Jolly Postman

One of the teachers I work with, Bec, put together a great unit of work around the book "The Jolly Postman" by Alan and Janet Ahlberg. Students made story maps of the journey that the Jolly Postman went on as he delivered his mail, and learnt how to write a letter and address an envelope.

Bec also made up a simple A5 letter template for students to use to write letters to one another. We made up red post boxes (as our postboxes are red in Australia) and encouraged students to start writing. I gave my students a folder to store their letters in so that they remember to reply to the people who write to them.

It has been amazing to see how involved students have become with this. One student even went home on the weekend and wrote letters to just about everyone in the class! I was surprised by this as it used to be hard to get him to sit still and write at all. As you can see, this project really has the kids motivated.

I have also been impressed by the quality of the letters. Students are trying to write small and neatly. They are also checking punctuation (with some reminders). Most of all, I love the content of these letters - they are using the social conventions for letters, and as time goes on, are making the letters unique to the person to whom they are writing.

Compliments to Strengthen the Heart

Earlier in the week, I did a lesson on "looking after other people". I followed this up by having my students work on complimenting one another. I photocopied an A3 heart, divided into 20 spaces (one for each of the kids in my class and for me to write a compliment in). After talking about some of the things we could write to build one another up, I set my students free to roam the room and write their compliments. We probably had about 20 minutes, and did not quite complete all compliments for all students. I think another 20 minute session will finish it off.

It was interesting to hear the comments that students made as they went around the room. Some, of course, got caught up in counting how many comments they had! But, most were really engaged in leaving compliments for others. I found that my students were quite interested in reading the compliments that I left. I think that they will learn more about how to compliment by seeing how others do it.

One little boy came running up to me after reading my compliment and asked, "How do YOU know that I am imaginative?" I laughed and told him that I see it in his artwork and in his writing. He confirmed it and told me that he is also very imaginative at home.

I really enjoyed this activity as it also gave me the opportunity to remember all the special things about these kids and to verbalise it to them. Too often I will think all the good things about them, but forget to tell them!