Choose Beautiful....

A while ago I saw an ad on TV for Dove soap called "Choose Beautiful."  It was a social experiment where women were asked to make a choice as they walked through a door.  They could either go through the BEAUTIFUL side or the AVERAGE side.  I loved seeing the results, and thought I'd share the video with my class.   A terrific discussion followed about self-confidence and self-worth.  It was great!

The following year, I decided to go a step further and have my students make the decision themselves before I showed them the video.  At first, they weren't quite sure what to do.  They just stood there staring at the two choices!   I would simply encourage them to choose a side.

After some thought, each child made a decision and walked into the room.  Of course, they all gathered to see which side their classmates would choose, and the kids were all asking each other which side they chose.  There was such a wonderful feeling of excitement and energy that filled the classroom!

I stood outside my door that morning, curious to see which side each child would choose.  I learned  a lot about how each child viewed him/herself that day.  

I was surprised as I watched one of the most "beautiful" students in my class walk through the AVERAGE side.  This particular student is kind, sweet, caring, as smart as can be, and also physically beautiful (in my opinion) - yet she chose the AVERAGE side.  I never questioned any of the kids about their choice; however I did notice that after watching the video and having a class discussion, many of the students went over to the BEAUTIFUL side.

Two of my girls trying to decide which side to walk through.  One chose BEAUTIFUL, one chose AVERAGE

My students enjoyed the experiment so much that I decided to change the signs above the door every day for a week.  I tried to create signs that would cause the children to think and reflect about themselves.  Each day we would discuss the new signs and talk about what we could do to become even better versions of ourselves.  

The children noticed that when the signs in the picture above were up on our door, I went through the left side, and they called me out on it.  They said, "Mrs. Monks, you always try your best!"  And I explained that there are some days that I feel I can try even harder.  I told them that I wasn't ashamed to admit that and that I'm going to try to do my best even more than I do now.   In that moment, they realized that there wasn't a "bad" side and a "good" side of the door.  There was simply an opportunity to reflect and be honest with ourselves in order to become even stronger in the future.  SO many valuable lessons were learned that week!

By the end of the week, the students were the ones coming up with the ideas for the signs!  It was awesome.  They were so disappointed when I eventually took the signs down.  They wanted them to stay up for the rest of the year!

Clip below to view the video:

Choose Beautiful Video by Dove

The Carnival Year!

        Each door seems to have its own energy, and as I look back and reflect on each door, I remember vivid memories of that particular year.  I wonder if I would have those memories without my photos and the recollection of all of the activities that my class and I shared together that went with that year's theme.  The carnival year was a particularly fun year, and the first week of school was chock full with one exciting activity after another!
        Looking back at the carnival door makes me smile.  It was the first year that my door went 3D.  I knew that I needed a circus tent, but I didn't want to go overboard.  I decided to create a small awning out of lightweight insulation board, and it made a great impact.  I painted it white and used red duct tape for the stripes.  It was easy, and the kids loved it!
     Another first for that year was adding the students' photos to the door.  That was difficult back then because we weren't computerized.  I actually had to find the pictures in each child's permanent record folder, take a picture of the picture, download it to my computer, enlarge it, print it and cut each one out.  It took forever!  It was all worth it when I saw the children's reactions on the first day of school when they saw our door and realized that they were on the roller coaster or sitting in the ferris wheel!
     It's in that very moment when you see a child's eyes come to life, that you realize that it's the little things that make all the difference.  They feel so very special.  They get incredibly excited.  It immediately sets a positive tone for the year- before they even step inside your classroom!

Notice the roller coaster is levitating!!!

Maggie the clown!

   

The Ranch Year

     Many people ask me how I come up with each year's theme.  That has always been super easy for me.  I usually find my inspiration sometime during the summer.  I see an object at a gift shop that speaks to me, or a visit to the Dollar Store sparks an idea.  When my mind is quiet, the ideas just flow.
     This year I created my 19th door.  The question I get the most often is, "Are you ever going to repeat a theme?"  The answer is always, "No way!"  First of all, I have no problem coming up with new ideas, and secondly, I want each new class to be represented by their own special, unique theme.
There will only be one class that is my Carnival Year or my M & M Year.  I remember my classes by their themes and all of the activities we do together that go with that particular theme.
     One year, the Ranch Year, I had a pretty challenging group of students.  They were wonderful kids, however, they had a LOT of energy!  I always remember that year as the "Whack a Mole" year.  Once I got one of my students calm and focused, another one would pop up and need attention.  There was SO much energy in that room.  I found myself going home in the afternoons, day after day, saying to myself, "When I'm in my classroom,  I feel like I'm in a jungle!"  The following year's theme was born in those moments!
     The funny thing was, my Jungle Year class was the farthest thing from a jungle.  They were the quietest, calmest, sweetest class I ever taught.  I would always tell them that I got their theme wrong.  They should have been the angel year!  Those sweet little Jungle kids are now seniors in high school and will be heading off to college in the fall.
     When each year has it's own theme, each student feels like he/she belongs to something special.  I believe that that is the key to making a connection with students.  When they feel like they belong, they develop a sense of pride.  I have heard old students of mine speaking with each other.  They will say, "You had Mrs. Monks, too?  What was your theme?  Mine was the Lighthouse Year!"  They remember.  It's a small part of how they define a part of their elementary school years.  It warms my heart.

     The Fire Marshall is not a big fan of mine.   That's an understatement.   I have been very fortunate to have worked for a group of principals over the years who have been able to "look the other way" when I decorate my doors, knowing that they are obviously a violation of the fire codes.  Usually, I keep my door up for the first two or three weeks of school, and then I would respectfully take it down, grateful that I was able to keep it up that long.

The Jungle Year

      One year,  I received a call over the summer from my principal telling me that things were getting a lot stricter, and that I wouldn't be able to decorate my door that year.  Of course, by the time I received that call, I had already planned out the entire Jungle themed door, and every monkey had been made.  I was so upset and wasn't quite sure what to do.
     That particular year was Amanda's year.  I had known Amanda since she was a baby and had taught her two older brothers.  She had been wondering what her 4th grade theme would be for years- there was no way I could let her down!
     I decided to head down to the Home Depot and started looking for my options.  I was drawn to these large, pink lightweight insulation boards.  They were inexpensive and very sturdy.  I brought two of them home, attached them together and covered them with bulletin board paper- I had it! A portable door!  I placed it right beside my classroom door and no one had any problems with it.  I actually loved it, because I kept it in our classroom for the entire year- I didn't need to take it down on the third week of school!
    Since that year, I have been able to go back to the traditional door, but I like that I know that I can continue with my traditions even if the rules get stricter in the future.  

Maggie xoxo