Getting Distracted and Working Together

We all know that kids get distracted. In fact, most adults get distracted. What can we do to help keep our kids learning and playing together when something catches their eye that take them away from what you have planned?

I think the answer to this is going with the flow… I have a defined plan every day of what I want to teach and what we need to learn. But, I'm pretty fluid. I can usually take clues from my class of what they are missing and where I need to fill in the gaps. Do they need quiet?  Do they need a wiggle song? Do they need some better instructions?

This week, we were talking about working together. I put out some blocks and put the kids into two groups. They were instructed to build something TOGETHER. Like a castle or tower, just whatever. Instead of together, they were distracted with what the other kids were doing or just keeping to themselves, or fighting with a friend because he had the piece that she wanted first. Typical kids stuff.

I kept telling them "work together!" They weren't listening, they were distracted and I could see that they were needing some better instructions from me to help them learn what it means to work together so they could stay focused and get the job done. (Notice the separate piles of towers?)

I remembered that Mother Goose Time had included this great game about the keys of being a good friend. I decided to scrap what we were doing and change things up. I got the game out and as we played, we talked talked and learned some new vocabulary words about being a good friend and how that ties into working together.
Even though I hadn't planned to play this game today, I could tell that we needed to learn some new tools to help us become better team players.

 We cleaned up our friendship game, got our wiggles out, and then tried to build a castle in groups again. This time they understood better what together meant, and they were able to stay focused. They weren't as distracted with what someone else was doing because they were a team and building together. And they were being friends!

And look! One big castle instead of four! 

Happy teaching friends!

xoxo- 

Miss Mandy