Young Children - May 2008 - (Page 48) knowledge and respect for others; build a foundation for understanding the structures of power, authority, and governance; and understand the civic ideals and practices of citizenship (see national social studies standards at www. socialstudies.org/standards). If we want to move away from the figurehead approach to this classroom routine, and make sure that children do not think that they are special only when it is their day, then we must help children understand what it means to be a leader or a helper, or whatever we choose to call it. We must encourage children to actively question and construct the roles and responsibilities that come with this position. © Ellen B. Senisi What direction to take? Pam decided to either abandon the Leader of the Day routine or, with the assistance of practicum students at the university, revamp the way it is implemented. She realized that children need to understand the purpose in the practice and also have ownership of it. The initial reactions of the practicum students varied: “Every school does this,” “Can young children really process the concept of leaders and leadership?” “If we let children make decisions about classroom routines and activities, what happens if they make unreasonable decisions?” The children’s responses particularly intrigued Pam. She wondered, “Is this practice so entrenched that it is somehow threatening to question it?” “What does this say about our image of the child?” “What are our assumptions about what children are capable of?” Following the guidelines expressed in the DAP framework (p. 46), Pam thoughtfully developed a series of activities to involve the children in making decisions about the Leader of the Day routine. Day 1: Opening the discussion. After reading the Dr. Seuss story, I asked the children, “What do you think leaders should be called?” “Where should leaders sit?” My questions were meant to encourage children to make connections between the king in this story and the Leader of the Day routine. The children said a king is like a leader, because • The leader leads people to do what he or she wants. • Leaders sit up high in a king’s chair. • The leader tells people what to do. The children also noticed that the king does not help people, but hurts them. They commented on his not having nice manners, teasing others, being demanding, and saying things like “I want” and “No.” They described Yertle as a mean leader and concluded that • A nice leader helps people who are hurt. • Leaders should say “Please” and “Thank you.” Day 2: Should we change what we call Leader of the Day? The children wanted the routine to continue but wondered about changing what we call the person in this position. The children came up with the ideas of helper, star, and student, and some still wanted the position to be called leader. I asked the children to think about it some more in preparation for a vote the next day. Dora and I anticipated the various consequences of the children’s vote. What if the children decided to still call it Leader of the Day? Or if they chose Star, would that be worse than Leader? Ultimately, we decided that what really matters is that the children understand the purpose of the role and its responsibilities. Looking over the DAP guidelines, we decided that the children’s involvement in defining this position would help them understand what it means to assume the position and carry out the role and responsibilities. Their knowledge would minimize unintended consequences, like children equating holding this position with being special. When the The children’s involvement: Pam’s description Using the book Yertle the Turtle, by Dr. Seuss, I introduced the idea of leadership to the children. I thought this story of a dictator, written shortly after World War II, would be a good starting point to talk about what a leader is by looking at what a leader is not. The children’s involvement in defining this position would help them understand what it means to assume the position and carry out the role and responsibilities. 48 Young Children • May 2008 http://www.socialstudies.org/standards http://www.socialstudies.org/standards http://www.socialstudies.org/standards
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