To encourage community building among the children, we usually begin our appointments by asking a question and getting them to express their ideas so they can listen to one another.
Theo G.: It’s a machine
Dashiell: When the bugs go all the way up here, it turns into Pac Man
Bea: Can you do it?
Dashiell: (picks up a small bug and places it in the “machine.”) Turn into Pac Man!
Bea: Can I put it on?
Theo G.: Oh! It keeps on falling!
Teacher Flora: Hmmm, I wonder why?
Theo G.: I think it’s not very stable.
Dashiell: Maybe if we make it out of clay, it will stick together.
Like the children exploring and discovering the different ideas they can construct in the building space, I am also using these first observations to discover what the children know. We’re excited to hear the crossing of ideas from one material in a working area to another as it happened with this group. These kinds of observations are used as tools to bridge ideas and set up meaningful appointments with the children. Next week, they might try building this machine out of clay! -Teacher Flora