Bubbles and Puzzles!

I firmly believe there is something magical about bubbles! Blow them at a baby, and watch their eyes light up! As adults, there are some who will say "it is just soapy water... nothing special"... but not me! This past week I have discovered it is a stress relief for me. Now, bubbles (especially good ones... that actually produce a lot when you blow) are not found in the village. So I had some that were sent in a care package last year and I use them sparingly. But this week, I got really frusterated, my kids were acting up, and i put one in time out. I decided to break out the bubbles for a purely punitive effect (didn't want him participating... but seeing us having fun) and, as I blew, and I watched my students laughing and popping them... I relaxed. All seemed to be right in the world again. It was especially fun to watch my new 3 year old who didn't quite know what to make of them at first and then really got into them! So, that is my theory for the week... bubbles have magical property!
My other big success of the week was a puzzle I brought in. I have always been a huge fan of puzzles in classrooms. I like choosing one that is just hard enough for the students to really have to struggle with it but not so hard that they can't complete it. Another volunteer left a 500 piece puzzle (and no, I did give it to my developmentally delayed kids... I gave it to the deaf students at my center). The first day I showed them how to put together the outside of the puzzle first, and then left them to do it. The next day i checked back in and they had destroyed the work they had done, put it back in the box, and said it was "too hard". Well, not one to take that... I brought it out on my break and just started working on it (apparently, having me work on it and struggle with it made it more interesting). So all the kids wanted to help. They are now about halfway done. I explained that it isn't something to finish in a day but if they all worked on it a little bit at a time over a week or two, it would get done. To me, puzzles teach team work, perserverence, and patience... as well as good skills such as observation and matching!
So, those have been my successes this week... bubbles and puzzles! I think sometimes our world is too complicated and we bring that to our work... me, I enjoy the simple things! So, everyone stateside... go to the 99cent store, get a thing of bubbles... and go blow them at work... and see how many new friends you make and how much more enjoyable and stress free you work becomes!