Monday, January 24, 2011
"Aggressive" play
Looking for teacher and parent input. We have had some discussion about how much (if any) aggreesive play should be allowed at school, in the classroom, on the playground, even in the children's artwork. Examples we see include a variety of "shooting" and "exploding" when playing with construction materials such as blocks and legoes. Playing superheroes with pretend light sabers, etc. and drawing/writing about shooting, killing, exploding, bombs, etc. Our public school ave a zero tolerance policy about weapons and weapon look-alikes. We feel the need to follow peace principles recommended by Montessori, yet we need to prepare the children for a smooth transition to public school, while at the same time wanting to acknowledge and guide the children's need to process aggression and the good-evil conflict they see and know about from games, TV, etc. How about the new Iowa gun laws in the mix? WHAT DO YOU TEACHERS THINK/DO ABOUT THIS? WHAT DO YOU PARENTS DO? WHAT DO PARENTS THINK THE SCHOOL POLICY SHOULD BE? Dads please chime in because research sometimes blames the largely female teaching profession with an overall "female" tendency toward non-aggression, and say fantasy aggressive play is necessary for some chidlren. Is aggressive play something young children need to process through play? If so, how do we prepare them for zero tolerance in our public schools?
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We struggle with the same questions at home. I understand why the zero-tolerance policy regarding weapons exists in schools, but I don't feel banning "pretend" weapons is effective. Children have the need to explore the difference between good and bad, and it's much better done through pretend play than actual fighting, especially when teachers or parents are present to step in and help direct them when necessary. And while boys do tend to be the main participants in these kinds of games, girls are often exploring the same issues--the difference is that they are using "magic wands" to get the "mean witch" or "wicked stepmother." That being said, since most schools have the zero tolerance policy, children do need to learn how to refrain from certain behavior if and when it's not acceptable. If I knew how to teach that, then I'm sure the book I'd write would be an instant bestseller ;)
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with the previous comment. I believe values differ from home to home, but the line must be drawn at school when things go overboard. If great concerns arise, handling them on an individual basis is probably the most appropriate. I find it frustrating that there is so much violence in TV/video games/etc., but try to use it as a teaching opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI find that observing or questioning children about their games, building projects, or drawings reveals that often times they are working out the whole good/evil issue through play. Today we had 2 boys playing with Kinex. They had "bad guys" and "good guys". These guys had "machines" (not weapons). One boy said to the other BEFORE beginning the action, "The good guys are supposed to win, not the bad guys." He already had it in his hed that good triumphs over evil. They played safely and quietly, and were respectful of the materials. I decided not to interrupt... However, other teachers have mentioned instances of "I'm going to kill you" or "I'm going to explode your head." I think I'd redirect in those cases!
ReplyDeleteThose examples definitely show how being able to respond on an individual basis is crucial. One size does not fit all!
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