Reflecting on our work is one of our values in our philosophy. We practice approaching the same idea over and over together when developing a classroom culture that honors community. Questioning each other’s thinking supports children in finding ways to explore and articulate their ideas and to listen deeply to the suggestions of others.
In a class reflection meeting in the West Wing, the Mud Pit players shared how the ‘river’ had developed.
Caitlin: I added a bucket of water for the animals to cross the bridge.
Liliana: I grab a pan and scoop the water to add the water to the water well.
Chase: Maybe they need to add water in because we did a river and a bridge.
Fiona: (Asking the group), Can we put water in the water-well?
Jake: (Responding to Liliana), Maybe we can make the water-well water to go around and around.
Teacher Adriana places a ball of clay on the ground: Jake, show us how that would work.
Jake: I don’t know how that would work.
Charlie: I know how it works. So if the water goes around and a zigzag, a circle, and then into a loop – de – loop and it comes back.
Teacher Adriana removes the clay and offers a white erase board and pen: Charlie, show us here.
https://vimeo.com/266951916
Charlie draws a large circle, a zigzag, and a loop – de – loop. An ‘x’ marks the spot where the water well is.
Teacher Adriana: Jake, Fiona, and Charlie are now thinking about how to make the water move from the water-well into the river. Maybe they can make an appointment there.
Jake: Yes, we will go tomorrow.
Caitlin: You will see what we have done and then you’ll understand.
We took the opportunity to reflect on the question of how water can travel from the water-well into the river multiple times. While most of this exchange was verbal, I offered some tactile and visual opportunities to solidify the idea for everyone. The clay ball was too abstract but the writing tools brought everyone into the same idea. The creation of artifacts to represent ideas for reference is a key strategy in working as a group and honoring decisions as we move forward. -Teacher Adriana