So this week we've been talking about toes. I was running through the Large Group activity with Miss Jeana's class. When it came to their turn, each child would pick a body part to add to the verse. We ended each verse with "Everybody knows I LOVE MY TOES!" (See activity in previous post).
The kids were having great fun and trying not to shout in their excitement. After a few verses, I started the final line "Everybody knows I LOVE MY..." and then paused, waiting for the children to finish the phrase "....TOES!" One child, who is usually reserved and quiet, called out:
"MYSELF!"
This was well received by the children so we started to end each verse with "Everybody knows I LOVE MYSELF!"
How many of us would say this as an adult? How many of us could say this out loud? This was one of those moments (and they happen more often than you would expect) where the roles of teacher and student were reversed. We, the teachers, marveled. What a fantastic response - completely innocent, trusting, and natural.
Now, when I'm starting to feel self-critical, I find myself chanting "I love myself" although not as loud as we did during Large Group.
But I'm learning.
