Mandalas

[kawaiikiki]

My class has been having a hard time focusing during read aloud (when I read to them). Last year I had them sit quietly at their desks and for the most part it was ok, but I did have some students drawing and writing, but they weren't disruptive, so it wasn't a huge concern. But, I did want them to be more focused on what I was reading, so this

Comments

[tiffanyharvey]

I bet it takes less concentration for them to color the geometric designs than to think up something to draw when they are doodling on their own. So, they have more attention on the reading.

One of your mandalas has more than three colors! Were you trading behind the teachers back?

[kawaiikiki]

Exactly! I noticed almost a meditative feeling while doing it too, it kind of frees your mind.

Haha, actually 2 of them have more than 3 colors. I started out just coloring whatever color I wanted then I wanted to see how restrictive it felt to only have 3 colors, and it wasn't at all. But, I decided that I will let them use more than 1 color on some occasions and I am going to have them do one in marker so we can hang them in out classroom window.

[honeymellie]

I made kind of the same experience during my nurse school. I had a hard time not falling asleep while the teachers were talking so I tokk up an old hobby to draw picture riddles, where a matrix is given that tells U how many squares U have to fill out in a row and U have to figure out, where to put it. (There is a nintendo DS game called "picross" that is like that). Anyways, I could get more out of what was told, took part in the lessons and trained my brain all at once. That was nice.
There are several Mandala designer in the toy dpartments. Maybe U could try to design your own.

[kawaiikiki]

That is great! Did the teachers mind you doing it?

[honeymellie]

Some tried to take it away but I could always reason good enough so that they'd let me do it. I said they could take it away and after half an hour the latest my mind would be wondering away and I wouldn't know a thing of what they were saying or they would let me do it and I would get something out of their class.

[carolinarico]

What an amazing idea! (It must've come from Bernie.) I'll have to give it a try.

[kawaiikiki]

Actually it came from Joanne!

[carolinarico]

It seems like a great idea. I went online to see what was available without having to actually buy anything. There was a lot. I will print some & see how the students like doing them. I have some pretty artistic kids...

[kawaiikiki]

Do you have a full time class yet?

I can give you a bunch of extras the next time I see you.