The Teddy Bear Unit

All teachers, even college and university professors have a favorite unit of study that’s like a pet-project for them.  At the elementary/grade-school level it might be a unit on Teddy Bears, or Dinosaurs, or Space, or even Cats.  Those units are usually referred to as “Teddy Bear” units because the teacher just loves the time spent teaching and imparting that knowledge on to the youngsters in his charge.

The unit doesn’t tend to contain any great secrets or even lots and lots heavy academic skills or principles.  Oh, sure, there are actual objectives (The student will learn to spell the names of 2 dinosaurs; the student will learn the names, in order, of the 8 planets in our Solar System, and so on.), but the theme throughout remains the same:  Teddy Bears.  Or Space.  Or Dinosaurs.

Typically the unit includes a lesson or two about the origin of Teddy Bears (Theodore Roosevelt), various bears from around the world, films (DVDs nowadays), how-to-draw a Teddy Bear, for the very young perhaps bear-shaped pancakes or created-a-bear-face cookies, and even a writing lesson about, “How To Be A Beary Good Friend!”  This last one, of course, would be done in a blank bear shaped book, whereby the students decorate their book covers after they’ve written their bear stories. 

Oh, and let’s not forget the “Bring-Your-Bear-To-School” day as a culminating activity.  This would, naturally, include a Teddy Bears’ Picnic and bear-themed foods as well.  Teddy Grahams come to mind!

In recent years the Teddy Bear unit has fallen by the wayside as the primary focus in education at all levels is on testing, how-to-take tests, practice tests, how to proctor tests, peer testing, how-to-do various types of tests questions (typically long before the child is ready for such material.), and lastly, how to deal with “test taking anxiety.”

Solution(s) to that problem?  Oh, there are lots of ways in which we can help youngsters become more comfortable taking tests, namely, reminding them that’s it’s simply another form of practice, but bottom line, those tests, exams, quizzes, story problems, multiple choice questions, fill-in-the-blanks, and other types of testing items aren’t going away any time soon.

My personal suggestion, let kids be kids, and monitor their daily work. That’s the best way to see how they are really doing in school.  Oh, and talk to them about specific things they did in school today, i.e., what game(s) did you play at recess, did you color another pretty picture for mommy and daddy, did you share a toy with a friend today, did you say something nice to someone today.

They are perfectly imperfect little creatures.  Hug them, kiss them, and tell them that you love them each and every day!  That’s the Teddy Bear way! 

Thaddeus J. Bear