exciting!!

Have lovely day and see you tomorrow!

Artistic Petals class.