In just this short time of being together, the West Wing teachers have already noticed a common interest among the children. They seem to be strong interpreters of body language and use their body language to express themselves. As an introduction to the Communication Center, the teachers took this interest and created a game as a fun connector among peers. As a first step toward developing an awareness of self portraits, they took a photo of each child’s face and cropped it to accent a particular physical trait (an eye, a nose, a cheek, etc.) and asked the children to identify each other. Teacher Amy introduced the trait cards at morning and afternoon circle.
Teacher Adriana (sitting at the Communication Center with Caitlin, Ava, Charlie, Jake, and Agnes): I’m noticing the cards Amy showed us at circle time. (She picks up a card): I wonder whose face this nose belongs to?
Jake: Agnes.
Agnes: No.
Ava nods toward Caitlin.
Caitlin: I’m pink. I’m not golden. (moving toward the cubbies) These pictures are bigger. I found the eye, it’s Ava’s!
Charlie: Oh, yes!
Caitlin gets another card: Ms. Adriana, this is my nose. My nose is golden.
Introducing the cubbies as a reference to theirs and each other’s identity was the catalyst for the children to organically start referencing all the areas where they noticed their own photos: the I.D. panels on the wall, the blue folders, and the portfolio notebooks. We’re excited to see the children using the classroom as their own and pulling from resources meant to bring us all together as a group. -Adriana & Kristin