Sound too complicated for little kids?  Actually the concept of choice-response thinking is pretty simple:

As human beings, we always have a choice in how we respond to other people, events, situations––and even to our own impulses.

In his book, Discipline without Stress, Punishments or Rewards, Dr. Marshall explains:

Because we have the freedom to choose our responses, we are responsible for our own choices (behaviors).  By teaching young people that they choose their own behaviors, they begin to become conscious of the fact that no one else chooses their behaviors for them.  Choice-response thinking encourages self-control and responsibility.  In addition, having young people become aware of choice-response thinking can have a liberating effect, especially with those who feel they are helpless or victims.

Recently I found a wonderful picture book that could be used to introduce the concept of choice-response thinking to very young students, PreK-Grade 2.

“Pete the Cat,” is written by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean.

Pete is a happy-go-lucky cat who seems to innately understand the wisdom of choice-response thinking!  Pete really gets it!  He understands that by choosing his responses to seemingly negative situations, he can also choose to live a happy life!  You know the type––Pete’s the guy who makes lemonade when handed a bunch of lemons!

The story begins with Pete proudly walking down the street in his flashy new white shoes.  By the enthusiastic song that he sings, it’s obvious to the reader that Pete LOVES his new white shoes.  What happens next? (and again? and again? and again?)  Pete absent-mindedly and repeatedly manages to step in big MESSES!

To a less conscious cat than Pete, this might spell disaster––new white shoes unexpectedly stained red!  (then blue… then brown… you get the picture!) But Pete never skips a beat in his response to negativity!  He calmly deals with each situation as it occurs.  Every time he encounters a “problem,” he simply decides to change his perception of the situation.  After each “disaster,” we know that Pete has made a decision to remain in a happy state, because immediately he starts singing a new song. “I love my red shoes! I love my brown shoes!” belts out Pete.

By the end of the book, it’s obvious (even to very young people,) that CHOOSING a positive response to a negative situation has a great benefit;  Pete retains control over his own happiness.  A “victimhood thinker,” he is not!  What a great role-model for us all!

By going to youtube, you can watch the author, Eric Litwin, present Pete the Cat to an audience of enthusiastic youngsters.  The best parts are when Pete repeatedly sings various versions of his upbeat color song, “I Love My ____ Shoes!”   (The publisher, Harper Collins also offers a free download of the song and video soundtrack on its website.)

In addition to using this book to support the introduction of DWS, here are some other lesson possibilities for Pete the Cat:

• It’s a perfect story to introduce/reinforce the literary concept of a “circular journey.”  The book begins with Pete in white shoes––and then as you might guess––by the end of the story, Pete’s shoes are white once again!  Here is a link to a lesson plan for teaching the concept of a “circle story,” and another link to an example of a graphic organizer that could be used with students as a follow-up activity.
• Another obvious opportunity is to read this book as part of a study of colors or color words.
• Many primary teachers like to take advantage of books with repetitive story lines because they create starting points for students to make take-off pages of their own.  Scroll down on this link from the publisher’s website to a couple of blackline masters of Pete and his shoe.  Although these sheets are intended to be used as part of a game, they could easily be adapted to suit the purpose of creating a class take-off book too.

Have fun with this book!  Perhaps, if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself robustly singing “I love my white shoes!” at odd moments of the day!

Click for some related postings:

I’m hoping to find a list of picture books to introduce the four DWS levels.

What is the correct way to introduce the Hierarchy?

As a first grade teacher, I totally agree with DWS being the best way to go.  However, I have some concerns about the developmental readiness of young children to operate on the level of Democracy on the Hierarchy.  I seem to recall from my Ed. Psych. class that this level of behavior was ‘normally’ expected around the teenage years––if at all.

RESPONSE:

I’ve heard this concern raised before and although I haven’t taken psychology courses for many years now, I’m happy to give an opinion based purely on personal experience in the classroom. I teach Grade One too!

Firstly, I feel it’s important to review the definition of what it means to be operating on Level D.  I want to be sure we’re working from the same understanding.

A person operating on Level D is someone who does the right thing (or kind thing, or generous thing, or caring thing, or expected thing or responsible thing  etc. etc. etc.,) simply because he sees it as the right thing to do.  The main point is that a person on Level D is operating from internal motivation.  A person operating on Level D does the “right thing” regardless of the presence of an authority figure.   On Level D, people don’t look to someone else to suggest that they do the right thing, they aren’t concerned about impressing or pleasing another person, and they aren’t worried about avoiding the disapproval of another person.

Secondly, I want to make it clear that the Hierarchy is a self-assessment tool for judging individual actions.  Therefore, when I want to assign a level to something I have done in my own life, I’m evaluating one event at a time.  I’m not thinking about a whole day, or an entire morning, or one hour, or even five minutes of my life.  I’m just thinking about each action taken separately, on its own merit.  Each time people make a choice or a decision, or take an action, they are choosing from one particular level of operation.

So, from this frame of reference, I now think about my class.  Do they ever operate on Level D?  Are they even capable of doing that?  My observations over the years tell me that absolutely they are able to operate on Level D, even though they are only six years old.  Notice this isn’t the same as asking, “Did I ever meet a child who operated on Level D every minute of their life?”   The answer to that question would be “No.”  It would be like asking, “Did I ever meet an adult who operated on Level D every minute of their life?”   So far I haven’t met one who even came close!

My experience tells me that Grade One kids act on Level D many, many times a day.  Even my most difficult student operates on Level D at some points throughout each day.

When I think back over today, I can quickly give you lots of examples of kids in my class operating from internal motivation:

I saw Christopher, one of my special needs kids, give a hug to another boy who was crying.  The boy had hurt himself by falling.  Christopher saw someone who needed a reassuring hug and he simply gave it.  He didn’t look to see if I noticed.  He didn’t wait for a suggestion before he gave a hug.  He just knew a hug would help and so he kindly gave it.  That’s Level D.

I saw Derek, who has the job of handing out the “math stickers” this week (at calendar time,) bring the container of math stickers to his desk when we came back inside after recess.  He knew that the math stickers would be needed soon and he wanted to be ready and responsible.  I didn’t suggest it or remind him.  He simply took it upon himself to be ready.  That’s taking responsibility––Level D.

After recess, I noticed that Richie came right back in, sat down at his desk and started correcting some math errors from previous lessons in his math notebook.  Everyone else in the class was chatting and waiting for me to get the math lesson underway.  Richie, on the other hand, chose to get started on something that he knew he would be expected to do later in the day.  He was motivated to get those corrections out of the way.  When he saw a spare moment he chose to get started.  He didn’t wait for me to remind him or suggest that he use his time wisely.  Doing the expected thing simply because you know that it is expected of you is operating at Level D.

I had Lena ask me if she could take a classroom reader home tonight so that she could do some extra reading practice.  She’s pleased with herself these days because she has discovered that if she reads and rereads many books over and over, she has great control over how quickly she can make progress through the reading levels.   She’s internally motivated to put in extra effort in order to become a better reader––that’s Level D.

At snack time, Brent had some gummy bears.  Out of the goodness of his heart he offered some to his desk partner ––Level D.   He wasn’t responding to a request from his friend. No adult had suggested he share; it was his idea.  He simply and happily offered some treats to a friend.

We’re studying bees at the moment and the kids are fascinated by them.  Today at lunch time, five kids decided to capture bees so that they could observe them more closely!   They wanted to see if the stinger really remains hidden until the bee is ready to sting!  (Yikes!)  Although it wasn’t a very safe idea, they were showing initiative in their own learning.  Taking initiative is Level D.

I’m sure if you think about the children in your own class, you can remember dozens of similar situations in which children were operating on a very high level––they were internally motivated to do the right (or kind, or generous or responsible etc.) thing.  Although these examples may not fit the moral developmental milestones discussed in a typical psychology course, they do represent Level D on the DWS Hierarchy.  Hope this helps to clarify your thinking on the subject!

In previous years when we’ve had a new addition to our class, we’ve sometimes experienced the following problem:  If the new youngster starts to feel anxious and begins to cling to Mom when it’s time for her to leave, we’ve been surprised to see that there have always been one or two other kids in the class who start crying and clinging to their moms too!  I guess it’s a sympathetic reaction;  they must pick up on the new child’s anxiety and it makes them feel nervous or scared too.  Whatever the reason, it’s been a rather negative experience for all––just at a time when one would hope to create a positive atmosphere of  welcome.

She started the meeting by explaining that a new boy would be joining our class.  She asked the kids to imagine what it might feel like to be in his shoes.  Had they ever experienced something similar––a time when they were new to a group?

Then she brought out our DWS Hierarchy chart.  ”How might various people, operating at different levels of the Hierarchy, handle this out-of-the-ordinary situation?” she inquired.  She guided the discussion with questions and together they arrived at the following descriptors for behavior at each of the four levels:

Level A

• being mean to the new child,  perhaps teasing etc.

Level B

• not looking very pleasantly at the child
• ignoring the child altogether
• imitating clingy behaviour which upsets everyone in the class

Level C

• being polite to the child in class (when adults are present,) but essentially ignoring the child on the playground

Level D

• going out of your way to say hello
• telling the new person your name
• smiling at the new person
• inviting the newcomer to join in at lunch and recess
• offering help when the new child seems confused about routines etc.
• understanding that the new child may feel sad to be left in a new classroom––but not imitating that behavior
• offering friendship to the newcomer

At the end of the meeting she asked the children to keep this discussion in mind and to think about which level they wanted to operate on the following day when the new boy arrived.

The results of this meeting were great!  Not only did we avoid a problem we had encountered several times before, but we noticed that kids were shyly taking the initiative to say hello and introduce themselves in the cloakroom––even before the new student had been officially introduced.  We’ve never seen that happen before!

Level A Books – Anarchy

Mean Soup, by Betsy Everitt
Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink, by Diane deGroat
Miss Nelson is Missing, by Harry Allard
We Share Everything, by Robert Munsch
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henkes 
When Sophie Gets Angry Really Really Angry, by Molly G. Bang

Level B Books – Bullying and Bothering

Crickwing, by Janell Cannon
Recess Queen, by Alexis O’Neill
A Weekend With Wendell, by Kevin Henkes
Chester’s Way, by Kevin Henkes
The King of the Playground, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Three Cheers for Tacky, by Helen Lester 
The Practically Perfect Pajamas, by Erik Brooks
How to Lose All Your Friends, by Nancy L. Carlson
Big Bad Bruce, by Bill Peet
Bootsie Barker Bites, by Barbara Bottner 
Hooway for Wodney Wat, by Helen Lester 
The Ant Bully, by John Nickle
Goggles!, by Ezra Jack Keats

Level C Books – Cooperation

Disappearing Ducks, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Little Red Hen, by Paul Galdone
The Little Red Hen: (Makes a Pizza), by Philemon Sturges
The Enormous Potato, by Aubrey Davis
It’s My Birthday, by Helen Oxenbury
Swimmy, by Leo Lionni
Whoever You Are, by Mem Fox
The Mitten Tree, by Candace Christiansen
Berenstein Bear’s Lend a Helping Hand, by Stan Berenstain
Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose, by Dr. Seuss
Farmer Duck, by Martin Waddell
Berlioz the Bear, by Jan Brett

Level D Books – Democracy

Brave Irene, by William Steig
The Runaway Rice Cake, by Ying Chang Compestine
The Quiltmaker’s Gift, by Jeff Brumbeau 
Little Toot, by Hardie Gramatky
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, by Mem Fox
The Legend of the Lady Slipper, by Lise Lunge-Larsen and Margi Preus
Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister
Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney 
Brave Irene, by William Steig
The Hole in the Dike, by Norma B. Green
Snowflake Bentley, By Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Big Bad Wolf is Good, by Simon Puttock

Occasionally I feel the need to give one of my Kindergarten students a reflection sheet but at this age they can’t write.  Then what?

A related posting:

I’m looking for a primary reflection form.

I want to recognize my Level C and D students more but it seems that the B ones are getting all the attention; I keep having to asking them reflective questions!  For example, if they are all squirmy and loud in the hall I have been asking them, “Do you think your behavior is “up here?” (D/C),  or “down here?” (B/A).   Most kids will be honest and say they are “down here.” Then I might say, “What should we do if this problems continues?”  and the child tells me a consequence for their “down here” behavior.  This is  part of the philosophy––right?––eliciting consequences from the students? My fear is that my Level C and D students will begin to regress because of all the extra attention my Level A and B students receive!  What do you think?

RESPONSE:

In a situation like the one you mention, switch your focus to the positive.  Instead of giving your attention to the ones who are not doing as you ask, focus on what the students with acceptable behavior are doing.  Those who are already at that C/D level, will receive information and affirmation that encourages them to continue.  Those who are at the lower level will be challenged to move up.  By switching your focus to the acceptable, you will also give the students on the lower level, the information they need to know what acceptable behavior looks like.

Most times you’ll never have to mention the poor behavior at all.  Simply focus on what you notice about those students who are providing a good model.  Even if it’s only one child doing the correct thing, describe that child’s behavior without mentioning a name.

You can say something like this:

“Boys and girls,  we’ve talked many times about what is expected as we walk in the hallways.  Think for a moment, in your own head.  Are you, right this minute, doing as expected?  I want to thank you if you are.  I see people who are doing exactly what we have talked about.  It makes it so pleasant for me as a teacher when I have people who can manage themselves in an acceptable way.

I see that there are  a number of people standing with their arms down to their sides, they are quiet, they ________, ________, _________.  What level is this?  Yes, it’s C.  Level C people set a fine example for everyone.  If you’re not sure what to do, look around for someone who seems to be capable in this way.  You can become more capable too.

Some people in our class might even be at a higher level right now.  What level is higher than C?  Yes, Level D.  What is the difference between Level C and D in this situation?  Yes!  Those on Level D don’t even need a teacher with them.  They are choosing to be in charge of themselves.  It’s a joy to have such mature people in my classroom.  You’ll know that you’re on Level D, if inside yourself,  you feel very proud.  At Level D a person knows that they can act mature even if the teacher isn’t standing right with them.

When you mention these sorts of things to the group, more and more kids become interested in living up to positive expectations.  Why?  Because deep down they would prefer to think of themselves as mature and capable too.  You haven’t called down low behavior––haven’t given it any attention or even mentioned it. You’ve more or less ignored it because it’s simply not something you want to waste time discussing.  Instead you have put your energy into helping them think about how they might act more mature themselves.  Everyone wants to feel proud inside and you’ve just told them how they can achieve that feeling.

Reflective questions can prompt a person to think about any one of the levels, so try switching your focus.  Ask about the higher levels and you’ll start to see how the DWS Hierarchy can inspire young people!

RESPONSE:
At the grade one level that I teach, children have very few writing skills, especially at the beginning of the year. Beginning writers find it a challenge to get even a simple idea down on paper.  It requires their full attention and concentration to do so, sounding out letter by letter.  Since it requires such effort to write, I think that my young students would likely view a reflection form as a punishment, for displeasing me.  Instead of that response, I want them to see that I consider misbehavior as an opportunity to learn and grow.   In addition, I wouldn’t want to do anything that would lead children to associate writing with something negative or punishing.

Because the writing process requires such extreme concentration on the part of a young child, I feel that using a reflection form in my early primary classroom might actually defeat the purpose of the form, which is to guide a student in reflection.  If a child’s attention is primarily focused on the act of putting pen to paper, there may not be any “brain-power” left over to fuel self-reflection.  Without self-reflection, there isn’t likely to be true change.  While it’s quite possible that in the future the child may choose to act on Level C more often, he/she may well be motivated by a simple desire to avoid “punishment.”

For these reasons, I find it’s far more in line with my goals to have a personal discussion with a youngster who is misbehaving.  In a discussion I can make sure that self-reflection is the key focus.  If the discussion is likely to be somewhat lengthy, I generally put it off till lunch time or after school.  This isn’t a problem.  Dr. Marshall says that a postponement of the discussion itself actually encourages the process of self-reflection.  It’s only natural that the misbehaving child would automatically start to engage in self-reflection, knowing that a discussion is forthcoming.

Without a doubt, this does take time––usually some of my lunch hour or prep time––but I find it to be time well spent.  I know that this investment will pay off––not only for the student, but for me too.  By dealing thoroughly with a situation, going step-by-step through the reflection form, it’s likely that I’ll spend less time dealing with misbehavior from that same child in the future.  I find these respectful discussions can actually improve my relationships with challenging students.  I benefit because they often become more cooperative and willing to operate at an acceptable level (C.)

In the back of DWS book there is an Appendix titled, “Forms.”  I use the forms on Page 275 and 276 to guide me in my discussion.  At first, I absolutely needed the book open beside me to keep me on track but now I can usually “wing it!”  These forms are meant for older students so I don’t use the exact wording.  I just use them to remind me of the general direction in which I want the conversation to go.

Basically that direction is this:

• Tell me about what has happened?  What was the problem you created?

This is a great opener for getting the child to think about the fact that the problem didn’t likely just happen to him/her; likely his/her behavior created the problem.

• On what level were you operating?

If asked in a pleasant way, the child feels no need to self-defend.  Usually they will honestly tell you the correct level.  If not, then more questions help them to arrive at the correct level.  For examples, see DWS p.94.

• Tell me about why you see yourself at this level?

I want the child to verbalize to me––not the other way around––that what they were doing was unacceptable.  Describing the situation from an understanding of the level,  “I was bumping into people on the monkey bars so they would get off and let me have a turn. That was bossing them around,” promotes ownership of the problem.  The child is acknowledging that what they did was at Level B.

• Is acting at Level B ever acceptable?

No.

• How must the teacher treat you on this level?

What kind of a relationship do you have with someone–the teacher or a classmate–when you operate at this level? How are the feelings between us? I want children to realize that they have put themselves into a position of being at loggerheads with me, or the noon-hour supervisor or with another child;  all behavior is a choice.

• On what level should you have acted?  How would the situation have been different if you had acted on a higher level?

One thing I want them to think about are the relationships that they have with others.  Through the guided questionning strategies, I want them to realize that they are putting these relationships into jeopardy. It’s human nature to want to have friends, want to have teachers like you, want to have the noon-hour supervisor enjoy you company etc.   I feel it’s important to get young people to reflect on their actions.  Using the DWS Hierarchy I can  help them understand that they can choose to create better relations with others, by operating on a higher level.

• Let’s think about how you might deal with a similar situation in the future.

Perhaps the child needs to come up with a procedure to help them through a similar situation in the future.

OR

• What should happen now?

If the situation is quite serious and a consequence is deemed necessary then that would be dealt with before going on to discuss a procedure for a future situation.

Most often it doesn’t seem necessary to elicit a consequence for the immediate situation but rather to proactively elicit a future consequence, should the child choose to repeat this same type of misbehavior. Then you’re prepared if it should happen again.  As always, the DWS philosophy is to elicit the consequence from the child with regard to a specific situation, rather than impose it.  As Dr. Marshall says, if the consequence comes from the child, they take ownership––people don’t argue with themselves!  When a child has gone through the process of logically creating a consequence connected to a particular situation, they rarely misbehave again in that way.  They’ve already visualized the situation proactively and can see that it just doesn’t make sense to follow through on that particular plan!  In my experienced, they almost always opt for operating on an acceptable level.

A related posting:

My students are too young to write a reflection sheet.

I’m trying to get a handle on this whole concept of guided choices and procedures.  I guess I don’t really understand what a procedure is or how you would use a procedure when a student is misbehaving.  Can you give me an example?

DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE:

Teaching procedures is teaching expectations.

Here is an example:

Rather than punishing students for walking down the hallway and talking without permission (against directions), students can be asked for suggestions.  The question can be put to them, “What can you do if you have the urge to talk?”

A student might volunteer, “Tell yourself not to talk.”  The teacher can respond that this is a good plan but will not produce success unless a procedure is attached to it.

Students can suggest some.  Two possibilities might be:

• Keep your lips together as you are walking.
• Press your tongue to the top of your mouth so you can’t talk.

The teacher would then suggest practicing, “Show me what this would look like.”

The teacher can also pursue the topic of talking a bit further by asking, “What if the person beside you talks to you.  What can you do?”

Again more procedures would be developed such as “Put your finger to your mouth.” The teacher could explain how doing this–taking the initiative to remind a fellow student of expected behavior–is at Level D, taking initiative.

Again the teacher would have students practice and reinforce the procedure:

“Show me what it would look like if your walking pal started to talk to you.  What would you do?”

For more than a century, factories on the banks of the Nashua River poured chemical waste directly into the river, making it officially one of the dirtiest rivers in North America in the mid 1960′s.  At that time the color of the river water varied almost daily, depending upon the the dyes released from paper production.  This link shows a startling image of the Nashua River at the height of its pollution and a more recent photo of the river in a healthy state today.

This book could be used at all grade levels.  For older students especially, it would make a fabulous starting point for the study of many related Science, Social Studies and Social Responsibility topics:  ecological systems, rivers/deltas, water quality, pollution, waste management, land use, mapping, timelines, Industrial Revolution, First Nations Studies, leadership, social activism (just to name a few!)

A quick Google search of the title combined with the phrase, “lesson plans” yielded many good finds.

Here are just a few:

Using “A River Ran Wild” to introduce cause/effect relationships in literature

A series of lessons also featuring cause/effect relationships

Another series of lessons to introduce the life of a river and the effects of pollution

An long list of K-12 lessons related to rivers and their care

A science project for intermediate grades in which students build a mock water treatment facility

As for connections to DWS, this book has many!

Here are just a few that come to mind:

• One person (operating on Level D!) can make a huge difference in the world!

• People like Marion are an inspiration to others; enthusiasm and dreams are infectious!

• It requires determination and long term persistence to restore a river; both Level D character traits!

• Worthwhile goals sometimes take years to accomplish; it’s important not to lose sight of your goal.

• Imagine the sense of satisfaction Marion and others must have, knowing the enormity of what they have accomplished!  Strong feelings of satisfaction comes from operation at only one of the developmental levels – Level D!

• Standing up for what you believe takes courage.  Once one individual speaks up though, others will often add their support!

• Even if a situation looks hopeless, there may be a solution.  Don’t give up on your dreams!

Any of the above discussion topics could be followed with DWS reflective questions designed to get kids to think more deeply about their own behavior, or inspire them to pursue dreams of their own:

Here are just a few examples:

• In our own area, are there any ecological systems or wildlife species that are currently endangered?

• What would a person like Marion do about these problems?

• Is there anything we could do to help?

• Why is it important to think carefully about how we treat our planet?

• Why is a book like “A River Ran Wild” important for people to read?

• Have you ever had the courage to speak up for what was right?  How did you feel?  Were you glad you did?

• Throughout the past century there have been other individuals like Marion Stoddart who are enviornmental activists.  Do you know any of their stories?  How could we learn about them?  Are there any people in our own area that are helping to protect the environment/animals in some way?

• What special character traits did Marion possess?  Which do you admire most?  Do you ever demonstrate any of those same traits?

A new documentary is soon to be released sharing the parallel stories of Marion Stoddart’s life and the Nashua River.  The title is “The Work of 1000.”  I plan to look for it!

One thing I always admire about this friend is her ability to take an idea and run with it in the classroom.  She  inspires, elevates and motivates her students!  Teresa often bases interesting lessons for her grade sixes on some little item she’s found in the newspaper, something she’s heard on a radio talk show or something that comes from a good book she is reading herself.  She has a knack for recognizing something small that is full of potential.  She often takes one of these small ideas and then develops it into an in-depth theme that continues to grow, over weeks in her classroom.  I’m always amazed at how she is able to do this so creatively and (yet, it seems to me!) so effortlessly.

Once, years ago––1996, I think––she heard about a boy from Ontario who had just started a social activist campaign called “Free the Children.” When she learned that Craig Kielburger was 12 years old, her ears perked up; that was the same age as the students she taught.  Very quickly she had her class researching and learning about Craig and his valiant (Level D) crusade to eradicate child labor across the world.  Eventually, when she learned that Craig was planning a fundraising trip to our province, she and the class invited him to speak and join their families for dinner, thus making learning come alive in the truest sense!

This past year she had another good spur-of-the-moment “back to school” idea that I thought I’d share, for others who teach older students and might like to kick off their school year in a meaningful and exciting way.  (It would also provide a way in which to reinforce Level D concepts––taking initiative, taking personal responsibility for happiness, character traits of perseverance, determination etc. etc.)

Teresa is an avid reader.  Last summer, when she finished reading “The Last Lecture:  Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” by Randy Pausch, she saw  great potential for using this book with her grade sixes as a way to encourage goal-setting at the beginning of the school year.  After sharing parts of the book with the class and having them watch the youtube video of Pausch’s incredible speech, she had the kids go home and interview their parents. She had them ask their parents about their childhood dreams: Which ones had they achieved?  Which ones had slipped away? Naturally, after all this discussion and thinking, the kids were really well prepared and primed to do a thoughtful job of writing their own goals––for the school year and beyond.

When Teresa and I were in university together, we had a Social Studies Ed. prof who often recommended, “Whenever you learn something interesting yourself, share it with kids.”  I think that Teresa learned that lesson well from our prof!