As much as I'm looking forward to the first day of school after a long summer, the thought of our morning shuffle still makes me twitch. Three kids, endless reminders: Wake up. Brush your teeth. Get dressed. Shoes. Backpack. One claims I never gave them their shoes. Another demands cereal right now. The third moans, "I'm dyyyy-iiinnng." We finally make it to the door—only to realize that, after all that, someone's still missing a shoe and someone else has to pee. Meanwhile, their teacher somehow gets 18 preschoolers to hang up coats, wash hands, and sit at a table without a single reminder or complaint. Eighteen kids. No yelling. Just smiles, on some Mary Poppins-level of order. I started paying attention and saw the magic wasn't as mystical as it first seemed—it was, to a significant extent, spatial. Each child had a cubby with their name and picture. A tiny, clearly defined space that seemed to make them want to take responsibility. So I put my DIY detective hat on and grabbed my tape measure, hunting for space to create a cubby system... |
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