Puppet Power

I've recently welcomed four new family members into the fold at the Puppet Palace.

Meet Patch,

Motor, 

Honey,

and PJ.

Aren't they adorable? Each one different, each one special.

Because they were gifts, from friends, to me.

I see them as gifts of encouragement, to keep on

writing puppet scripts and impacting children

through the medium of puppetry.

It's fun, because students will actually ask me things like,

"What problem is that one going to need help solving?"

and "What's its name?" or "Is it a boy or a girl?"

And I ask myself, "They DO know they're puppets, right?"

And when they fret about the safety of the puppets during a fire drill, for example, I'm not exactly sure the answer to that question.

What I do know is this: We've got the ability to positively influence and shape a child's thoughts, words, and deed when we've got a puppet on our hand. 

Students are instantly engaged and they're listening. 

They'll say things to a puppet that they wouldn't tell a person.

 They laugh. 

They teach. 

They remember. 

And they notice.

Just last Friday, a kindergartener noticed my basket of seals and he asked, "When are those walruses going to talk to us?" Just so cute!

After school recently, Luke, another kindergarten friend, brought by an empty and thoroughly cleaned out five-gallon cheese-puffs bin that he'd labeled Puppets Sleep Jar and asked if he could tuck the new puppets in so they don't get scared in their sleep. Super sweet!!

Here's what I found this morning ... a candle to keep them warm!

And when I get notes, students inevitably tell me that they love my puppets ... or their favorite puppet is Pillar ... or say hi to Boris.

Then when they see me in the hallways, they want to know which puppet I'm going to use next. I think it'll be Patch, when we discuss differences later this week. Shhhh, don't tell.

Never underestimate the power of the puppet ...