School Traditions

I read the same version of the Gingerbread Man this year as I did last year. I started each grade level off today by talking about what a tradition is and the importance of them. I shared my family traditions both holiday and not. I get to see each grade level...each year...so over 410 kiddos are stuck with me for their whole schooling...fortunately for them, I am cool!

I love that I do Gingerbread Man traps both in Kindergarten and first grade. Conceptually, that one year really changes their ability to think outside the box. They have one more year of schema and one more year of engineering know how. I think it is so important to see that as a teacher...that we set the groundwork for someone else at times. That as they add more information to their brains, some of it sticks. Sometimes you don't even get to see it!  Take a look at both kindergarten traps vs. first grade traps....

"Look...he'll go in here"...kinders

"He will walk in here and not get out"...kinders

"He will take the path and as he steps on the one step, he will fall through"...first grade

"This is in a tree and will lower on the gingerbread man"...first grade

I just love to see the development...traditions are important in their growth as a learner. This evidence is so amazing to see.