Orange Band: Rock, Week 2

Looking back on our second week, and I keep returning to the realization that this was a week full of firsts for the year. We went on our first field trip, cried our first tears, asked for and received forgiveness for the first time, presented ideas to the group, gathered our first class rocks.[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfbrightworks/21308599176/in/dateposted-public/[/embed]We started out the week by finalizing and signing our group agreements. We talked about some of the routines we practiced the first few days and the importance of those procedures on our upcoming fieldtrip. Kiddos were really excited to get out of the building, and I made it their job to prove to me that they were ready to go on a trip that meant taking public transportation and walking in order to see an impressive rock. And they really really did prove it to me.[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfbrightworks/21308599416/in/dateposted-public/[/embed]On Wednesday, we hit the ground running. We brainstormed a list of jobs for kiddos in our space. Then learned to play the word game, Quiddler. After everybody went to run around at the park and ate their lunch, we had some quiet time. Finally, Ramses reminded everyone about something that he had been looking forward to since the first day of school: MUSICAL BANANAGRAMS! I thought up this version recently. The idea is that, at this age, kids have a wide range of spelling skills, and also need a lot of practice thinking flexibly. So, we listened to some jazz (at the kiddos' request!) and rotated one spot to the right at the end of each song. Kids could check out the words that others made, check their own spelling compared to a new crossword every few minutes, and practice spelling lots of words without getting too bogged down in perfect spelling each time. The point is to practice building words; it doesn't always need to be perfect, and we're all going to try.[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfbrightworks/21343096931/in/dateposted-public/[/embed]After a pep-talk from our Blue Band co-fieldtrippers and a lot of practice staying together, being flexible, working hard and listening respectfully to each other, we were ready to go. We left bright and early Thursday morning for Billy Goat Hill. Kiddos left pondering the questions: How did these rocks get here? Is there an order, and if so, what does it mean? While at the park, kiddos explored, took in the view, collected rocks, made field sketches of the rock and other surroundings, hunted for treasure. It was a great morning![embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfbrightworks/20712156234/in/dateposted-public/[/embed]Oscar showing Emilio some of the rocks he collected. Oscar left the park that day with a literal backpack full of rocks![embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfbrightworks/20712155884/in/dateposted-public/[/embed]Frances showing her field sketches to Ramses. The older kiddos of the Blue Band really modeled for us how to behave on a fieldtrip--it was hugely appreciated by all!After an eventful morning, lunch and quiet time were also hugely appreciated by all! Then, we got back to work designing a storage unit for our space. For this second design, kiddos were asked to include all the similarities we noticed in our first designs. Then, everyone had a chance to present their design to the group and answer questions. This was an excellent opportunity to practice showing each other respect by listening to their ideas. Kiddos showed they were listening by asking great questions, using the 'me too' sign, making eye contact, and turning their bodies toward the person presenting.[embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfbrightworks/21343094811/in/dateposted-public/[/embed]We started off Friday right: with art time! Several students have made more than one self-portrait for the project that we started last week, and each one is unique and beautiful. I really like the idea of having a series of self-portraits, so that each kiddo can look at how they have seen themselves on different days. Plus, we've had so many different styles--including the idea of making yourself into the portrait! I think we may need some help from Zada with some costume make-up to make that happen for Ramses![embed]https://www.flickr.com/photos/sfbrightworks/21343092081/in/dateposted-public/[/embed]On Friday afternoon, we took some time to reflect one more time on the past few days. We thought about things that are going well, and things we are all working on. Kiddos pointed out that lots of things about the field trip went really well, like making field sketches and collecting rocks, and next time we will work on staying together a bit better. We also noticed that everyone is doing well at getting ready for park and playing at the park, and that we all need to work on our listening skills. It is really important to us that each member of the band feels comfortable sharing, so we are all going to keep working hard on listening to each other's ideas. And every day we get a little better.