Bucket Fillers

I love teaching and I love my kids! I really feel like a teacher. And not just a teacher, but a good teacher! :)

Today, my students were EXCITED to have math homework! EXCITED!! I must be doing something right.

Also, I dealt with the mean girls issue today. This afternoon after gym, I had all of the girls come into the hall and I said, "We have a problem. Does anyone know what this problem is?" And my cute little Helen said, "Being mean." Yes, indeed.

So, I told the girls exactly what undesirable/disrespectful behaviors I had seen including talking behind backs, saying mean things, talking with an attitude, excluding people, not filling buckets, and tattling. I told them that it had to stop and asked them for some solutions. They said things like: say nice things, don't use an attitude, fill people's buckets, and write people nice notes. I then explained to the girls that the kind of behavior I have been seeing will not be tolerated and that next time they will all be staying in for recess.

At the very end of the day, we had extra time because all of the students were such good listeners and hard workers during social studies, so I had the students play a friendship game. I had all the students stand in a circle and then turn to their right. They then had to say one nice thing to the person they were facing. When we had gone around the circle, we turned around and told that person one nice thing. Everyone was so nice and polite! :)

Afterward I said to the students, "Look at all those smiles! Did that make you feel good?...And wasn't that easy?...See, we can fill people's buckets every day and it is that easy."

Everyone left happy and I am hoping (fingers crossed) to come in to much nicer children tomorrow. :)

If you are not acquainted with the term "bucket filling", then I encourage you to check out this teacher-made website that explains bucket filling and where it came from: http://myfunteacher.com/bucketfillers.htm