During the past couple of weeks, the children have been working alongside Sam to build skills with the hammer. When making a sign for the woodworking center by hammering nails into letters drawn on wood, deepening relationships were observed with materials and between friends.
David: “Look, Oliver, there are two hammers. We both have a hammer.”
Oliver: “Yeah, we do!”
David: “Oliver, we have to knock the nail all the way down.”
Oliver: “Okay, but I’m getting tired.”
David: “We’re almost done, then we can have snack.”
When Oliver finished, he went to snack and Maddox came to work with David.
Charlie: “What are you doing?”
Maddox: “Making a sign. It says ‘Woodworking’. It’s like the ‘Front Yard’ sign. We need to hammer all these nails.”
Charlie: “Can I help?”
Maddox: “Well, when we get tired, there will be space for you.”
Charlie: “Okay.”
Later, David finds Charlie to tell him there’s room and they continue their work on the sign. Claiming similarities: “We both have a hammer”, encouraging each other to continue through the hard work and getting back to one another when there is room at the workbench, serves to build camaraderie.
Common goals brought these children together but what keeps them together is neither common nor easy. The secret to this process is time and this is why woodworking, and several other rich spaces at The New School-West, are open and available for use throughout the day; to offer common ground for friendships to grow.