Team Work to Make the Dream Work

 What do you do with a problem that is too big to solve alone?

A game of catch, turned quickly into a hat stuck up too high. 

I heard yelling, was someone hurt? Mad? Arguing? Having WAY too much fun? As I made my way down to the snail a herd of students ran my way. 

HIS HAT IS STUCK! - AD

My hat is too high, I can't reach it! - JB

JB was throwing his hat for me and now we can't reach it, it's too hard. - HW

I approached the snail, ready to help brainstorm a way to solve this problem.

We need a ladder. - HW

Ya, and a tall person! - EM

I walked in. 

Hey Ms. Nicki - YOU ARE THE TALLEST PERSON HERE! (EM, you made my week with that observation!) - EM

I am pretty tall. Thank you for noticing. 

You are tall and we need to reach that hat. - JB

We tried and tried, JB giving me very detailed directions on how to reach the hat. 

At last, SUCCESS!

Well, 5 minutes later that same herd came running my way yelling the very same things!

This time, I wandered down to the snail. When I arrived, I noticed a few friends excitedly working together. Stacking and moving, shifting and piling. Problem solving like it was their job. 

Then slowly, JB climbed a top the stack, to be only inches from reaching his hat. 

What could we do? 

What could we do differently?

More joined, more ideas flowed. 

I was on the edge of my seat - would we get that hat back?!

Still not tall enough.

We wished for something taller to stand on. 

Something sturdy.

MS to the rescue! 

Who would be brave enough to test it?

It's not stable! - JB

I will try anyway.

Here, hold my spoon.

So close. Can we do it?!

What do you do with a problem that is too big to solve alone?

You think.

You plan. 

You communicate.

You try. 

You try again.

You listen.  

You solve the problem TOGETHER.

Happy Thursday Birch Room.