Identities and Narratives in a Kindergarten Classroom!

mariabecht
Aug 24, 2017
3 min read

Kindergarten has already been such a whirlwind- but I am loving it! I have developed some goals for this year, one is creating a classroom climate that fosters positive relationships and an environment conductive to learning. My CT’s classroom is set up in a way that relates to these goals! In regards to the classroom community the classroom is built with 5 traits of respect, empathy, hard work, effort, honesty. These are taught to students with various ways like role play and reading, among giving them experiences to try out the traits and understand them. I am modeling and use these in the classroom myself. I use my language to show these traits and highlight them when I see them occurring. Social skills and friendship are also taught in the classroom. This climate of our classroom community helps students take up different helpful identities, which will be discussed in this blog post. I can tie how the classroom is set up to the First Six Weeks of School where the author stresses the importance of a climate of “warmth, inclusion, and safety”.

To the side is an image of the traits which are now hanging in the classroom! In addition a picture of a heart is below. With the heart picture, a read aloud of Words are Not for Hurting was done and subsequent activity to follow. After reading this book the class engaged in a discussion about what types of words we should use, which were named helpful words. The students then drew a picture what helpful words means to them! I refer back to this activity and story when engaging in discussion with students and how our words should be helpful towards others. The First Six Weeks of School states that using redirecting language and starting the school year with a positive tone is pivotal!

In Choice Words the author writes that “identities provide students with a sense of their responsibilities, and reasonable ways to act, particularly toward one another….. (these identities) are tied to both uniqueness and affiliation”. Setting up the classroom with the 5 traits listed above is beneficial to have the students start to build identities with them, like a helpful friend, a hard working students, and an honest person! These identities can shape who the children become.

In Choice Words, the author states how we view children can drive our instruction, who is the center of the classroom, who holds the power, and much more! In my classroom I see children as capable human who are writers, artists, mathematicians, designers, poets, helpful friends, caring people, scientists, and more. I want to invoke narratives and help my students create these identities in my lessons and classroom management. My CT’s classroom is set up for students to have exposure to tools/different resources and gives them chance to try on different identities. These is done in the instruction and in different centers during the day. This relates to the quote in chapter 8 in Choice Words which states that “the way we interact with children and arrange for them to interact show them what kind of people we think they are and give them opportunities to practice being those kind of people”. I am excited for all that is to come this year in K!