Me.
Last week, I scolded a boy in Jr F.I.R.S.T Lego League for not taking turns building the project, and for grunting at me. Actually, he was grunting at another little boy for grabbing the project from him, and he had not heard the instructions to take turns with the building and looking for parts. Meanwhile the other little boy had been waiting for 5 parts for his turn to add the part that should have been his 4 parts ago…
So, the problem was my own impatience in finding out all that was going on. And coming up with WAY too complex a scheme to have 3 little boys build a complex model. And not telling the parents how to help, or repeating the expectations to all the boys once they got there.
But this week was lovely. I picked out the pieces for two models before the kids got there, so they didn’t have competing piece sorting. The boys worked in two different rooms. We had a reader’s chair (with an adult reader) set up for them when they were done building and showing off what they had made to each other. The sun shone. We went to the play ground after snack time.
Note to self for next year: 5 kids max on the team. Start in October when the challenge is up on the web site, even if the robotic team is already up and going. Sort pieces ahead of time. Do repeat the plan for the kids once they are all together, maybe the hush before cookies land on their plate? Stretch out the pause between feeling frustrated with non-verbal little boys and saying anything: You are the Grownup!