| With 24 years teaching preschoolers social and | | | | For those of you who appreciate brain science, my |
| emotional skills, I surprised myself this year by | | | | emotions were about to hijack my amygdala. I |
| discovering a new tool: FUN MUSIC or what the kids | | | | needed to get back to a place of choice, to let my |
| call: making up songs about us. And that's just what I | | | | intellect catch up. It was then, from the depths of |
| do, I make up songs about what I appreciate in | | | | me came: FUN MUSIC. Spontaneous Song! |
| them; about what I value; about the behavior I | | | | To the tune of This Old Man, I sang out: |
| observe. And I have fun with music by singing about | | | | "That little boy, |
| what I'd like to see them doing differently. It's | | | | He's two plus two; |
| particularly fun to make up a song about myself, my | | | | He won't put |
| responses to their behavior, particularly misbehavior. | | | | On his shoe." |
| Laughing at myself was a wonderful way to move | | | | "What can I do, |
| through my frustration and back to having fun with | | | | What can I do? |
| these amazing preschoolers. | | | | He won't put |
| After specializing in puppetry and the expressive arts, | | | | On his shoe." |
| having fun with music did not come easily. It came | | | | The room grew silent. They were listening. |
| from necessity, the mama of all inventions. I was | | | | Preschoolers love repetition so I sang another verse: |
| experiencing a great deal of frustration, particularly | | | | "That little girl |
| when it came time for clean up. All my effective | | | | She's two plus two. |
| tools had lost their edge as the children turned four | | | | She will not |
| and became more independent | | | | Put on her shoe." |
| (ie: pushing limits). | | | | "What can I do, |
| I was losing some of my joy and delight in working | | | | What can I do? |
| with the children, and this was unacceptable to me. I | | | | She will not |
| could have put the blame on burnout, or told myself | | | | Put on her shoe!" |
| it was time to retire. I could have put the problem on | | | | The room of preschoolers burst into giggles. I had |
| the kids themselves. But, being an emotionally | | | | them now and invited them to help me solve the |
| intelligent adult, I chose instead to change my | | | | problem. |
| response to the situation. I had the burning desire to | | | | "What can I do |
| change how I felt about their behavior but didn't | | | | What can I do? |
| know how to do so. | | | | They will not |
| As is often true of burning desire, the answer | | | | Put on their shoes." |
| comes, from within or from others One day during a | | | | Within moments, the children grabbed their discarded |
| particularly frustrating session, where I'd been virtually | | | | shoes and put them on. |
| ignored by the preschoolers, I found my emotions | | | | Having fun with music had saved the day. I had again |
| expanding. Here I was a veteran preschool teacher | | | | fallen in love with my preschoolers. |
| engaged in a power struggle with eight four year | | | | I laughed through the final verse: |
| olds. And I was losing. It's a known fact that even | | | | "I was frustrated |
| when we win a power struggle with a preschooler, | | | | Now I'm calm. |
| what we lose is peace of mind. | | | | |