Parent Helper, and Diddle-Diddle-Dumpling

I volunteered to help out in Nicco's class today. Nicco has been looking forward to this day since I told him I would be coming in last week. He said he wanted to introduce me to everyone in his class. When I arrived, he introduced me to each of the kids at his table and in transition time, he introduced me to a couple others. He had to focus on his work and activities, so he didn't get through all 21 kids. He said I could come back again another time to meet everyone else.

Mrs. Cornwell stuck me in her office cutting out shapes and other things for future assignments. She does a lot of work she doesn't need to do. She had sheets of paper with 3 jars drawn on them, with the word "Name" written at the top. She drew each of the jars. And wrote the word name above each one. There were probably 200 of these jars. She drew them all. I wanted to introduce her to the photocopy machine. But I didn't, I just sliced each of the papers in thirds.

When I finished that assignment, I worked with a couple of individual students reviewing letter names and sounds with flash cards. When I finished that, I still had about 20 minutes left in my "shift" so I asked if I could hang out with the kids. I helped some kids who needed help and I sat on the rug with them during a repetition activity. As the kids got to the rug, Mrs. Cornwell started handing out golden tickets for the treasure drawing to kids who sat down quickly and quietly. Nicco was one of the first, and he was very quiet, with his little hands folded in his lap. When the kids saw the tickets, they started waving their hands in the air to get attention. Nicco did not. After a few moments passed, he did raise his hand, but he did not get a ticket. I am not a big fan of rewarding expected behavior. I think rewards are best for going above and beyond, but if one chooses to reward good expected behavior, one should reward liberally. Nicco has expressed disappointment in "not getting a single golden ticket," and he is keenly aware that one particularly naughty boy came back from being sent to the principal's office with a reward.

I remind him that some days they get treasure, some days they don't, but Nicco appears to be one of those good, quiet little kids who works hard and conscientiously to do his best to meet expectations but gets looked over because he is quiet. I know it is easy to appease the mostly good kids who make a little noise just to get them to hush, but it isn't a great policy. I don't want Nicco to expect a reward every time he does what is expected of him, but darn it, when there are rewards, he should get one too; at least often enough not to have hurt little feelings. So, I did what any other enabling and entitling mother would do. I stopped at the store on my way to pick him up and got him a little treasure. I justify this action because I witnessed Nicco following all instructions, being a good little listener and careful worker, being kind and quiet when some of his friends were disruptive and pesky to one another, and getting passed by when rewards were handed out. Also, I didn't just give him his reward for the vague reason of being a good boy. I told him the specific good things I saw him do at school. He was so happy! And guess what...he came home and ate his lunch quickly but without rushing and said, "Aren't you proud of me for that? I deserve that reward." Then he replicated the work he did at school so I would be "more proud of him."

I was glad to get into the classroom and see the routine and the kids Nicco spends his mornings with. And I'm proud of my little kindergarten kiddo.

Nicco and Jackson, hard at work.

And as something of a follow up/addition to the post about Nicco's interesting outfits, Nicco comes home and takes off two shoes and one sock. He spends the rest of his afternoons with one sock off and one sock on. When I call him my diddle-diddle-dumpling, he usually responds "one sock off and one sock on."