Classroom Ninja Training: Responsibility

We are ninjas this year but we are all about the positive qualities that a ninja can possess.  So far we have talked about: bravery, perseverance, and curiosity.  Next up...responsibility

Our goal was to help the students understand that as responsible students they need to take care of their own things, pick up after themselves, and take ownership.   What better way to teach them this than by letting them create a total pigsty.  Right?  Paper ball wads flying everywhere....

As soon as the activity started (with paper balls flying past me and into me), I was pretty sure that Jess and I had made a mistake.  It was not a good idea.  And I am still trying to think about how we can improve upon this lesson.  That will come to me....at some point.

Once the paper balls were picked up, they were calmer, quieter.  We moved on to the "meat" of our lesson.  Making the connection between the pigsty they created, the book "Pigsty," and the word responsibility.

I love this book because the mom in the story tells her son that it is his responsibility to clean his room and he chooses not to.  So what happens?  Pigs begin living in his room, of course.  It is not until his toys and books start to get ruined that he decides a clean room is a better room.  He goes to his mom but receives no help from her (thank goodness)!  After the pigs help him to clean and move on their way, the little boy learns that his room is his responsibility.

I loved that the mom in this story did not cave in and clean his room with or for him.  It allowed me to spring board into the importance of students being responsible for their own things (such as their daily folder or books that are sent home).  These school things are not the responsibility of the their parents.

Once our book, connections to the pigsty, and word responsibility were made, Jess introduced a graph.  We asked them whether they kept their own room clean or as a pigsty. 

Most of our students do not have rooms.  So we quickly inserted the words "where you sleep" or "a space in your home."  After a "turn and talk,"  each student placed a small sticky note in the correct column.  The results were a little stunning.

My own children must be some kind of oddity because their room is an absolute pigsty...ALL.THE.TIME.  But I will not jump on that topic right now!

As our training continued, our ninjas learned about how to be responsible users of iPads.  These types of lessons will continue to occur throughout the next few weeks.  But the word responsibility has its foundation laid and we are ready to build upon it!

Go Ninjas and be responsible!