And Everyone Wins

-Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends

My class loves to hug.

The standard greeting at our School is to squat down to the child's eye level and offer a greeting and handshake. We even practice on each other at staff orientation.

It's a wonderful lesson in Respect for the child, from teacher to child and child to teacher. I like that the child has power in the choice to say hello and enters or leaves school at his will. Plus his personal space is honored. (The handshakes also help us in our work greeting the elders at the Adult Day Care Center in our building.)

We often laugh, however, because as the children get more comfortable coming and going, they pause and wonder for a moment if it's appropriate to hug.

Interestingly, we've gotten to a point in Unity Class where there is no Pause.

C and I are hugged constantly, the children hug each other and rarely do group hugs turn into pile-ons.

I am happy with this. We talk a lot about our Unity Class and set goals for peace, love and harmony. The rampant hugging is a sign to me that the children are comfortable and happy and want to share that peace with everyone around.

On our current playlist:

Peace Train by Cat Stevens
Heal the World by Michael Jackson
This Land is Your Land by Woodie Guthrie
I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing sung by The New Seekers
It's a Small World sung by Mike Curb Congregation
Three Little Birds by Bob Marley

They like to dance. I might as well put flowers in their hair.