Thumb-body Special

This Elvis quote has made me think about thumbprints. 
   

How do you celebrate differences? 

Nothing shows that we are all unique better than a finger or thumbprint. Start a morning meeting or sensitivity circle sometime soon by asking students 
what it means to say: 
You’re Thumb-body Special. 
Do they agree? Why or why not? 
Encourage students to tell and show you what qualities or virtues they have that make them who they are and what talents or skills they possess that set them apart, make them special, different and unique. 
What are their likes? 
What are their dislikes? 
Not good, not bad, just different.
Talk about how every single person has a uniquely different fingerprint and how prints are used for identification purposes. For fun, you could even order 
Child Find ID Kits and fingerprint them. 

Let your discussion lead to a fingerprint art activity like this cute character pillar. Six prints, one for each pillar ... click {here} for additional thumbprint activity ideas.

To get to know my thumb-body specials better this year, I've opened up the Counselor Cafe and am planning to eat lunch with every student in the school before the year is out. Using an idea I got from Jenn over at North Pointe Elementary, I started yesterday, with four third-grade friends and we had great fun! With dance music softly playing to create a carefree ambiance, we dined together in my counseling suite and talked about their favorite things in third grade so far. Then we discussed their likes and dislikes before doing some prompts from Free Spirit's What Would You Do? cards. 

What fun food for thought for my little pillars.




4 comments

  1. Great ideas Barbara. How fun for you and the kids to lunch together. How special for the kids to know that you are going to take time to get to know each of them a little better while they have an extra special lunch time. I would say that that makes you an extra special counselor!
    Shawna
    The Picture Book Teacher's Edition

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love! That sounds fun!
    I've done the thumbprint lesson before by showing them a pretty box (I think it had a target ornament in it in a previous life) and ask them what kind of gift is inside. I let them guess, then each of them opens the lid and peeks in without telling anyone what they saw. Inside I taped a mirror to the lid so that they could see themselves. (I'm sure I stole this from somewhere - just can't remember where)
    Then we talk about how they are all special, unique gifts - leading into thumbprints...
    So they can see their thumbprint, they each take turns putting theirs with an inkpad on a piece of posterboard that I decorate and give to their teacher at the end of the lesson! Fun!

    ReplyDelete
  3. We talked about tolerance this week. I decided to define it as being kind even when someone is different. I'm not sure if I got that exactly right. I'd love to hear how you would define it.
    ❀ Tammy
    Forever in First

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's an interesting word, tolerance, because it's got two meanings to me. If I tolerate something, that means I put up with it, right? Accept it, even though it's different ... kind of like what you said!

      But then there's the flip side ... do I tolerate bad behavior? Do I accept inappropriate words, for example, because I'm should be tolerant? I think that's gets tricky to discern for little kids ... well, and sometimes for big kids!

      Thanks for stopping by and reflecting about that with us.

      Delete

I really enjoy hearing from my readers; thanks for sharing your reflections with us!