Class Meeting ~ Purple Pickle

This week the students and I discussed communication.  We talked about how to deal with difficult classmates and situations where they felt like they weren't being listened too.  We discussed how sometimes each one of us has times where we get so focused on something that we don't listen to those around us.  The students suggested  we have a code word that we can use as a class to help refocus someone who isn't listening.  They worked together and decided on a simple phrase that would catch someone's attention.  Purple Pickle was thought to be both funny enough and unusual enough to distract their classmate long enough to get them to listen. We then talked about what to do when they got the person's attention.  We discussed using "I" phrases such as I feel hurt when you won't listen to me, and I really don't like it when you won't stop when I ask you to. I am so proud of the way they discussed their ideas and listened to those of their classmates.  I look forward to many more of these enlightening class meetings this year. :)