Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1360078
"We not only have puppets in education, but a school that teaches puppetry." —Elizabeth Choy, Fairfield-Suisun Unified Teachers Association of her own pocket, since district funding for puppet materials wasn't available. She tried DonorsChoose to help defray costs, then established Bok Choy 's Puppets (bokchoyspuppets.com), a nonprofit w h e re s h e m a k e s a n d s e l l s p u p p e t s and donates proceeds to Fairfield High School's theater program. Eager buyers, some from out of state, have commissioned Choy to make pup- pets of their dogs or even of themselves. She's currently working on a baby pup- pet the size of a 3-year-old, at 23 inches tall. It can take her anywhere from two days to two weeks to produce a puppet. Prices depend on complexity and size; she oers fellow teachers an Puppets and SEL By Justine Bruyère I T I S I M P O R T A N T for children to share their feelings and express how they are making sense of their environment, particularly in this challeng- ing time. Puppetry can engage elementary students in social-emotional learning and self-expression, invite children into conversations, and create safe spaces. Puppets can mirror student emotions, o™er windows into new thoughts, and give students tools to better manage emotions. If the thought of manipulating a puppet's mouth, arms and body while delivering curriculum is overwhelming, start with a plush toy or a hand puppet with no moving mouth parts. Surprisingly, research has shown that young children's belief in puppets is not typically attached to the teacher 's manipulation or even tone of voice, so don't worry about dis- guising your voice. Instead, keep in mind the character you've created for the puppet — such as its personality, family and hobbies. Begin with a text that openly shares emotion, such as Holdin Pott by Chandra Ghosh Ippen. Once the book has been shared and discussed, bring the puppet on to model honesty and vulnerability. In small groups, try asking questions that center on connecting with the characters, naming feelings, and reflecting and preparing for emotion. Let the pup- pet share its feelings openly; focus your answers on what children can do to manage anxiety and stress. Example: Teacher: Have you ever felt like Holdin or other characters from this book? If so, which character? (connecting with the characters) Puppet: I sometimes feel like Holdin when I watch the news and see my family members are sad. Teacher: Do you sometimes have big feelings? What feelings do you have? (naming feelings) Puppet: I feel sad and mad and worried. I don't want people to feel sad. That makes my stomach hurt. Teacher: What makes you feel better? (reflecting and preparing for emotion) Puppet: I close my eyes and take deep breaths and I say nice things to myself in my mind. Teacher: That's good. It's OK to be worried, but it's not good to hold it in. How about we make a list? You can talk to one of your family about it. And sometimes stretching your body helps. As students share, remember to a™irm how they are feeling. Teach- ers (and puppets) need to create safe spaces for discussion by noting, "Expressing emotions isn't always easy — even for adults." Sometimes students might ask the puppet questions that require more time to answer. The puppet might respond, " That's something I wonder about, too. Who do you think I could ask?" Students can then help the teacher make a list of people they can talk to: a school coun- selor, a parent or grandparent, their teachers. Later, when a teacher has consulted available resources and had time to reflect, the puppet can return to the question. Choy's students work on their puppets. 45 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 21