I asked my students what they thought the meaning of the word commitment was. Jacobi was quick to raise his hand and say "it means a plan." Excellent! We are on the right track :) They continue to talk about being good listeners, making smart behavior choices, and so on but we seemed to be dancing around the idea. So, I gave students the example of going fishing and how when I threw my line out the first time and reeled it in, there was nothing on it but a bunch of seaweed. What now? What do I do? Do I cry? Do I go back home? Instantly hands were being raised and smiles came across their faces. They said things like "no, you keep trying" and "you don't cry you smile because your having fun." I could see now that they were understanding this word much better. We were easily able to relate this back to our school work and how when we feel we make a mistake or something seems to hard for us we must stick to our plan. Don't give up, don't cry, but keep a smile on your face and know that practice makes perfect!
All day long I tried to reinforce this word and its meaning by praising students when I felt they were showing commitment. Commitment to a "super star line" when they were able to keep quiet the whole way down the hall...commitment when they began their Dibels testing and had to read words they didn't yet know...commitment when I asked them to listen and discuss a story even though we were running late for recess (I apologize boys and girls). It was awesome to seem them relishing in the idea and praise of being a committed learner. They are truly awesome kids! So give them a big hug for me, tell them how proud you are of them and their commitment to learning, and encourage them to never ever give up!