#Kinderchat, glue, glitter, gogurt, bringing daily joy to twitter. Find us Mondays, 9 pm EST and 8:30PM London time when we talk all things Early Years!
Steph here from Converse College, PreService T. I ate Gummie Bears and Popcorn after school. It was my daughters day to choose... and I’m not sorry! 😁 #kinderchat#conversechat
Faige from Los Angeles. Beautiful day here as I subbed in 1st grade. Snack my left over croissant cheese from lunch. Then in bed. Still fighting a cold #kinderchat
Liane from Abbotsford BC. Popping in and out. Had to practice the choir piece for our choral morning next week. Gun play? It doesn't bug me but I believe we have school rules about that. #kinderchat
A1: First, I’m uncomfortable. Only because the rest of the world has made it nearly normal to feel that way. But then I immediately remember my VERY first psych course that taught me that children LEARN THEOUGH PLAY! #conversechat#kinderchat
A1: shut it down. We don’t let our Ss have weapons in school & tell them not to scare us. Read the article & it has good points, but I’m still wary about allowing it #kinderchat
I think since I made my sticks in to guns and swords and bows and arrows as a kid, gun play doesn't bug me too much. I was constantly trying to make a bow out hay bale twine and sticks. CONSTANTLY. #kinderchat
Total tangent, but: I wonder what role gender plays in our discomfort w/gun play? Are male teachers less worried about it? cc @jonfines@mattbgomez. #Kinderchat
Total tangent, but: I wonder what role gender plays in our discomfort w/gun play? Are male teachers less worried about it? cc @jonfines@mattbgomez. #Kinderchat
Q2: biggest is that “it leads to future violence”...🤮 word vomit right out of my own mouth! I think if more people knew the facts instead of the assumptions and accusations, it wouldn’t make the topic so hard to face. #conversechat#kinderchat
I tried to see when this article was written and I think the author(s) are from New Zealand. So I really feel a lot depends on the culture and the violence kids have access to whether TV games apps etc. #kinderchat also home life
A2: biggest is that “it leads to future violence”...🤮 word vomit right out of my own mouth! I think if more people knew the facts instead of the assumptions and accusations, it wouldn’t make the topic so hard to face. #conversechat#kinderchat
And here's the thing: adult discomfort with something is not enough of a reason to ban or even discourage it. We need to UNDERSTAND it, first. #Kinderchat
Few kids got yelled at for it here. I feel like it'd be something they would say something about because parents wouldn't like it if found out about. #KinderChat
In reply to
@dubioseducator, @happycampergirl, @JonFines, @mattBgomez
Our discomfort with gun play is related to adult baggage -- Sandy Hook, Columbine -- that is unrelated to the reality of the role of this kind of play. #Kinderchat
A2: A misconception is that the kids are imitating something that they think is real, therefore they'll be violent in the future. Kids also pretend to fly. They often imitate what others are doing and what they see on TV, games, and movies. #Kinderchat
A3: creating their own allows it to be transformed into anything they want at any given time. also helps them channel creativity and emotion #kinderchat
They do understand some of this because when we had our 1st lockdown drill, my Ss right away said that would be what we’d do if someone had a gun. But with the gun play, I think they have understanding it isn’t real #kinderchat
An aside: if we talk about learning to use our words, self-control etc how does the gun play violence become play exploration and not a way to solve an issue #kinderchat
I'm not gonna lie. I feel... I guess uneasy with this topic tonight because... Like... I'm for expression and creativity but... I guess because it has to do with imaginary weapons... #KinderChat
It does have some good points, I’m still wary about allowing it. I’d have to discuss w/my team too so they aren’t hearing it’s ok from me & getting in trouble from another teacher #kinderchat
In reply to
@MmeKathleen, @KeeneeLou, @dubioseducator, @happycampergirl, @JonFines, @mattBgomez
A3: anytime you have a child create they challenge or adapt their prior understanding. They may challenge themselves to pretending using something else #kinderchat
A3: Creativity at its finest. Building their imagination right at its core. If they have the ability to use something simple and make it into something so much more interesting just to suffice a few minutes of uninterrupted imaginative play... so be it! #conversechat#kinderchat
I do think some of it is environment too. When I was growing up, my nephews & I played spies and had a huge pile of stick guns in our tree house. We knew that play was ok at home & not at school though #kinderchat
Love this question. I have asked them the purpose of the guns, talked about how they came up with the idea. How they made it. And the usually reassure me it “just pretend” but then they get so rambunctious #kinderchat and at times not safe
A4: Definitely being safe, i.e. don't run around the room and jump off furniture. No physical contact with peers. Encourage them to pretend they're cowboys or something along those lines. #kinderchat
A4: the biggest rule I would have is that if someone isn’t comfortable w/that play or says stop, they MUST stop. Respect everyone’s feelings of safety #kinderchat
A4: Have not done research. School policy is no guns. I redirect and encourage to play something else. I enter into play with them so they know what appropriate play looks like. #kinderchat
A4: create rules for pretend gun play with students. also important that every child involved in pretend gun play consents to thatntype of play #kinderchat
I have spent time with students talking about how superheroes work...they don't use their powers to hurt others without it being a defense of others who arent able to defend themselves. Superheroes have more self-control, we talked about calm as being a superpower #kinderchat
A4. Also nothing near the face and see if your friend wants to play. When friend says no more then you stop!! And stopping is the BIG challenge when kinders are in full play mode #kinderchat
A4: ...hm. I think it’d be fun to have them do some sort of rule pledge or promise before partaking in the play. Maybe just to keep them aware that it is play, it sure would help families to understand it’s ok and actually normal. #kinderchat#conversechat
I agree there is a certain feeling that we need to quash this kind of play as soon as we see it. I never saw anything wrong with it until I heard it wasn't allowed at school when I first started supplying. Understanding the WHY we should or should not would help #kinderchat
Q5: How would you discuss appropriate pretend gun play with a coworker, supervisor, or parent who disagrees with your point of view in allowing it? #kinderchat
A5 I’d talk about the imaginative process, the collaboration with peers. The inherent fun of rough and tumble play as they Pretend. But first I’d make sure I really believed it and right now I’m still on the fence. #kinderchat
A5: I would start by showing data and research as a starting point (as like anything else) and hear what their concerns are and go from there #KinderChat
Q5: How would you discuss appropriate pretend gun play with a coworker, supervisor, or parent who disagrees with your point of view in allowing it? #kinderchat
A5: go into conversation as a listener and leaner, not an enforcer of opinions. Ask their ideas of imaginative play and what that might look like #kinderchat
A5: There is a difference between imitation play and pretend play. We need to understand the purpose and be able to help the children develop a plan. Help them develop their play and take it to the next level. #kinderchat
